Gutter cleaning and bush-fire risk:

Here in Australia, bush fires are common during the warmer months. They can cause serious damage to properties. 

Are your gutters blocked?

Bush fires are fanned by our prevailing winds on the Sunshine Coast. These winds increase the intensity and speed of the fires, which can place your home under burning ember attack. Therefore, it is important for property owners to ensure that their properties have a reduced risk of catching fire. Home owners should always make sure that gutters are cleaned and clear of any blockages and build up of leaves and twigs. Blocked gutters are a serious fire hazard which if left unattended can have catastrophic consequences. Homeowners in areas prone to bush fires should have a fire prevention checklist, but people forget to include cleaning gutters. Dry leafy material build up on your roof represents an increased fire risk.

Why is it so important to have your gutters cleaned regularly?

Gutters are designed to direct water away from the inside of your house. Unfortunately, gutters are mostly forgotten by homeowners since they are not clearly visible from below. The design of your gutters means that they can trap leaf, twig and other materials, eventually building up to a point where they can block water-flow. Gutter cleaning is a highly risky job. Many homeowners find it a bit intimidating to climb the roof and clean the gutters. During the dry season lots of debris such as leaves, twigs and other organic matter, which are highly flammable, can collect on your roof and in the gutters without being visible from below. In the event of a bush fire, the debris in the gutters and on your roof can trap embers that can easily ignite, and this can result in property losses. Typically, embers precede the actual arrival of the fire as they are lofted by the strong winds associated with the bush-fires.

For most homeowners, rain gutters are hardly their first thought when it comes to fire prevention, unfortunately if the gutters are not cleaned regularly, lots of debris can collect on the gutters over time. Most home owners bank of having a fire prevention system such as smoke detectors and heat detectors as their first line of defense. However, when debris in your gutters is ignited, they can render all your installed fire prevention equipment useless in a flash. Even after clearing away all the vegetation close to your house, you still may have a fire waiting to happen in your eaves from just one burning ember.

One way to reduce the risk of bush fires or wildfires igniting debris on your gutters is by engaging an experienced Gutter-vac to regularly clean out all debris from your gutters. 

If your gutters are not cleaned you are probably not insured!

Gutter-vac Sunshine Coast will create a regular schedule for gutter and roof cleaning. This will not only reduce the risk of roof flooding, but it will also reduce the risk of fires damaging or destroying you property. If your gutters are not properly maintained, many insurance companies will not pay out your claim. Damage to your property caused by blocked or clogged gutters may not be covered by insurance.

Do you have a bush fire emergency plan

Globally, fire prevention and emergency services recommend that property owners should maintain their gutters free from any form of debris by regularly cleaning them out as it helps minimize the risk of the spread of fire. Always ensure that you utilize the services of a professional gutter cleaning expert such as Gutter-vac to help keep you home looking great, and safer from bush fires.