Message from the Inventor of the Ember Deflector System, James Kazmarek

After moving to southern California almost 20 years ago, I became personally aware of, and extremely concerned about, wildfires. Wildfires are as destructive as tornadoes and hurricanes. Each year, one million acres of land are burned in the continental United States. In 2007, almost 2,000,000 acres burned in southern California alone. More than 500,000 people were displaced from their homes, 1,500 buildings were burned, and many people were injured; some even died.

My Concerns:

• Loss of Lives
• Loss of Homes
• Loss of Keepsakes
• Loss of Property

With the Ember Deflector System

Wildfires have a devastating impact on human and animal communities. I investigated why many so homes burned, especially ones with fire resistant stucco exteriors and cement tile roofs. Embers get carried along with, or blown miles ahead of, a wildfire and catch homes on fire before the actual flames. My background in construction and engineering helped me understand that eave, soffit, gable end, gable roof, and foundation vents make homes vulnerable to embers.

Vent Functions:

• Vents Are Rectangular, Square, or Groups of Round Holes
• Water Can Blow into These Vents & Cause Mold Growth
• Vents Typically Only Have a Mesh Screen with Quarter Inch Openings for Protection against Animals
• Screen Does Little to Stop Fire, Embers, Smoke, or Wind-Driven Rain or Snow from Entering the Vents
• Ventilating Your Attic & Crawlspace to Control Temperature & Moisture
• If Embers or Fire Enter These Vents, Fires Start in Attics & Crawlspaces
• Sand Driven by Wind Blow into These Vents & Collapses Drywall Ceilings

Multi-Story Homes

Multistory homes can be serviced using the manual pulley or fully electronic systems. Both systems, when activated, close or open all the individual ember deflector units simultaneously.