Home Hardening
During a wildfire, embers make their way through vents and other crevices igniting combustible material inside the home and attic. The Montecito Fire Department and our partnering agencies stand ready to quickly respond to fires, but recent events have reinforced the importance of implementing as many wildfire mitigation actions as possible before an incident occurs. Recent post-fire assessments have concluded hardened structures had over three times the likelihood of surviving compared to non-hardened structures. Watch the video below demonstrating wind-blown embers to see how homes ignite during a wildfire.
The University of California Cooperative Extension has an excellent discussion of the various ember-resistant vents here.
For more information please contact Maeve Juarez or Nic Elmquist at (805) 969-7762.