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This is fascinating. And with the global warming and other changes, we have to learn everything we can.
https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/08/what- ... n-lahaina/

Beth, that was a very interesting article. I had noticed the house still standing amongst the ruins. Maybe now more people will do more to protect their homes. An item in this morning’s paper also talked about reducing withes of roads with bike lanes. And allowing cars to park on the sides of roads therefor reducing the ability to use the entire road for evacuation! Such a tragedy.
Lyn

Hello, Beth.

I had seen a photo of this home a few days ago, thanks for posting.

When I lived in the Sierra foothills, there was a major fire that went through a community about fifteen miles south of me (this was a few years before the Paradise fire).

I commuted from my foothills home to my job in the Central Valley for many years, part of the commute took me along the outskirts of where this fire burned. Many homes were lost, but there were a few still standing. All of those that remained had wide areas of short-cropped green grass around them, no brush or landscaping (or piles of firewood) near or against the house (no near outbuildings, either) - and all had metal roofs. These were also wood-frame homes, all of them probably more than 25 years old.

It definitely told a story.

Of course, a metal roof is considerably more expensive than an asphalt shingle roof (in addition to being fire resistant, a metal roof will also last a lot longer than an asphalt roof).

Today, there is also a product called fiber cement siding that is often molded to have "wood grain". When it is painted, it is not easy at first glance to tell it is not actually wood.

And yet homes are still being built using wooden siding in the urban/wildland interface.

"It’s the only type of siding that combines the performance of masonry—minimal upkeep; rot-, fire-, and termite-proof; unaffected by wind or cold—with the look of painted wood clapboards, shingles, even stone or brick."

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/siding/21017880/all-about-fiber-cement-siding

If you factor in the cost of installation it is more expensive than wooden siding. But is definitely what I would want should I ever be so lucky to move back to a rural area.

Anne

This is an interesting article on the Almeda fire of 2020 that wiped out several communities and businesses. It is a long article but the first part is the interesting part on the homes that were on the far side did not burn as the winds were gusting 45-50 and gusted away from their end. My heart goes out to them in Maui for sure. Just posted in case anyone is interested.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/2e ... 1bb050879c

Very interesting article. Here in MI, we don’t do that obviously because those of us who live in the forested areas can only do so much. But it is suggested you be “fire safe”, meaning keep debris, leaves, tall grass etc. away from your home as much as you can. I have River stone on 2 sides of my house around the foundation. One with out it has a dirt flowerbed. The other is all moss. I should put stone on that side also. The River stone is meant to keep water away from the basement walls, although I do have gutters along the eves. The only other thing that can be done is to cut the trees back at least 50 feet away all the way around the house which is of course cost prohibitive. So it is what it is.

This is a very interesting thing happening in parts of Florida. It is fascinating! Should be more than this little bit. One item I found interesting was fireproof ceramic paint. Enjoy!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g-xVJtoZqeU

I really like the look of the new metal roofs, but I suspect they are expensive. However, if I lived in the woods, it might make it worthwhile if you had to replace a roof down to the sheathing.