More then ever wildfires pose serious risk to housing.

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November 5, 2019

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Thermally Modified Wood

It’s no longer just an occasional occurrence. Wildfires are more frequent and come with more intensity then ever before. Millions of families have lost their homes to this devastating trend. Its literally a “scorched earth” scenario when these fires complete their destruction.

Fourteen of the 20 most destructive fires in California history have occurred since 2007. It’s a battle that Californians cannot tackle on their own. More needs to be done on climate change research and prevention techniques that can bring real change and the state simply does not have enough money to tackle this on its own.

Past research has shown that half of all buildings destroyed by wildfire in California were located in an area with less vegetation. Calfire in conjunction with the State Fire Marshal administer a fire prevention program called WUI (Wildland Urban Interface). WUI includes developed areas that have sparse or no wildland vegetation, but are within close proximity of a large patch of wildland. These area’s are considered high risk should a wildfire occur.

Manufactures and distributors of building materials that provide materials for the construction of buildings within the designated WUI zone must comply with the regulations set forth by the State Fire Marshal and that comply with the standards set forth by the BML (Building Materials Listing) program. Having your product(s) listed on the BML is based upon an evaluation of test results that include an analysis of required product performance and reliability features. All companies that want to list products on the BML must have those products tested by a SFM accredited laboratories.

Our thermally modified Ash has been tested and approved for use in the WUI zone and is required to be inspected four times annually to ensure compliance with the requirements set forth. We understand that this is only a small step in the process of helping achieve a safer environment but one we take very seriously. Together with other ongoing and new initiatives set forth by local and federal authorities it’s hopeful that real change can occur. We need to understand that climate change must be addressed and preventative measures must be implemented to have any chance of achieving real and lasting change.

Thanks for reading and please check out our Pinterest page to view some inspiring pictures using wood.