Here Are 10 Ways NJ Residents Can Help Protect Homes From Wildfires

NEW JERSEY — Not all New Jerseyans may realize that a wildfire can damage a house located a considerable distance away from the flames, an expert told Patch.

"There's a common misconception of 'Oh, we're five miles away from the wildfire, or we're 10 miles away from the wildfire, so we're okay,'" said Race Hodges, an emergency management specialist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

He continued, "we're learning with fire science is that embers can travel several miles. A study recently [indicated] embers can travel 30 miles and cause structural ignition. That's a critical point that homeowners need to be aware of."

To put Hodges' takeaway from the study in perspective, consider that trails leading to Constable Bridge were still closed days after the recent NJ wildfire in Wharton State Forest, according to the New Jersey State Park Service

Barnegat Township lies roughly 30 miles northeast of those trails. Pleasantville is located approximately 30 miles southeast of the bridge, while Glassboro and Marlton, respectively, lie about 30 miles west and northwest, of the bridge.

All populated areas. All, based on Hodges' statement, with many homes and structures at potential risk for being damaged or destroyed by a wildfire.

With such information in mind, below, find Hodges' recommendations to mitigate the risk wildfires pose to homes or any other buildings:

• Keep gutters and rooftops clear of flammable debris like branches and leaves.
• Relocate plants, flowers and other similar items that may be next to your home's siding.
• Trim tree branches so that they do not touch your home's roof.
• Retrofit your home with noncombustible windows and siding.

Michele Steinberg, Wildfire Division Director at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), offered a few more recommendations:

• Clear out any items from under your home's deck that could ignite.
• Make sure that if you have a wooden fence, the part that attaches to your house is metal.
• Maintain your lawn or yard so that grasses are kept well-watered and about 4 inches.
• Keep shrubs and trees spaced apart so they can’t ignite and create large flames.
• Replace or repair any loose or missing house shingles or roof tiles to avoid ember penetration.
• Repair or replace broken or loose window screens and any broken windows.

Additional recommendations on protecting your home from wildfires can be found on FEMA's and NFPA's websites.

Hodges acknowledged until recently, most media coverage of large, costly wildfires has been concentrated in California and the southwestern part of the United States. However, he strongly encouraged New Jerseyans to consider the recommendations he and others provided.

"If a homeowner has not experienced a hazard over disaster there, there may be an increased likelihood that they may not have taken preventative measures," he said in the interview. "But we strongly encourage people to be prepared. Emergencies and disasters can happen at a moment's notice."

On average, the state of New Jersey experiences about 1,000 wildfires a year, Greg McLaughlin, Chief of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, said during a news conference held during the Mullica River Fire.

He added that although most of those fires are fewer than five acres in size, a small fire can be as significant a threat as one that covers thousands of acres.

"If you just go back to last year's airport fire in Lakewood and Brick townships, that fire was relatively small in comparison to some of these large wildfires that we experienced throughout history," McLaughlin said. "But that fire wreaked havoc, jumped four lanes of the Garden State Parkway, burned structures to the ground and then caused a lot of threat to a lot of people."

Steinberg shared a similar sentiment during the interview with Patch.

"NFPA has seen many communities lose hundreds of homes in wildfires that are low-intensity because homes and yards present plenty of fuel for the fire when they aren’t prepared properly," she said.

Steinberg continued, "once wildfires ignite one home, in many cases it is the burning home structure that then spreads the fire to other homes. That’s why it is so important for individuals to prepare their own property and work with their neighbors to reduce wildfire ignition risks across the community."

Got a news tip? Story idea? Send me an email with the details at janel.miller@patch.com.