Many roofs have asphalt shingles. If a fire breaks out on or near the shingles, the heat and smoke will likely damage those shingles. They can melt or become distorted as they blister and embers burn.

What can you do to reduce the risk of fire damage to your roof?

Ideally you’ll install high-quality roofing materials that are resistant to fire. Roofing materials are rated Class A, B or C. Go with Class A for your best protection!

How clean is your roof? Keep it clean of debris such as fallen tree branches and twigs. Inside your attic, you should also clear the area of anything flammable. Look around and make sure if there was a fire that it wouldn’t easily spread thanks to the smart way you lay out things in the attic. Combustible items shouldn’t be stored in the attic. Meanwhile, near your house you might want to cut down/back overhanging trees, which could start on fire and cause more problems if they’re too close to a roof on fire.

Do you have any roof gaps or holes that need to be repaired? Fix roof problems immediately rather than waiting to “eventually get it done.” Things like damaged flashing or missing shingles should be fixed– the better maintained your roof is, the less likely it’ll catch on fire.

Finally, does your roof have a lightning arrestor? Just in case a lightning bolt were to strike your building, it would be best to have a lightning arrestor handle it in order to protect the building from lightning-related fire accidents.

If you have questions about roofs, call Roofing By Bruce at 570-424-8891.