Fire-Resistance Not Enough for California Homes

Many California homes saw damage and destruction in recent wildfires, despite being built to the most recent fire-resistant codes. 

NPR reports that code requirements like stucco and concrete siding and roofing, non-flammable decks and patios, and heat-resistant windows did not spare the homes on Andorra Lane in the Ventura foothills during last year’s Thomas Fire. Four of the nine homes on the block burned down, surprising residents. 

But experts say location may matter more than building materials when it comes to surviving a fire. Small embers can land on brush piles, outdoor furniture, or even inside the house, causing the home to eventually burn down. The narrow valley surrounding Andorra Lane likely acted as a wind tunnel, funneling embers towards the houses. Despite this, many residents are rebuilding in the same locations.

Rebuilding in the same place, to the same building codes, is quite common—a study published earlier this year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found rates of home construction are higher in the footprint of wildfires than in surrounding areas.

"We are not changing our building patterns to become more fire resilient if we just put houses in the exact same places," said Volker Radeloff, an ecologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the lead author of the study.

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