To mitigate wildfire risks for homes and businesses, a comprehensive strategy focusing on defensible space, structural hardening, and proactive maintenance is essential. I’ve developed a 10-step plan based on wildfire resilience best practices from fire safety organizations and mitigation experts.
I’m not an expert at this–far from it–so the first thing I did was study the wildfire mitigation plans and training from organizations that combine experience and best practices. The web has a wealth of material, and it all says essentially the same thing–nice to see a topic on the internet that everyone seems to agree on. YouTube is particularly useful, and I highly recommend videos and written information from Firesafemarin, Frontlinewildfire, IBHS, Wildfiretoday, and FEMA.
Then I contacted local agencies that have responsibilities and training to combat wildfires. For my home in Maui that included the Maui County Fire Prevention Bureau, the Maui County Department of Fire and Public Safety, the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, and the Mayor’s office for advice, possible assistance, and whatever resources are available. When it became clear to me that I needed to manage the vegetation around my home I asked for bids for reducing the fire risk and had very useful conversations with companies that have relevant experience.
I talked with neighbors, and asked the Maui County Fire Prevention Bureau to send and inspector to examine my home and our surrounding property to give us recommendations. I had some basic ideas on clearing vegetation and installing a perimeter sprinkler system that would use our lap pool and circulation pumps to supply water during emergencies. While some elements of the plan still look reasonable, it has become clear that what I planned on building–a deluge system based on current equipment and piping salvaged from a pool heater we installed about ten years ago–would not be reliable enough to be used in a fire emergency. We need more expertise than I’m going to be able to provide or gain, so we’ll also be hiring a company with deep experience in installing similar equipment.
At the same time there are relatively simple things that anyone can do to their home to substantially improve the resilience of your home or business. Research indicates ember ignition accounts for 60–90% of homes lost in wildfires, depending on the fire’s intensity and urban density. Studies of specific fires show:
• 2007 Witch Creek Fire (San Diego): 66% of destroyed homes were ignited by embers.
• 2007 Witch and Guejito Fires (San Diego): 74% of 74 destroyed homes involved embers.
• General estimates: Up to 90% of wildfire-related home ignitions are attributed to embers, per the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and fire-safety organizations.
Embers often ignite structures before direct flames arrive, especially in suburban or rural areas. This highlights the importance of ember-resistant design (e.g., sealed vents, non-combustible roofing and proactive debris removal) to reduce ignition risks. Simply removing leaf litter or combustible mulch from around your home and beneath trees and brush will improve resilience. Leaf litter ignites as readily as a sheet of paper. Going beyond this simple step to establish defensible zones around your property, harden structures, and even install systems to suppress fires once a wildfire threatens are all important steps to consider–but start with the simplest improvements immediately, and then proceed as time and budget permits.
Some positive changes may be made by simply changing the materials you use when you do maintenance. For example, choosing to use asphalt roofing shingles instead of shakes when it’s time to re-roof your home. Metal roofs are considered the best choice, but asphalt shingles are a more budget-friendly and most asphalt shingles have a Class A fire rating.
Here the ten steps I’ve assembled to mitigate the risk of wildfire to your property. Ideally you could do them all right away, but it’s a hit to any budget. While it’s obviously worth the time, effort and money if it saves your home, it’s just like paying for insurance–the best outcome is that you never need it. So it might be hard to maintain your enthusiasm for spending time, money, and effort on fire prevention. So at the very least, turn it into a practice that informs your choices and influences how you direct the effort or budget you need to expend anyway.
1.Monitor and Adapt
Conduct annual inspections to address new vulnerabilities (e.g., overgrown vegetation, degraded roofing). Consider choosing more fire-resistant materials during maintenance. Talk to your neighbors about the steps you are taking to mitigate risk. Having the only home in the neighborhood to survive a wildfire is not an ideal outcome. Combining structural upgrades, vegetation management, and community coordination creates a layered defense against wildfires.
2. Establish Defensible Zones
Create three concentric defensible zones around structures. Zone 0 (0–5 feet): Use non-combustible materials like gravel, pavers, or stone mulch. Remove all vegetation, debris, and flammable items (e.g., firewood, patio furniture). Zone 1 (5–30 feet): Trim grass to <4 inches, prune tree limbs 6–10 feet above ground, and space shrubs 15+ feet apart. Zone 2 (30–100+ feet): Thin trees to maintain 12+ feet between canopies and remove dead vegetation. In my case that’s a really hard thing to do–our home is literally in the jungle. We have to do some major work to establish these zones, but we’re going to do it. You’ll see the problems we face in the accompanying explainer videos we’ll do of the choices we make and how the work gets done.
3. Harden Structures with Fire-Resistant Materials
Replace flammable roofing with Class A materials like metal, tile, or asphalt shingles. Install non-combustible siding (stucco, fiber-cement, or brick). Use dual-pane tempered glass windows and fire-resistant shutters. Enclose eaves, soffits, and vents with 1/8-inch (or smaller) metal mesh to block embers. We’re fortunate that our home has stucco siding, the fences are concrete walls, and the roof is heavy tile. The eves of the main house are enclosed and the soffit vents are continuous vents with perforated metal guards The bedroom across the pool is not quite as hardened–it has open eaves. The soffits are covered with mesh, but we’re considering covering the eaves. We’re also planning an emergency sprinkler system that will allow us to selectively blanket vulnerable or threatened areas with water. The emergency sprinkler system will be powered with a solar-charged backup battery capable of running pumps and equipment for more than 30 hours without sun, and it will be able to draw on the water stored in our lap pool if municipal water is not available.
4. Secure Vents and Gaps
Embers can enter through attic vents, crawl spaces, or gaps in walls. Cover all vents with corrosion-resistant wire mesh and seal utility penetrations with fire-resistant caulk. Box in open eaves and decks to eliminate hiding spots for embers. Wooden decks are particularly important. Looking at videos of fires sweeping neighborhoods brings this fact home dramatically. Wooden fences attached directly to homes and wooden decks are often the first thing to catch fire, and become the source that ignites the home. As mentioned above, we have partial solutions to this issue and might undertake a more complete solution later.
5. Maintain Regular Cleanup
Clear gutters, roofs, and decks of pine needles, leaves, and debris monthly. Remove dead vegetation and ladder fuels (plants that allow fire to climb) within 100 feet. Store firewood, propane tanks, and combustible materials ≥30 feet from structures. We are committed to this. We’re fortunate to have a capable landscaper to help us with maintenance, with the potential to have an even more experienced and capable expert to direct his efforts. Because our home is in a place where everything grows rapidly we’re used to needing to constantly edit our landscaping to keep the property from returning to overgrown jungle.
6. Use Fire-Resistant Landscaping
Plant fire-adapted species like succulents, aloe, or deciduous trees in Zone 1. Avoid highly flammable plants (e.g., juniper, eucalyptus). Irrigate regularly to maintain moisture and separate vegetation clusters with hardscapes. We are working on this, but because we are on the edge of a steep gulch, there is a lot of the surrounding vegetation that we don’t have much control over. We are considering a long term plan in addition to the emergency sprinkler system of enhancing our general drip irrigation system with a few powerful agricultural sprinklers that will keep the vegetation in the gulch well irrigated during the dry season. For much of the year we get enough rain to keep the vegetation lush. We’re going to push back the vegetation as much as feasible, and then supplement the natural irrigation in dry periods to reduce the hazard. We’re relying on expert advice to make this possible and effective.
7. Ensure Water Access
Install external sprinklers with backup power and keep hoses long enough to reach all zones. Maintain a water tank or pool for emergency use and mark hydrants clearly for firefighters. We have a lap pool that holds about 15,000 gallons of water. Our emergency sprinkler system will draw on this as a source. Our solar generation will soon include a battery backup that can power the sprinklers and associated equipment. We also have long hoses on reels connected to hose bibs that can reach every sector of the house.
8. Prepare for Evacuation
Develop an emergency plan with evacuation routes, communication protocols, and a “go bag”. Ensure address numbers are visible from the street, and maintain ≥16-foot-wide driveways for firefighter access. If all else fails we will be as ready for this as we can be. Unfortunately we don’t control every element. We will maintain a our own driveway to ensure we can get out and so fire fighting equipment has ready access. We have a hydrant close to our house. But there is only one road that provides access to all the homes in our area, and only one way out. We’re working on ways to keep that exit as clear as possible–currently it is not. A fire in some of the most vulnerable properties that boarder the road would make evacuation by car impossible. A second exit is highly unlikely–the topography of the area would make that very difficult.
9. Protect Outbuildings and Fences
Separate sheds, barns, and fences from main structures by ≥30 feet. Use non-combustible fencing materials like metal or stone, and avoid attaching wooden fences or decks to buildings. We have this well covered. We do have a little shed that houses propane tanks that feed our cooktop and dryer. We’re going to replace that with a fire-resistant structure. Eventually we’ll replace the cooktop and dryer with an induction cooktop and a heat pump dryer and eliminate the need for propane. One of those “next time we need to replace this stuff we’ll make better choices” opportunities.
10. Collaborate with Community
Work with neighbors to reduce area-wide fuel loads and advocate for firewise landscaping. Participate in local wildfire preparedness programs and coordinate with fire departments for risk assessments. We consider this probably the most important part of the plan. Our home is wonderful for many reasons, but the most important one is great neighbors. We want their homes to be safe too.