According to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) there are three main threats to which a building can be exposed during a wildfire – wind-borne embers, radiant heat, and direct contact with flames. When choosing your business insurance NC, it’s a good idea to also evaluate your exposures to various perils such as wildfires.
Ember exposure is the most common form of direct wildfire damage to buildings. Burning embers can damage a building by igniting nearby vegetation, building components, and/or combustible siding, and by breaking glass thereby exposing the inside of the building to the fire.
As a business owner, perhaps your first priority in protecting your building in a wildfire-prone area is to assess and strengthen the roof. It’s important to be aware however that even when a building has a roof with a high fire protection rating, improper sheathing or siding can have the effect of negating it.
There are numerous issues to consider when inspecting your property for wildfire risk. These include:
• Building roof – whether it is Class-A fire-rated.
• Gutters – whether they full of debris or whether gutter covers are allowing debris to accumulate on the building roof.
• Attic vents – attic or crawlspace vents should be protected with a fine screen or some other method, to reduce the chance that embers will enter into the attic space.
Addressing these issues and acting on the information should help decrease the risk of wildfire damage to your business property, and may help reduce the need to claim on your business insurance NC. You can find more information on wildfire protection at the IBHS. For more information on financially protecting your property through business insurance, contact our agents.