Our thoughts and prayer are with the victims of the devastating Caughlin Fire here in Reno, Nevada. A man living in the vicinity of the fire, who was evacuated from his home, was quoted in the local paper about his concern for his house, particularly because of its shake roof. It raises the question: what's the safest roof you can have in a house fire?

Hands down, the best roof for fire-prone areas is metal. And there are two big reasons for this. First, metal roofs are non-combustible, which means they won't burn. That doesn't mean your house can't burn underneath it, but it does mean that drifting embers from another fire won't ignite if they land on your roof. Second, metal roofs are extremely lightweight. And while no roof can guarantee that your house won't burn, that's still important because it means your metal roof will resist premature roof collapse.

Metal roofs also have the highest weight to strength ratio, so in addition to their fire safety benefits, they offer superior wind resistance. Other benefits are aesthetic. With so many profiles, textures and colors, you can find a metal roof that will emulate the look of, say, concrete tile or cedar shake, without the heavy weight or tinderbox concerns that these materials inherently have.

If fire safety is an issue to you, and it's time for a new roof, you're wise to investigate metal. We offer a free re-roofing booklet that compares the most popular roofing materials. It's a great place to start.