Recent images from Los Angeles and in 2023 from Lahaina, Hawaii, of homes left untouched and intact while surrounding houses were entirely destroyed by wildfires are dramatic and compelling. How did one home survive in a neighborhood otherwise completely decimated by the flames and ferocious winds of two of the deadliest U.S. wildfires in the last two years? And how does a homeowner make a new or existing house more fire-resilient?
Interviews with two Bay Area architects, research and resources from experts provide vital information for anyone seeking answers.
Rebecca Amato, founder and principal architect at Amato Architecture, includes in her portfolio more than 600 homes in the Bay Area and beyond. Amato specializes in creating beautiful, functional spaces and structures designed with attention to a home’s location, environmental impact and sustainability, and the use of exterior and interior non-toxic, cost-effective materials.
Ecobuild Architect founder and principal Courtney Miller brought more than 30 years of experience in the field to the practice he re-established in 2017. The firm has won numerous awards and nationwide recognition with innovative residential and commercial solutions for projects that emphasize zero-net energy building and green features such as water reuse, healthy indoor air quality, fire resiliency and more.
Both architects in separate conversations say their practices seek creative designs that do not compromise the aesthetics and livability of a home or the safety of its occupants. Especially as more people live in what is known as the Wildland Urban Interface or WUI (pronounced woo-eee), where homes and forests are adjacent or in close proximity, the need for fire-resistant materials and state-of-the-art building and landscape practices is increasing.
With insurance companies canceling or raising rates for fire, flood and other natural disaster coverage, financial considerations make it essential to scrutinize—and possibly upgrade—elements in renovation and new home projects.
“I designed a house in Lahaina that survived the fires there while everything else around it burned,” says Amato. “The survival of that structure was a result of the materials we specified, which I think is a critical component to approving plans for new construction in L.A. as well as the Bay Area.”
The modern home, located on the south end of Lahaina, had a 5-foot defensible space surrounding the exterior, metal roof, stucco and Nichiha siding (a cement board siding made to look like wood), all-aluminum windows, and other fire-protective features such as no eaves or entry points where embers could get inside. It stood next to a traditional house Amato had renovated several years before for the same owner that kept its historical plantation style and included wood shingles.
“The fire came up and burnt that house and everything in its path before stopping at the new home,” says Amato. “Neighbors beyond it have thanked me, saying their homes survived because the newer home stopped the fire.”
Building and remodeling with fire-resiliency in mind is not only essential; it’s community supportive.
“The more resistant your home is, the more you’ll be helping the entire block,” Amato says. “In homes in the East Bay hills, renovations are dictated by what’s already in the house. But things like affordable, durable concrete slab flooring can be installed and stained wonderful colors. I used steel railings in my home and interior walls. And cabinets can be made with chemical-free materials.”
Other actions homeowners can take include having no wood fencing or gates close to the house; enclosing the underside of roofs with cement board siding or stucco; installing fire-rated, tempered glass doors and aluminum-clad windows; building wooden decks with thick lumber treated with fire-resistance stains; and more. Amato recommends visiting wildfireprepared.org, which offers a free, online course for homeowners.
“They also partner with insurance companies like State Farm, Farmers, Allied and others that work with people who’ve completed the course to lower their rates,” says Amato.
Miller recommends homeowners and residential architects and builders consult lists and information published by local fire departments and state agencies about WUI products and building codes. CAL Fire also has up-to-date information about preparing homes for survival during wildfires. Among the wide range of materials Miller uses for projects are exterior cladding that’s fire-resilient stucco or fiber cement siding.
“We have fires now in California with high, horizontal winds that just blast the side of the house,” says Miller. “More stringent exterior cladding like the metal shutters used in Australia; rock wall, 2-inch insulation that gives a thermal break behind the cladding; intumescent exterior paint over wood siding; and metal, clay or concrete tile roofs as opposed to asphalt, glass fiber shingles.”
“Those are fire-resistant, but you have to have the highest rated. The others are better because they can stand up to what we’re seeing: more intense, longer fires. With all of these, the big bad wolf is less likely to blow your house down,” he continues.
Eliminating attached wood fencing and mulch is the simplest step to creating the defensible space a home requires.
“Landscape architects know that within a home’s three defense zones, fire-resistant materials throughout the zones are a must,” Miller says. “Ember-proof mesh on all vents and roof crawl spaces are essential. There’s nothing wrong with complex roofs, but they tend to collect debris that can catch fire. As long as they use class-A asphalt shingles, that’s the only option renovators have. New construction, you can go straight to concrete and tiles.”
The Pacific Palisades home of Michael Kovac and Karina Maher survived the recent wildfire due to many of these features, according to Miller.
“It had commercial glass glazing, fire-resistant design features and materials, and an automatic sprinkler system that deployed a fire retardant,” Miller says. “Locally, it’s something people in the Oakland Hills are going to have to start thinking about.”
Amato and Miller say California’s Chapter 7A building code is stringent and applies to new homes built after 2008. This doesn’t prevent homeowners renovating or building new homes from jumping to above-code levels for insulation materials; high-rated, glazed windows; exterior decks and patios; fire-resistant interior materials; and fire-resilient designs.
“I absolutely think those metal shutters are going to become standard and are coming to California, because the windows are the most vulnerable part,” Miller says. “Those shutters that close vertically or horizontally are the best method. They deploy automatically or manually, and there are elegant solutions that keep them hidden under the roof line and don’t make the home look like a bunker.”
High-end and highly rated features naturally bring the conversations with both architects to cost. They work diligently with clients renovating or building new homes to find a balance, staying abreast of the newest materials and practices to offer flexible, but safe and long-lasting, solutions.
“To be cost-effective, you want to use high-quality materials that last a lifetime and repurpose things like old growth redwood boards that are fire-resistant,” says Miller. “In the East Bay, not all areas are in high-risk wildfire zones. Even if building zones don’t require it, people are upping their home’s resistance with added sprinkler systems, tempered windows and non-toxic, environmentally protective materials.
“You can lose it all in one fire, and real estate in the Bay Area—it’s most people’s largest asset,” Miller continues. “To renovate and build conscientiously is an investment that will pay off. With insurance companies dropping people and costs escalating, the onus is now on the homeowner and the community to save money and protect their homes.”
Suggested Resources:
firesafemarin.org/harden-your-home/fire-resistant-vents
planning.vic.gov.au/guides-and-resources/guides/all-guides/building-in-bushfire-prone-areas
