Five Must-Do Preparation Steps If Your Home or Building Is in the Path of a Wildfire

Church Mutual Insurance Company provides tips to support California communities

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Church Mutual Insurance Company:

WHAT:	With thousands of California homes and businesses lying in the paths of recent and future wildfires, communities are looking for steps to help protect their buildings. These five tips can save lives and property. Communities should always follow the advice of local authorities, including evacuation orders.
TIPS:	If communities anticipate future evacuation orders due to wildfires, follow these five steps to prepare your home or building for an approaching wildfire:
1.	Shut off gas supply to your building To reduce risks of feeding a fire, it’s standard practice by emergency response to shut off the gas supply or propane tanks to protect structures. Close all appliance valves and gas valves inside the building and do not move propane cylinders anywhere near the building.
2.	Close all doors and windows To prevent embers from entering the structure and igniting combustible materials, close all doors and windows. This helps prevent the structure from burning down from the inside out.
3.	Turn off air conditioning To prevent outside smoke from entering the home and causing preventable damage, turn off air conditioning within the building.
4.	Remove leaves and other debris from the roof and gutters If time allows, to prevent embers or flames to the roof and gutters, remove leaves and other debris. A best practice is to clean out gutters regularly and use noncombustible covers.
5.	Create defensible space around the building If time allows, remove combustible materials, like dead plants, weeds, grass, bushes and outdoor furniture cushions within a zero- to five-foot zone around the building. A best practice is to use materials such as gravel, brick or concrete adjacent to the building.

Additional Information available at: https://www.churchmutual.com/8443/Protecting-against-wildfires

About Church Mutual
Church Mutual Insurance Company, founded in 1897, offers specialized insurance for religious organizations of all denominations, public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities, senior living facilities, camps and conference centers and nonprofit and human services organizations throughout the United States. Church Mutual markets most lines of commercial property and liability insurance, including multi-peril, workers' compensation and commercial auto insurance. In addition to insurance, Church Mutual provides a spectrum of value-added solutions that benefit its customers. Church Mutual holds the following honors:

• A.M. Best Company "A" (excellent) rating
• BenchmarkPortal Top 10 National Customer Service Center
• Wisconsin 75 by Deloitte US, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019
• Wisconsin 75 by Deloitte US 2019 Distinguished Performer: Innovation
• Futuremakers Partner, by Wisconsin Technical College System
• Celent Model Insurer for innovation and emerging technologies
• Award in Innovation for entrepreneurialism and innovation, by National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies