Part 2: Work on your house ยท Chapter 7
Room by room, outside in
Each part of the house below has what to check and what to change. Chapter 6 gives the order.
Roof and gutters
Check: whether the roof is Class A fire rated. Most asphalt shingle, tile, slate and metal roofs are 1. Wood shake isn't, and the State Fire Marshal keeps a list of tested and approved materials 2. Look for loose or missing shingles or tiles 4.
Change: replace a wood or non-rated roof 1. Clear leaves and needles from roof and gutters. Swap plastic or PVC gutters for aluminum or steel 1.
Vents
Check: every vent in the roof, attic, soffit, walls and crawlspace 1.
Change: fit ember- and flame-resistant vents, or cover existing ones with 1/8-inch corrosion-resistant metal mesh, and clean the screens regularly 1. Before you replace vents, ask your local building department what it requires. Dryer vents need a working louver or self-closing flap. IBHS says not to put mesh on them because it traps lint 1.
Eaves
Check: whether the underside of the eave is open. IBHS says heat can build up in an open eave and ignite what's exposed 3.
Change: box it in with noncombustible soffit and seal the seams 3.
Windows
Check: window screens and glass for damage 4, and how many panes you have 3.
Change: IBHS recommends at least two panes of tempered glass, shown by etching in the corner of both 3. Safer from Wildfires accepts multi-paned glass or shutters 2.
Siding and the wall base
Check: the bottom six inches of every exterior wall, and the wall above any deck or patio. IBHS and Safer from Wildfires both call for six vertical inches of noncombustible material there, such as brick, stone, stucco or fiber-cement 12.
Change: add metal flashing or fiber-cement at the base of wood or vinyl siding 1. IBHS says vinyl and wood siding stay combustible even when labeled ignition-resistant 3.
Decks
Check: what's stored underneath, what grows there, and whether debris sits between the boards. IBHS found embers igniting at board gaps where debris collects 5.
Change: remove everything under the deck and stairs, and clear plants and mulch beneath 1. If the deck is 4 feet or less off the ground, enclose the underside with 1/8-inch metal mesh 1.
Fences that touch the house
Check: any wood or vinyl fence or gate within five feet of the house. Safer from Wildfires says a wood fence connected to the house can lead fire straight to it 12.
Change: switch that stretch to metal or concrete 1.
The garage
Check: what's inside an open garage or carport 1.
Change: keep combustibles out, and enclose the space if its interior walls are exposed wood 1. Keep vehicles beyond five feet of the house. In a Red Flag Warning or a long absence, IBHS says to park them in a closed garage or 30 feet away 1.
Sources
1. IBHS, "Wildfire Ready Home: Critical Prep." https://ibhs.org/wildfirereadycriticalprep (read 2026-11-09)
2. California Department of Insurance, "Safer from Wildfires." https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/200-wrr/Safer-from-Wildfires.cfm (read 2026-11-09)
3. IBHS, "Wildfire Ready Home: Home Upgrades." https://ibhs.org/wildfirereadyhomeupgrades (read 2026-11-09)
4. NFPA, "Preparing homes for wildfire." https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/wildfire/preparing-homes-for-wildfire (read 2026-11-09)
5. IBHS, "Vulnerability of Decks to Embers and Flames." https://ibhs.org/wildfire/vulnerability-of-decks-to-embers-and-flames/ (read 2026-11-09)