How to Prepare

Decks

Many homes located in wildfire-prone areas have attached decks, which can potentially spread fire to the house when ignited during a wildfire. Consequently, making decks less vulnerable to wildfire also makes your house less vulnerable.

Deck: Wildfire Research Fact Sheet

Fire Spread on Ember-Ignited Decks

  • Combustible material should not be stored beneath decks. This will effectively create a noncombustible zone under the entire footprint of the deck.
  • Routinely remove debris that accumulates in between deck board gaps and debris that can accumulate at the intersection between the deck and the house.
  • If the deck is a non-fire-retardant treated softwood deck, consider removing and replacing deck boards within a few feet of the house.
  • When building new decks, select deck boards that comply with the California Building Code Requirements. If using wood joists, cover the top and part of the sides with a foil-faced bitumen tap product.

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