24/7 Emergency Service
Only YOU - & SERVPRO - Can Prevent Wildfires
9/28/2021 (Permalink)
Locally owned SERVPRO of Davie and Yadkin Counties has proudly served the western piedmont area since 2011- ensuring our team’s familiarity with the nuances of emergency services specific to rural communities. Our two territories are home to over 1,000 of North Carolina’s farms- many of which are preparing for this season’s fall harvest.
The cooler and drier fall weather sets in as farmers work to reap the rewards of their growing season. This busy time, accompanied by the drier weather conditions, can often leave crops, animals, homes and hard-earned livelihoods susceptible to fires if not addressed properly.
Although most commonly associated with the western part of the country, North Carolina is home to its own fair share of wildfires that have long been a dominant driver of changes to the state’s landscape.
Resist Wildfire NC states that it’s not a matter of "if” a wildfire will occur in North Carolina, but "when.” Surprisingly, North Carolina ranks high on the Wildland/Urban Interface (WUI), which is defined as the area where homes and communities meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland vegetation. Wildfires that occur within the WUI can be extremely dangerous and destructive to lives and property.
North Carolina is…
- #1 in the nation for amount of acres within the WUI (40% of NC land)
- #4 in the nation for number of homes in the WUI (52% of NC homes)
- #4 in the nation for the number of people in the WUI (over 50% of NC homes)
North Carolina’s WUI index ranking means that home and land owners must take the initiative in working to protect their property and neighborhoods before a wildfire occurs.
To combat this risk, SERVPRO of Davie and Yadkin Counties is ready to assist all Davie and Yadkin county residents with comprehensive fire damage mitigation and recovery this fall.
Check out the following tips, links and resources to protect your home and property during the 2021 wild-fire season:
- Remove flammable materials using the 3 HIZ Zones. HIZ stands for “Home Ignition Zone,” and dictates three zones of ignition potential in relation to a home and its immediate surroundings. The zones are classified as Immediate, Intermediate and Extended.
- 7 preliminary steps to protect your home from wildfires
- Clear: Clear pine needles, dead leaves, and anything else that can burn from your rooflines, gutters, decks, porches, patios and along fence lines. Falling embers will have nothing to burn.
- Store Away: Store away furniture cushions, rattan mats, potted plants and other decorations from doors, decks, porches, and patios. These items catch embers and help ignite your home if you leave them outside.
- Screen & Seal: Wind-blown embers can get into homes easily through vents and other openings and burn the home from the inside out. Walk around your house to see what openings you can screen or temporarily seal up.
- Rake: Embers that land in mulch that touches your house, deck, or fence is a big fire hazard. Rake out any landscaping mulch to at least 5 feet away.
- Trim: Trim back any shrubs or tree branches that come closer than five feet to your house, in addition to any overhanging branches.
- Remove: Walk around your house and remove anything within 30 feet that could burn, such as woodpiles, spare lumber, vehicles, and boats – anything that can act as a large source of fuel.
- Close: If ordered to evacuate, make sure all windows and doors are closed tightly and seal up any pet doors. Many homes are destroyed by embers entering these openings and burning the house from the inside out.
- Individual Homeowner Wildfire Risk Assessment
- This document provides a comprehensive self led assessment of your home’s fire risk rating, providing home and land owners with a final score indicative of their property’s risk of fire susceptibility, ranging from low to extreme risk.
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SERVPRO of Davie and Yadkin Counties has successfully assisted hundreds of North Carolina home and land owners in fire damage mitigation, restoration and disaster recovery since their opening in 2011. If you are interested in updating your disaster mitigation efforts, SERVPRO of D&Y’s trained staff is here to help- available 24/7.
Contact SERVPRO of Davie & Yadkin Counties at 336-677-1415, or SERVPRO9942@yahoo.com.
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SERVPRO of Davie and Yadkin Counties is a locally owned and family operated restoration franchise, proudly serving over 83,000 North Carolinians across the piedmont. SERVPRO has positioned itself as the preferred restoration vendor for many national and local insurance companies, and our central NC location truly upholds this standard.
The SERVPRO D&Y team collectively hold over 20 industry certifications, making them a trusted local leader in water, fire, storm, mold remediation, as well as COVID-19 cleaning protocol.
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