How to live safely with wildfire

For now, Californians must learn to live with fire. Communities and homes must be able to withstand wildfire. This means not building new communities in high risk fire areas and modifying existing communities and houses to better withstand fire and wind-driven embers. Embers can blow 6 miles in a strong wind.

Making homes able to withstand fire was successful in the 2017 La Tune fire. Even though it was the biggest brush fire in Los Angeles County history, only five out of 1,400 houses near the fire burned. This successful outcome is due to the county’s enforcement of fire safe principles for homes.

Homeowners must now begin to make existing houses less flammable one step at time. San Mateo County Fire Safe Council’s website firesafesanmateo.org lays out exactly what to do in the “Preparedness” section.

Some actions, such as clearing brush near one’s house, are relatively cheap and easy. Others, such installing double-paned tempered glass windows, are not. The main thing is to start making the modifications now.

When building a new house, one must consider both where to build and how to build. Start by choosing a location with low wildfire risk by avoiding:

• Places that have burned frequently because geography makes them prone to the strong winds that drive wildfire embers.

• Close proximity to wildlands per Cal Fire Hazard Zone Maps. Houses close to wildlands are more vulnerable to fire since humans cause 90% of fires, and remote areas are harder for firefighters to protect, and harder to evacuate from.

• Close proximity to antiquated utility equipment or bare wire electricity distribution lines. Much of the distribution lines in Northern California are bare wire, vulnerable to the touch of a branch, balloon, bird or another wire. Distribution lines could be insulated or buried. Utility equipment and wires have been responsible for 30% of the most destructive fires in California.

In addition, building in a community with good existing wildfire detection, preparedness and evacuation systems already in place can increase your safety.

Once you find a suitable building site, build the house with a nonflammable exterior by adhering to the Chapter 7A Methods and Construction Exterior Wildfire Exposure building code. Fire safety can be further enhanced by maintaining 100 feet of defensible space with reduced vegetation near the house.

If rebuilding after a wildfire, assess the appropriateness of the old location for a new house. Does the location heighten wildfire risk? If it does, it’s best to find a new location rather than just rebuild. We must continually improve how safely we live with wildfire. Every new or rebuilt house is an opportunity to make progress.

There is much we can do to live safely in a world that burns more often. The insides of our houses — with clothes, drapes, furniture, books — are extremely flammable. If we are to survive living in California with increased wildfires, the exterior of our homes must be able to withstand fire. The task of making our homes less vulnerable to fire can feel daunting. However, if we start now taking one step at a time, we will eventually feel comfortable in this new world while we continue acting to slow the climate crisis. Government can help by providing the needed education and incentives for homeowners and the professionals they will hire to do the work.

Karen Maki is the Forest Protection Committee chair for the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club.