Fences Can Protect Homes, Businesses, and People in Wild-fires, but Only as Long as the Fence does not Burn.
“The potential for residential fencing systems to act as a barrier against radiant heat, burning debris and flame impingement during bushfire is of the utmost importance to those whose homes rest in bushfire-prone regions.”
Wildfire research in Australia confirmed that – as long as the fence does not burn – “fencing systems can offer protection to humans and homes during attack from bushfires and house-to-house ignition (similar to urban structural fires).”
The fence shields buildings from radiant heat, preventing windows from breaking and viny siding from melting, allowing embers to enter the building and burn it down. Extended exposure to radiant heat can also directly ignite siding and vegetation close to the building.
“A 2005 testing project involving the Bushfire CRC and the CSIRO has revealed that different types of fencing can play an important part in defending homes against the threat of bushfire.”
The fence also stops or diminishes the number of windblown embers that reach the building. Embers are the most frequent source of wildfire ignitions of structures.
Steel and masonry fences are the most effective shields against wildfire. The problem with wooden fences is that the protection they provide lasts only a short time. Wooden fences are easily ignited by wildfires. When they burn, they add to the radiant heat load on the building. Burning wooden fences are also prolific producers of windblown embers.
“Its performance as a heat barrier was good until ignition of the fencing occurred, after which point additional heat impact was received by all elements behind the fencing.”
However, wood penetrating fire retardants can greatly increase wooden fence resistance to ignition and flame spread. The retardant keeps the fence intact long enough to offer protection until after the ember storm has ceased and the fire front has burned past the property. Typically, the fence will survive with little or no fire damage.
Even greater protection can be provided if the fence is painted with a wildfire resistant paint and coated with a high-quality exterior house paint in any color the owner wishes to use. In field testing, fence boards painted with wildfire resistant paint and exposed to hours of hot embers survived with minimal damage.
Firefighters recognize the danger wooden fences pose to homes and other property in a wildfire. It is increasingly common for them to knock down wooden fences to reduce the spread of wildfire through neighborhoods and ignition of buildings by flames burning along the fence to a structure.
This practice is an effective fire suppression tactic, but it results in significant property loss. Wooden fences are costly to rebuild. That loss is acceptable if sacrificing the fence saves the much more valuable home or building to which it is attached.
If the wooden fences are treated with wood penetrating retardant or painted with wildfire resistant paint, it is seldom necessary to knock down the fence.
The benefits of treating a wooden fence with wood penetrating wildfire retardant or wildfire resistant paint goes well beyond saving the investment in the fence and the fence’s contribution to protecting homes and businesses from wildfire ignitions.
Applying Flame Seal Products’ Wood Seal A with a topcoat of Total Wood Protection (TWP) 1500 stain and water seal
· Protects the fence from wildfire damage, and
· Keeps the fence standing as a shield against radiant heat and embers during wildfires
· Protects the wood from water damage
· Protects the wood from ultraviolet radiation that quickly weathers and discolors the wood.
· Accentuates the beauty of the fence wood. Wood Seal A adds luster to the natural wood colors. TWP comes in many different tint colors.
· An attractive, well-maintained fence adds to property value and curb appeal (A badly weathered, deteriorated fence can reduce property value.)
· Once treated, water, UV, and wildfire protection will last up to five years before retreatment is needed.
If the property owner wishes to paint the fence rather than stain it, Flame Seal Products FS-84 Wildfire Resistant Paint can be applied between the primer coat and the topcoat of high-quality exterior house paint.
· FS-84 Wildfire Resistant Paint is even more effective at resisting wildfire ignitions and flame spread than is Wood Seal A.
· The topcoat of exterior house paint protects the underlying wildfire resistant paint from weathering for the life of the house paint.
· Color combinations are virtually unlimited given the ability paint stores to match almost any color the customer wishes to apply.
To read more about protecting wooden fences from wildfire and the protections fences can provide to people, businesses, and homes during wildfires, follow the links below.
Western Fire Supply. (Distributor of wildfire protection products). https://westernfiresupply.com/collections/flame-seal
Residential boundary fences in bushfires: how do they perform? https://www.bushfirecrc.com/resources/firenote/residential-boundary-fences-bushfires-how-do-they-perform
Knocking Down Fences for Fire Research. file:///Users/rwhfireguard/Desktop/FENCES-Wood/Knocking%20Down%20Fences%20for%20Fire%20Research%20|%20NIST.html
Wildfire Research Fact Sheet: Fences. https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/Firewise/Fact-sheets/FirewiseFactSheetsFencing.ashx
FS-84 Wildfire Resistant Paint. (Top-coat with exterior house paint when used outside). https://flameseal.com/flame-seal-84-fireproof-paint/
Wood Seal A. (Top-coat with TWP 1500 when used outside). https://flameseal.com/products/wood/wood-seal-a/
TWP 1500. https://www.twpstain.com/twp-1500-series
How Much Value Does Fencing Add to Your Home? https://www.homes.com/blog/2016/06/does-fencing-add-value-to-home/