SALT LAKE CITY — Great views and great neighbors are what many homeowners look for in a neighborhood. But in a Wildland Urban Interface area, there’s more for a homeowner to consider.
One homeowner in Salt Lake City requested a home assessment from the fire department because he knows the risk of wildfires.
“Last year, there was that fire up on the hill — the Sandhurst Fire — and I had some clients where I was selling their home in Capitol Hill, in the Columbus Court area, and there was a fire there too,” homeowner Scott Maruri said. “Being close to Memory Grove, I was like, 'Oh, we may be in a place where we need to be more aware of fire risk.'”
With fires sparking up across the state, Maruri wanted to make sure he's providing firefighters with defensible space in case of an emergency. He said the assessment answered a lot of questions for him.
Defensible space is the required space between a structure and the wildland area that creates a buffer to slow the spread of a wildfire.
Scott Haney, the Salt Lake City Fire Department’s Wildland Urban Interface coordinator, walked around Maruri’s house with one of their crews. He gave some tips and advice.
“A good rule of thumb is whatever our fuel height is, vegetation, you’re going to double the flame length,” Haney said.
Haney said it’s important to have an action plan in case of an emergency. On red flag warning days, he emphasized that embers could travel fast and spark fires in high-risk areas.
“When we look at homes, we’re looking for those places that can hold the embers,” Haney said. “So, is that the roof? Do we have open vents?”
Being educated on how to protect your home can make all the difference in an emergency.
“The worry level of what we see happening around the state, the drought conditions, we seem to get drier and drier,” Maruri said. “There’s no doubt that the worry of losing your house in a fire is scary.”
After his assessment, Maruri said he’ll be making some changes to his home, like trimming trees and bushes and covering some open vents.
The Fire Department also recommends looking at the Ready Set Go guide, which shows how you can check your own house and create your own personal wildfire action plan.
