I wonder how many houses would burn if the owners or builders would do the plantings far enough away from the houses so they cannot set the house on fire if they burn, and also if the roofs were made of materials that either will not burn, or are very hard to get to burn.
Sheet metal roofs, if installed correctly, will protect a house very well unless the metal is covered with flammable materials like pine needles. Even cheap 3 tab composition roofs do pretty well if they are clean and have sufficient slope. The tile roofs that are so popular in the Southwest might be OK, but I would be somewhat concerned about embers being able to blow up under the curved tiles and setting the wood structure on fire underneath.
If I lived in one of those areas that are so susceptible to fires, I would build my house with a sheet metal roof, probably stucco covered walls, concrete or other nonflammable decks and walkways, and no vegetation close to the house. I would also have things set up so it was possible to close the air entry to the attic and would have shutters on the windows I could close up. If I had a swimming pool, I would have it set up so I could pump the water out of it to fight fire using a generator, since the power would probably go off if there was a major fire. My guess is that such a house would survive even if a fire went through the area.
You would think that the powers that be would require at least some of the above design features in the vulnerable areas. Education should be the first step and then people would make their largest investments a whole lot more secure. I also think the insurance companies should inspect what they are going to insure, and charge according to how vulnerable a property is.
Like anywhere else, homes MUST be adapted to the local conditions. That area is more or less a desert most of the time, and the hot winds are going to occur. It is dumb to not be prepared.
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Today's Featured Article - Show Coverage: Journey to Ankeny - by Cindy Ladage. We left Illinois on the first day of July and headed north and west for Ankeny, Iowa. Minus two kids, we traveled light with only the youngest in tow. As long as a pool was at the end of our destination she was easy to please unlike the other two who have a multitude of requirements to travel with mom and dad. Amana Colonies served as a respite where we ate a family style lunch that sustained us with more food than could reasonably fit into our ample physiques. The show at Ankeny
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