To prevent ignition and fire spread to your building, do not use this area as long-term storage.  

• Do not store combustible items under your attachment(s).
• It is best practice to store items long-term either indoors or at least 30 feet from the building if possible.  
• If you have a multifamily business (condos, apartments, hotels or affordable housing), ask tenants/staff to move ALL items from their balconies and patios indoors on very high fire danger days.

Embers can easily start fires in and around your building and can collect in these areas. 

• Remove dead plant material from vegetation, including ground cover, dead shrubs and tree branches, on a regular maintenance schedule. 
• Create islands or groupings of vegetation in parking lots that will result in a discontinuous path of vegetation, thereby making it difficult for the fire to burn directly to the building. 
• Trim upper branches of trees so that they are at least 10 feet away from branches of neighboring tree crowns. 
• Trim the bottom of trees so that all branches are at least 6 feet from the ground and at least 3 times higher than any shrubs nearby.

If the roof slope allows, the gutter cover device should be installed so that it is parallel to the plane of the roof slope (with steeper-sloped roofs, this may not be possible).

Help stop fire from spreading from the fence to your building. 

• If you have fencing (with or without gates) attached to your building that is made of combustible materials such as wood or plastic, replace at least the first 5 feet with metal or other noncombustible versions. If your eave is low, potential flames from burning fence can reach your eave.
• If possible, choose fencing and gates with vertical rails or chain link instead of solid fences/gates to allow embers to pass through rather than accumulate. 

Building identification should be provided at each vehicle access entrance and should be visible from both directions of travel.

• Signage should be made from a noncombustible material. 
• Street numbers should be at least 4 inches high, reflective, and applied on a contrasting background.

• If your combustible attachment sits less than 4 feet above the ground, enclose it with a noncombustible siding product or use 1/8 inch or finer mesh around the combustible walkway or deck perimeter. This will help keep debris out and keep embers from collecting underneath. 
• Be sure the enclosed space is adequately ventilated to minimize the chance of water-related damage (i.e., fungal decay, fastener corrosion, etc.).

• Make sure small structures like sheds, garbage containment and other outbuildings are located at least 30 feet away from your main building. If they can’t be moved, consider retrofitting or enclose them with noncombustible materials. Structures within 30 feet of your main building should be maintained just like the 0-5 foot building ignition zone.   
• High-piled storage of combustible material should not exceed 10 feet in height and should be located a minimum of 50 feet from the building. 
• Outdoor storage of large quantities of combustible and flammable liquids should be located more than 50 feet away from the building or stored in detached noncombustible buildings.
• LP tanks should be located at least 50 feet from the building and other structures on the property.

When constructing a new attachment, use metal joists and a noncombustible walking surface like metal or lightweight concrete. If you cannot find those in your area, use plastic composite or hardwood (Ipe) instead of medium/low-density wood such as redwood and cedar.

If your building has open eaves, box them in, enclose them or install noncombustible soffit. If fire reaches the area below an open eave, heat can build up and ignite exposed materials. Embers can also circulate here, increasing the chance they will enter your building if vents don’t have screens. 

Replace single-pane windows with tempered insulating-glass windows, especially first-floor windows on a multi-story business.

• Exterior windows, window walls, glazed doors, and glazed openings within exterior doors should be insulating-glass units with a minimum of one tempered pane, or glass block units.  
• Vinyl-framed windows require reinforcing; therefore, if replacing windows with a vinyl frame, ensure the manufacturer produced an American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) certified product. The AAMA site features a directory of certified products.

• If you cannot upgrade your windows, install metal shutters. 

If you have combustible siding like un-treated wood or vinyl, the best practice is to replace it with a noncombustible material like concrete and brick.  

• Install noncombustible materials in accordance with ASTM E136.
• Exterior personnel doors should be of noncombustible construction, or solid core.

• Entrances and driveways should be at least 12 feet wide with at least 13.5 feet of vertical clearance between roadway and vegetation. The angle of approach and departure should be designed to allow for emergency vehicle access without damaging the equipment when entering or leaving the driveway.
• If property is gated, the gate should open inward and have an entrance at least 2 feet wider than the driveway. Any gate should be located at least 30 feet from a roadway intersection. If secured, the gate should have a key box or lock of a type approved by the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).
• Fire hydrants should be located within 250–500 feet of the building and should be connected to a reliable public or private water supply. If there are no fire hydrants within 500 feet, contact the fire authority having jurisdiction (FAHJ) or local water department.