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With wildfires becoming increasingly destructive across California, construction professionals gathered in Redwood City on April 14 to share practical advice on safeguarding homes against fire.
“A house is the biggest investment most people ever make,” said Mark LaLiberte, who teaches building science — the study of how physics shapes buildings to be safe, efficient, and durable- at Construction Instruction in Colorado. “So don’t just ask, ‘How pretty is the kitchen?’ Ask, ‘Will this house still be standing in 30 years?’”
The event was hosted by Hayward Lumber, a building materials supplier in Redwood City, and attended by about 50 people ranging from engineers and architects to homeowners and construction businesses. It featured live burn demonstrations and presentations focused on creating defensible spaces.
Rudi Lokkart, the company’s regional sales manager, said they often receive customers who have gotten cancellation notices from insurance companies or are facing new requirements to upgrade their homes for fire resilience. He added that if a house isn’t considered fire-resistant, an insurance company may cancel the policy or raise rates to avoid paying more damages than it collects in premiums.
A congressional report found that in more than 200 counties across the United States, the number of homeowners losing their insurance more than tripled from 2018 to 2023. LaLiberte said building or upgrading for wildfire resilience can increase a home’s value and reduce the likelihood of losing coverage.
At the event, LaLiberte gave a presentation on how different construction materials respond to fire and what types of materials can make homes more resilient. The event featured two main experiments: one tested how different various materials — such as untreated wood, fire-treated plywood and fiber cement siding — held up under high heat, while the other showed how an ember-resistant vent could block flames from entering an attic compared with a standard vent that allowed fire to pass through.
“If I’m looking at or repairing a building, I need to know what methods and products can help make our buildings more resilient,” said Amanda Robertson, an architect based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
According to a guide published by Oregon State University, the largest and most destructive wildfires have historically occurred in the western United States, and while no structure is guaranteed to survive all fire conditions, good design and construction materials can greatly increase a home’s chance of survival.
LaLiberte said that creating a defensible space is one of the most effective ways to reduce fire risk. Dead vegetation, dry brush, wood chips, stacked firewood and plastic furniture near a home can all ignite and carry flames to the structure. He recommended replacing flammable mulch with gravel or stone, trimming trees so branches don’t hang low or near the roofline, and removing debris under decks and eaves.
He also said firefighters need to quickly locate homes and safely move equipment in and out, so it’s important to maintain at least 10 feet — ideally 30 — of cleared space around the building.
“Go home today and walk around your house,” LaLiberte added. “Ask yourself, ‘What’s burnable? What can I move or remove right now?’”
