Home hardening is a process to prepare your home for wildfire and an ember storm. It does not mean fireproof. Home hardening addresses the most vulnerable components of your house with building materials and installation techniques that increase resistance to heat, flames, and embers that accompany most wildfires.

Learning to live with wildfire includes taking steps to reduce the risk to homes. Homes built to modern (2008 or later) building codes, with an adjacent and well-maintained defensible space, have a much better chance of surviving wildfire. Maintenance and upgrades to older homes can significantly improve the chance of your home surviving a fire.

Part of learning to live with wildfire is understanding that we have some control in how we prepare for and address this hazard, and how we manage fire in our individual communities.

How a nearly 100-year-old "miracle house" survived the Lahaina wildfire (youtube.com)

See brochure for more information:

CFSC Hardened Homes Brochure

Additional Resources

• Low-Cost Retrofit List The Low-Cost Retrofit List are suggestions from Cal Fire. The Low Cost Retrofit List handout gives suggestions on ways to harden your home and create defensible space.
• Hardening your Home CalFire has provided ways you can harden your home and make it more fire resistant.
• Firewise Resources NFPA and the Insurance for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) have developed a Wildfire Research Fact Sheet series featuring the wildfire research being done to create more resilient communities. Check out their PDFs.

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