Learn how to protect your new home and loved ones from wildfire danger!

Wildfire in California is a very real possibility, so it’s important to take steps to help prepare your home and property as much as possible. Whether you have a new build, an older home you love, or you’re still in the planning stages, you’ve put countless hours into caring for your home and you’ll want to protect it as much as possible. To help you do that, we’ve put together a list of fire safety resources and suggestions to help you protect your most precious investments: your life, and your loved ones, and your home.

During the planning stage

Do you want to have a wildfire–prepared home? Talk to Trilogy! We build every house according to Wildlife Urban Interface (WUI) building requirements. 

If you’d like to apply for an Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) certificate, we can help you with that, too. You’ll automatically get the IBHS “base” plan, and we’ll go over the optional “plus” plan and its costs. Then you’ll have peace of mind knowing you’ve done all you can to create home hardening protections.

Before Move-in

• Get fire insurance. Wildfires are a part of life in Butte County, so make sure your house is insured. 
• Make copies of important documents. No matter where you live, you should always have digital copies and extra paper copies to include in your go-bag in case you have to evacuate. This includes your insurance policy, IDs, prescriptions, and anything else you might need. 
• Back up your photo memories. Have irreplaceable photographs? Scan and save them.

After Move-in

• Create defensible space. Remove flammable debris from your yard, trim trees, and get rid of dry leaves, grasses, and other combustible landscaping. 
• Harden your home. This means using fire-resistant materials for your home and firewise landscaping around it—like replacing wooden decks and fencing with non-combustible materials. 
• Do regular maintenance. Get in the habit of doing tasks like pruning, cleaning your gutters, and raking your leaves to maintain your defensible space. Learn about hazardous fuel management to make a difference on your property and in your community!

Important Fire Safety Resources in Butte County

One of the most important things you can do to be ready for wildfires is to familiarize yourself with all the fire safety resources Butte County has to offer. These organizations can assist you and your loved ones before and in the event of an emergency.

• Be Ready, Butte! This community-based initiative helps Butte County prepare for destructive wildfires through awareness, education, and mutual support.
• Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Use this interactive map to see which zone your property is located within.
• Code Red/Alert FM. Butte County residents can register for emergency alerts sent via the FM radio network in a crisis. 
• Firewise communities. Learn how to make the area you live in a safer place by joining together with your new neighbors. 
• Butte Fire Safe Council. This non-profit community organization helps provide fire mitigation and recovery services to Butte County. 
• Butte 211. Butte County residents can dial 2-1-1 anytime to get connected with free community resources.

Get a list of resources ready

Whether you’re building now or in the future, it’s important to keep a list of fire safety resources in Butte County on hand before, during, and after your build. Having fire resources for Paradise, Chico, and the surrounding towns is essential for the safety of everyone in your new neighborhood and our community as a whole.

For more information on how to build a wildfire-prepared home with Trilogy, contact us today!

Fencing, landscaping, noise, and—of course—cookies.

If you grew up watching Sesame Street as a child, you may recall the recurring song “The people in your neighborhood.” In this sweet little ditty, the main singer asks a second person about the people you meet outside your home. The tune imagines the various residents, the jobs they do, and what makes them happy. 

And while the song is decades old, it’s a great reminder today to be a good neighbor and homeowner to the people in your neighborhood. Wondering where to start? Luckily, Trilogy has had over 50 years of experience learning how to be a good neighbor and builder. Check out some of our suggestions on the topic below!

Here’s how to be a favorite neighbor by taking care of:

Home Clearance and Fences.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Good fences make good neighbors.” It’s true! But if you’re going to build a new one, it’s a smart idea to check in with your neighbors before you start digging holes. Make sure you understand where the property lines are so you don’t encroach on their yard or cut off some important view. The same goes with home clearance—nobody wants part of someone else’s roof carport or other structure overhanging their space.

Landscaping.

Does anyone ever want their house to be known as the neighborhood eyesore? Ensure your yard isn’t an overgrown jungle where raccoons reenact their version of the Hunger Games. Keep it mowed and tidy to prevent weeds from flourishing and sending pesky weed seeds into your neighbors’ yards. And while you’re at it, consider putting in firewise landscaping. It’ll help protect your home and contribute to your street looking its best!

Noise levels.

Okay, so say you’ve built a brand spankin’ new fence and are patting yourself on the back for creating more privacy for both you and your neighbors. Don’t forget: even if you have a fence, people can still hear you. While you may prefer to start your day at 6 am with water aerobics in your pool or a good old leaf-blowing session, your neighbors might not appreciate it. Remember to keep noise levels at a respectful level.

Security.

Another way to be a good neighbor is to think about the safety of your home in relation to people who live in the area. Keep your property well-lit outdoors and install motion-activated lights (just be mindful you don’t have a floodlight shining into your neighbor’s bedroom.) If you live in a gated community, don’t give out the gate code to just anyone. Be watchful and discuss suspicious activity with the other neighbors to help make your area a safer place. 

Bonus: Cookies!

Ever since Ruger’s brush with literary fame after he wrote about a dog’s day in the life at Trilogy for our blog, he’s been giving the humans “advice” whenever we sit down to write. Our resident canine coworker is a big fan of cookies (the moo-flavored kind) and strongly suggested this as a top tip to be a good neighbor. And you know what? We agree. There’s nothing nicer than a plate of warm cookies to bring people together or welcome new ones to the neighborhood. So without further ado, we’ve got two cookie recipes for your two-legged and four-legged neighbors.

Ruger’s Favorite Brown Butter Cookie Recipe (for humans, inspired by the Brown Butter Cookie Company in Cayucos, CA from Yummy Mummy)

Ingredients:

•  1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
•  1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
•  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•  1 teaspoon baking soda
•  A pinch of sea salt to sprinkle over the top of each cookie

Instructions:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and heat the oven to 325°F.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir slowly until it caramelizes. When you see brown flecks and smell a rich, nutty flavor, remove it from the heat and pour it into a bowl to cool. Then, stir in the brown sugar and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. 
4. Combine the ingredients in both bowls, mixing well.
5. Use a small scoop or your hands to shape small cookies on the cookie sheet, and then sprinkle a bit of sea salt over top of each.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. 

Ruger’s Favorite Pupalicious Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe (for dogs, adapted from Flora and Vino)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats, or oat flour
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 large ripe banana (or 2 medium bananas), smashed

Instructions:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and heat the oven to 350°F.
2. If you’re using whole oats instead of oat flour, blitz the oatmeal in a blender until it has the consistency of flour.
3. In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter and bananas together, and then add the oat flour until combined.
4. Roll the dough out on the counter into a thin slab around ¼ inch thick.
5. Cut shapes with a knife or a cookie cutter, and then place them on the baking sheet. 
6. Bake for 15 minutes, and make sure they’re cool before putting them into your dog’s mouth!

Let’s be good neighbors together

At Trilogy, we recognize the importance of being a good neighbor and part of a community. It’s one of the many reasons we go above and beyond for our clients, whether they’re building a Palisades Home or a custom home. We think the key to turning a house into a home is trust, kindness, and caring throughout the building process. If you want to find out more about how we can help you, contact us today.

“There is nothing more important than a good, safe, and secure home.”

~Rosalynn Carter, former First Lady

With the season changing over this month, now’s a great time to start thinking about upgrading your home security. And contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to break the bank to do it! Trilogy understands not everyone has the budget to install a super-fancy home security system. We love sharing life tips for the home with our community, so check out some of our top home security suggestions below. 

Trilogy’s top home security tips

• Use dowels to secure doors and windows. Start with one of the simplest ways to secure your home: place a dowel rod in the track of your sliding glass doors or windows. If a burglar breaks the latch on your door or window, a dowel rod will prevent it from sliding open. 
• Set up security lights to increase visibility. Shed some light on the outdoors! Installing security lights can help prevent burglars from doing their dirty work in dark corners of your property. 
• Install a doorbell camera for video monitoring. Mini-cameras like the ones from Arlo have been all the rage for a while—and for good reason. They can be paired with a device (like a smartphone) and notify you when the doorbell is triggered. There are also some models that record continuously. 
• Use quality hardware to reinforce doors. While the image of thieves picking locks is popular in the movies, criminals are most likely to break doors open with force. Prevent this with quality door reinforcement hardware. 
• Protect your spare key with a lock box. Don’t leave your spare key under the front door mat or your favorite garden gnome! Invest in a lockbox to keep your key safely locked behind a code. 
• Upgrade your garage door opener for secure deliveries. Did you know there are now garage door openers with cameras and apps to control them? This technology makes receiving deliveries more secure than ever, especially when you aren’t home.

Ready to get started? We can help!

If you’re feeling inspired, try some of these helpful ideas today to keep your home secure! And if you’re building a house with Trilogy, we can handle some of the work for you. For example, we can install a wired version of the garage door camera during the electrical walk.

When it comes to home security, there’s really no one-size-fits all model. However, it is important to make it a priority and find the system or combination of efforts that work best for your house. Take it from one of our local home security experts:

“Security is a layered system. Different homes have different needs, and there are a number of ways you can achieve home security. Some common examples of home security include alarm systems and cameras. it is best to have both of them to enhance your security level. There are also other small things you can do to protect your home, such as making sure you have proper working deadbolts and are using them. Everyone's experience is different with home security, you have to find what fits your needs best.” 

We hope these tips are helpful as you consider what works best for your home! As always, we’re here to help build the home for your style and preferences. Contact us to learn how else we can help or to get started on your next home project.