LOWER YOUR WILDFIRE RISK WITH

Home Hardening

How Homes Ignite

Buildings ignite during wildfires as a result of one or more of these three basic wildfire exposures: embers, radiant heat, and direct flame contact. The most common source of home ignition is from embers.

Home hardening means making changes to your home to reduce the risk against wildfire.

It is critical to ensure that your home can resist ember ignition by installing proper vents, removing combustible materials next to your home, sealing any opening into the home, enclosing soffits, installing tempered glass double pane windows and correctly installing gutters and gutter guards.

At a glance

In detail

Vents

Vents on homes create openings for flying embers. Ember entry through vents can result in ignition of combustible materials in the attic or crawl space, and result in a building burning from the inside out. The importance of ember and flame entry into vents during wildfires has resulted in the development of commercially available vents designed to resist the intrusion of embers and flame, and recommendations for new or retrofit vents to protect existing openings.

Eaves and Soffits

Eaves are located at the down-slope edge of a sloped roof and serve as the transition between the roof and fascia/wall. The soffit is the material beneath the eaves that connects the far edge of your roof to the exterior wall of your house. Eaves and Soffits are vulnerable to damage from wildfires due to accumulation of hot gasses. Enclosed soffits can protect eaves and should be constructed with non combustible materials for protection from heat and flame.

Decks

The vulnerability of decks to wildfire will depend on the decking board material, any combustible materials stored under the deck or kept on the deck, and the topography and amount and condition of vegetation leading to the deck. Properly constructed and maintained decks can resist embers. Regardless of what type of deck board is used, ignition can occur from an accumulation of combustible material under the deck. Enclosing the underside of the deck is one method to reduce the risk of ignition.

Fencing and Gates

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) recommends non-combustible fencing products when placed within five feet of a building. Using non-combustible fencing where it attaches to the building reduces the opportunity of a burning fence igniting the exterior of the structure. Combustible gates, often attached to homes, can also ignite the structure and should be replaced with non combustible materials.

Roofs

An untreated wood shake or shingle roof covering is the greatest threat to a home. All roofs should have Class A rated materials for ember resistance. Wind-blown debris will accumulate on roofs and in gutters. Dry debris can be ignited by wind-blown embers. Regularly remove vegetative debris from your roof and gutters. Chimneys require a spark arrestor screen with openings no smaller than 3/8 – inch and no larger than 1/2.

Siding

Siding is an important component in terms of providing protection for the building from the weather, and also in terms of the aesthetics of the building. In most cases it is less important from a wildfire exposure perspective compared with other components and assemblies. With proper selection and maintenance of near-home vegetation, most siding products will be able to resist typical wildfire exposures. If you replace your siding, there are many attractive non combustible options available.

How to Prepare Your Home for Wildfires

This Firewise USA® resource teaches risk reduction steps to make homes safer during a wildfire. The How to Prepare Your Home for Wildfires PDF provides insights and instruction on vegetation management, fire resistive construction, and the things you can do to be better prepared. Use it as a teaching tool and distribute it in your community.

Download PDF here

Photo by the National Fire Protection Association

Sign up for a No-Cost Home Wildfire Assessment

Simply sign up today and one of our Wildfire Safety Staff will visit your home to assess and provide recommendations for hardening your home through a personalized online interactive report. All report results are private, and the report is simply meant as an educational tool to help provide a starting point for residents on how to lower their risk.

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