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The chaotic nature of destruction during the Los Angeles wildfires is bewildering homeowners and specialists alike. Does chance play a role, or are there methods to enhance homes’ resistance to fire?
Experts note that wind can shift drastically in an instant, directing flames away from one property and towards another. However, there are numerous strategies to bolster your home’s safety.
Homeowner Enrique Balcazar, a real estate professional, shared a video showcasing only chimneys standing amongst the rubble of homes on his street after the fire swept through his Altadena community. Balcazar stood on a neighbor’s wrecked classic Mustang attempting to extinguish the embers on his roof, but his home remained intact.
“It’s an older structure with the original wood siding,” shared Balcazar. “Honestly, there’s nothing scientifically or logically explainable for why my house survived.”
“There are multiple ways for fire to engulf a house,” explained Greg Faulkner of Faulkner Architects in California, who has been focused on using less flammable materials for home exteriors for over ten years. “By eliminating half, or even three-quarters of those risks, that isn’t just luck—it significantly improves your odds.”
Individuals living in fire-prone areas are usually aware that trees, landscaping, and wooden fences close to homes can pose a fire hazard. Architects and builders are advancing beyond this, employing innovative materials and techniques for roofing, walls, and windows to enhance building durability. These improvements do come with additional costs—around 3 to 6 percent, and potentially up to 10 percent for the most robust safeguards, according to Faulkner.
Many experts have moved away from using wood siding. Where wood is still permitted or utilized, it must have a fire-resistant barrier underneath, often comprised of gypsum— the material used for drywall. This ensures that if the wood ignites, it delays the heat’s reach into the home.
However, even with this, there remains a combustible material on the building, cautioned Richard Schuh from Nielsen : Schuh Architects. “Therefore, we would recommend avoiding that. The use of fire-resistant materials is essential.”
Stucco, a cement-based material, is commonly used for exteriors in Southern California due to its fire-resistant properties. Reviewing images of buildings that withstand the blaze, Arnold Tarling, who has over forty years in fire protection and building inspection in Britain, noted that homes with stucco walls fared better during the Los Angeles fires. If more of them had a layer of gypsum underneath the stucco, it could have further enhanced heat protection, he remarked.
The type of windows also plays a critical role in a home’s vulnerability to burning, as they transmit significant heat. Double-pane windows help in slowing heat transfer from a neighboring flaming structure.
“The external layer safeguards the inner layer until it fails,” Schuh explained. Building codes in numerous locales mandate that at least one of the two panes be tempered glass, which can withstand heat substantially better than regular glass.
Tarling highlighted one Malibu beachfront residence, seemingly unscathed amid gutted structures. He speculated that the absence of windows facing neighboring houses may have aided in its protection, as radiant heat couldn’t easily infiltrate.
In his designs, Faulkner incorporates fire shutters that can close to shield the windows.
Lastly, the roof represents a prime target for fire embers.
Simplified roof designs allow embers to be more likely to slide off. The Spanish Mission style, a quintessential Los Angeles aesthetic, reflects both Hollywood’s portrayal of the city and its Mexican and Spanish heritage. However, this style often features more complex roof lines— the knee walls characteristic of Mission-style roofs can create corners.
“Embers could accumulate in those corners much like snow,” stated Faulkner.
Many American roofs utilize asphalt. In wildfire-prone zones in California, regulations mandate the use of roofing that retards heat transfer into the building, known as Class A or one-hour roofing.
Nonetheless, asphalt is a petroleum-derived material. Some professionals in construction favor metal roofs, which are non-flammable. However, metal can conduct heat; thus, placing a layer of gypsum under metal roofing is becoming a common precaution in certain regions.
Perhaps as crucial as the roofing material is whether the roof allows for fire entry. Here lies a common conflict: efforts to enhance ventilation to prevent moisture accumulation often clash with fire safety; contractors have increasingly ensured proper airflow through vents commonly found on roofs and under eaves.
In the wake of a powerful fire, however, Schuh notes, “if you’re on the receptive side where the wind is forcing against the house, it’s also directing flames inward like a blowtorch,” allowing fire to access through vents.
Conversely, on the opposite side, it can create a vacuum that sucks flames in, as several experts have observed.
Eliminating roof ventilation altogether isn’t easily achievable, given the moisture challenges it poses, remarked Cesar Martin Gomez, an architect from the University of Navarra, Spain, who has extensive experience in building services over the last 25 years.
Faulkner indicated that in some structures he is removing the necessity for roof ventilation by sealing the spaces. Schuh is deploying coverings on roof vents that can react to fire by sealing off with a mesh.
Martin Gomez also mentioned that in parts of Australia, new residences must be equipped with water tanks. “If each home can safeguard itself, it prevents the spread of fire,” he concluded.
Additionally, some homes in the U.S. now integrate external sprinkler systems, not just internal ones. These systems distribute water infused with a soapy solution to coat the building’s surface, says Schuh.
“You’re adding an additional layer of defense to your structure, and this is increasingly important given that your insurance provider may or may not be able to assist you,” he stated.
