2. Seal out embers: Cover all exterior vent openings with 1/8-inch hardware cloth, close and seal doggie doors, and be sure your windows are made of tempered or double-pane glass. If they can’t get in, embers can’t catch carpets, beds, wood furniture, floors or curtains on fire. 3. Clear a 5-foot perimeter: Move stacks of firewood and any other combustible materials at least 30 feet from the house. In adjacent planting beds, replace organic mulch with gravel or stone mulch, and keep bedding plants watered and healthy. Rethink your choice of plants, too, and stay away from those with oils and resins, such as juniper and pine. 4. Clear the deck: Keep attached wooden decks clear of debris and clear out any dead vegetation under the deck. Avoid attaching wooden fences to the house itself, but if you must, use a masonry or metal barrier where it is affixed. 5. Create a defensible space: If you live in a wildfire-prone area, a 5-foot safety perimeter isn’t enough. Maintain the area between 30 and 100 feet from the house as a “reduced fuel zone” where trees are spaced 10 feet apart and regularly pruned; no branches touch the roof; pine needles and leaves are regularly raked up and disposed of; and the lawn is mowed. 6. Be prepared to evacuate: Know your community’s evacuation plans and escape routes and establish a meeting place for your family to reunite if you become separated. Build an emergency kit well in advance and include everything you might need for up to a week away from home. Cleaning up After the smoke clears from a nearby wildfire, you may have some repairs to make. For example, have your regular air conditioning maintenance company professional clean your AC unit. Inside the house, you may see a thin layer of soot on your walls, or what looks like spider webs everywhere. In most cases, you can claim this smoke damage on your Germania property insurance. It’s also easily cleaned up. “Be careful of price gauging by predatory cleaning services that show up after a wildfire,” Hardwick said. “Reasonable and necessary costs are covered, and you can usually rely on a local housecleaning service to do a good a job wiping everything down.”
As a farm mutual, Germania understands how risky farming can be. From weather conditions to fluctuating crop and livestock values, the last thing any farmer or rancher wants to deal with is the loss of essential equipment. The U.S. Fire Administration says that on average, 20,000 agricultural-related fires cause $102 million in direct property losses annually. A third of those fires involve vehicles, processing equipment, fixed wiring, heaters and torches. Your Germania agent has experience with insurance coverage for all of your farm and ranch equipment and property. The following steps will help you reduce your risk of a loss: • Maintain equipment on the recommended schedule. • Keep machinery clean and free of combustible materials. Take particular care with engine compartments where machinery fires most often start. Use a pressure washer to remove built-up grease, oil and organic residue. • Ensure the exhaust systems — including manifolds, mufflers and turbochargers — are in good working order and free of leaks. • Replace worn electrical components, bearings, belts or chains as soon as they show sign of wear to avoid sparks caused when metal rubs against metal. • Keep fully charged fire extinguishers on tractors, combines and near all farm machinery. Inspect fire extinguishers regularly and replace older models. • Install automated fire suppression systems on farm machinery when applicable. • Use welders and cutting torches only in clean areas at least 35 feet away from any flammable and combustible materials. Use welding curtains to contain sparks. • Store vehicles and machinery in designated buildings. Post “No Smoking” signs in those buildings and around barns and combustible and flammable materials. • Keep a clean work area. • Contact your area fire department to be sure an adequate water supply is available nearby and that there’s a clear path to your property. Provide the firefighters with a list of the hazardous materials you store and update it regularly. Take steps to reduce your risk of farm equipment fires
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