Wildfires that started in Los Angeles and surrounding areas last week spread at an alarming rate, forcing many people to flee the flames without warning. As firefighters work to contain the blaze, the disaster serves as a reminder of the dangers of climate change, which has been shown to increase both the severity and frequency of wildfires.
Last year, there were more than 8,000 wildfires in California, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention. This is approximately 800 more than in 2023. If you live in a wildfire-prone area, what can you do to minimize the threat wildfires pose to you? Home and wider community?
First, it is important to understand how fire spreads. Wildfires typically spread in three ways, according to Doug Green, who runs the community wildfire program at the Headwaters Economics Institute. Radiant heat, when the heat of a fire raises the temperature of materials high enough to ignite; Creating an ember (when a piece of burning debris ignites a material).
“The reason embers are such a problem is because they can travel long distances,” said Yana S. Valachovic, a fire scientist at the University of California. “They can travel up to a mile or more.”
If there is a wildfire nearby (unless it is an emergency requiring immediate evacuation), all windows and skylights must be closed. “You want to close off the structure so you don’t create more holes for embers to come in,” Mr. Valachovic said. “That means actually closing your cat and dog doors if you have them because the wind can push those doors open.”
Embers can also enter through vents. In the event of a fire, consider installing special fire vents or wrapping aluminum foil over the vents.
You should also remove any flammable materials from the exterior of your home, especially those that are close to or come into contact with. “There is a lot of science and research showing that you can significantly lower the risk of your home catching fire by limiting the amount of flammable vegetation, bark, mulch and other items to within the first five feet,” Green said.
For a long-term solution, there are a number of modifications you can make to reduce your vulnerability to fire. First, consider replacing your roof, gutters, fence or deck with non-combustible materials such as metal or tile.
Wooden fences are particularly problematic during fires. “Wooden fences can become a large wick or fuse for a fire to travel down the property line,” said Mr. Valachovic, who recommended replacing the fence with a non-combustible product. “In the short term, we can tie the gates together so they don’t follow the connecting lines,” she said.
Fixes like these can be expensive, but they don’t always have to break the bank. An analysis by Headwaters Economics looked at the cost of retrofitting a 2,000-square-foot home to prevent wildfires and found that the minimum retrofit cost was just $2,000. (But a full upgrade could cost up to $100,000, the institute said.)
Educate yourself about how vulnerable your home is to fire. Green recommends contacting your local fire department and offering to visit your building to look for vulnerabilities. “Most of them are willing to come out and look at your property,” Green said. “They are probably the people most knowledgeable about vegetation, fire conditions and operations in your community.”
