Home Fire Protection Tips

You can protect your home with these simple steps to a cost effective fire smart home.

  • Maintain what you’ve got at least twice per year (do it yourself, cost $0-$300):

    • Remove needles, leaves, and other debris from gutters, roof surfaces, decks and balconies
    • Regularly clean vents
    • Remove all combustible ground cover (mulch and plants within 1.5M of the house perimeter)
    • Mow the lawn to <10cm
    • Plant low-growing, well spaced shrubs and other fire-resistant plants
    • Prune trees to create a 2m clearance from the ground to the lowest tree branches

  • Complete Simple Upgrades (Do-it-yourself for under $300-$3000):

    • Replace worn or missing weather stripped on all doors including garage doors
    • Add a non-combustible 3mm screen to all external vents, except dryer vents
    • Create a 15cm ground-to-siding non-combustible clearance (eg install cement board to metal skirting)
    • Install non-combustible fencing within 15m of the house (cement fiber, metal, chain link, or stone)
    • Install non-combustible ground surfaces within 1.5m of the house (mineral soil, rock, concrete, or stone)

  • Complete more complex upgrades (Work with a contractor for over $3000-30,000):

    • Install Class A fire-resistant roof covering (eg cement fibre, metal, or asphalt shingles)
    • Install non-combustible siding (stucco, metal, stone, cement fibre board)
    • Install multi-pane or tempered glass windows
    • Install exterior fire rated doors
    • Retrofit deck components to be fire-rated, with a continuous surface
    • Remove conifer tress that are within 10m of the house

Download our handy PDF for your reference.

The recommendation(s), advice and contents of this material are provided for informational purposes only and do not purport to address every possible legal obligation, hazard, code violation, loss potential or exception to good practice. Clare Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliates and subsidiaries (“Clare Mutual”) specifically disclaim any warranty or representation that acceptance of any recommendations or advice contained herein will make any premises, property or operation safe or in compliance with any law or regulation. Under no circumstances should this material or your acceptance of any recommendations or advice contained herein be construed as establishing the existence or availability of any insurance coverage with Clare Mutual. By providing this information to you, Clare Mutual does not assume (and specifically disclaims) any duty, undertaking or responsibility to you. The decision to accept or implement any recommendation(s) or advice contained in this material must be made by you.