One-third of all houses are located in what fire safety officials call Wildland Urban Interface districts, which are near or among areas prone to wildfires.
Guadalupe, AZ (PRWEB) September 24, 2013
With three out of four states actively battling wildfires this summer, legislators in high-risk wildfires states are seriously considering requiring new home builders in wildfire-prone areas to use fire-resistant materials, such as metal roofing, to reduce the spread of fire and cut down on property damage costs.
Lew Sichelman of the LA Times reports, "One-third of all houses are located in what fire safety officials call Wildland Urban Interface districts, which are near or among areas prone to wildfires…with more and more people choosing to live in rural areas closer to nature, the chances are greater than ever that someone you know — maybe even you — will lose a house to a fire."
Fire officials have reported that the primary cause of home loss to fire in wildland areas are untreated wood shakes, since they easily catch fire when hit by wind-blown sparks. By requiring new home builders to use incombustible materials (such as metal roofing) in these areas the risk of a wildfire spreading through a residential area is greatly reduced.
Dean Thomas, founder and CEO of Absolute Steel and http://www.metalroofingsource.com reports that his company has seen a definite increase in metal roofing inquiries during the 2013 wildfire season, "More and more home owners are looking for a safe, affordable way to increase their home’s wildfire resistance, and fire resistant metal roofing offers the perfect solution. Whether for a new home or existing roof upgrade a metal roof can easily enhance the look of a home while offering significant fire protection."
"We recently obtained an untouched overhead image of the 1973 Laguna, California fire in a residential area. Every single home in the area was destroyed, except the one with a metal roof. It’s incredible when you consider that your choice of roofing material could save your home," Dean concludes, "It’s too bad every home owner doesn’t install a fire resistant roof – many wildfires would stop spreading and thousands of homes could be saved."
With millions of dollars in property damage and the cost of fighting fires on the rise as their length and breadth increase, fire-prone states like Arizona are revisiting a plan to force home builders in wildfire prone areas to use incombustible materials.
About Absolute Steel: Founded in 1999 as Absolute Storage LLC dba Absolute Steel, the company is the leading metal roofing distributor in America. Absolute Steel went online in 2001. The company also manufacturers steel and metal buildings, carport systems and other structures for the general public, governmental use, and commercial / corporate customers.
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