A parcel is defined as a single plot of land and includes all buildings and structures within. A homeowner's house, yard and any other structures the homeowner owns would be a parcel.

While the designations are currently only available to certain properties in California, the recommendations would apply to any dwellings exposed to the risk of wildfire. Homeowners in areas not eligible for the designation may still want to use the techniques listed here to protect their homes. A map showing an area's current risk of wildfire can be found here.

The Wildfire Prepared Home Designation™ and Wildfire Prepared Home Plus Designations™ have requirements for the roof, certain features of the dwelling and defensible clear space. The Plus designation has additional requirements for windows and doors, and some stricter requirements for certain features. All requirements must be met and verified through the program, and the requirements must be maintained over time. An annual landscape review is required to ensure the property is being maintained to the required standards. While the review is annual, maintenance is expected to be performed monthly on certain parts of the property.

Homeowners can take a self-assessment to see how close their property is to qualifying for the designation and what steps the homeowner may still need to take. Once the homeowner and the property are ready, the homeowner can apply for the designation. An inspection company authorized by IBHS will perform an external inspection of the property and take photographs. If the home complies with all of the requirements, the designation will be granted. If the home is not in compliance, the deficiencies will be noted and the homeowner advised of those deficiencies so he can fix them and bring the home into compliance.

Because landscape changes and vegetation grows, an annual review is required. Once a year, certain homeowners will be randomly selected to submit photographs of their property to verify landscaping is being maintained according to the designation standards.

Once three years have passed, the homeowner will have to reapply to receive the designation for another three-year term. Information on the program can be found here.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for the Wildfire Prepared Home Designation™ the home must be a single-family detached home of three stories or less located in California. Manufactured homes, townhomes, multifamily dwellings and nonresidential buildings are not eligible for the designation.

The roof is required to be a Class A fire-rated roof. A Class A fire-rated roof meets three requirements of the American Society for Testing and Materials Standard (ASTM). The roof must have the ability to resist the spread of flames on the surface, must resist the penetration of fire from the exterior to the underside of the rock deck, and have the ability to resist recurring intermittent flame. Class A roof materials include asphalt-fiberglass composition shingles, concrete, and flat or barrel-shaped tiles. Acceptable roofing materials for the designation are asphalt shingles, concrete, brick or masonry tiles with bird stops, and metal shingles or sheets. Wood shake roofs do not qualify as Class A and are not eligible for the designation.

Bird stops seal the open edges of the roof covering to prevent bird nests, windblown debris or embers from getting underneath the roof covering.

Gutters and downspouts must be made of noncombustible materials.

The roof, gutters, and downspouts must be kept clear of debris such as pine needles and leaves. It's important to note how homes catch fire. In general, homes catch fire in one of three ways: from firebrands/embers, radiant heat exposure, or direct flame contact. Wind-blown embers often land on roofs or gutters and spread after igniting combustible materials. Detailed information can be found here: https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/Firewise/Fact-sheets/FirewiseFactSheetsRoofingMaterials.ashx

Building Features

There are several requirements pertaining to the building itself. These features include vents, ground clearance for exterior walls, defensible space, decks and porches, home ignition zone, fences, and accessory structures/outbuildings. We will review each in turn.

Vents

Vents must be corrosion, ember and fire-resistant or be noncombustible and covered with 1/8 -inch or finer mesh. The mesh can be on the inside or outside of the vent; the size is more important than the location. If a golf tee does not fit through the mesh openings, then the mesh is the right size. Conversely, dryer vents must not have mesh and must have a louver or flap. This is because of the nature and design of dryer vents. As already discussed embers are a significant cause of fire and may enter a home through vents and start a fire.

Any opening intended to permit ventilation is considered a vent; they may be found in attics, gable ends, ridge vents, off ridge vents, turbine vents, exhaust fan vents, enclosed eave soffit spaces, or enclosed rafter spaces that are formed where ceilings are applied directly to the underside of the roof rafters. Don't forget areas around crawl spaces, under eaves, cornices and foundations.

Ground Clearance for Exterior Walls

Because embers can accumulate at the base of walls and make direct contact with the home, there is the requirement of a minimum of six vertical inches from the ground up of noncombustible material such as brick, stone, or concrete on the side of the dwelling. This six inches of noncombustible material can help prevent the structure from burning.

Defensible Space

Defensible space around the home is also required. A defensible space is one that limits combustible materials that could act as fuel for a fire and acts as a buffer to decrease the risk of fire spreading to the home. While much has been written about defensible space  in recent years, for this designation the criteria are more stringent. There are specific criteria for decks or porches, pergolas or gazebos, the home ignition zone and the remainder of the landscaping.

Decks and Covered Porches

The requirements for decks and covered porches are to be maintained on a monthly basis. The decks or porches must be clear of debris and must have only noncombustible or ignition-resistant items such as cast aluminum furniture on the deck or porch. A small number of combustible items such as chair cushions are allowed as they can be easily removed from the deck or porch.

There must be no vegetation of any kind, including grass or weeds underneath any deck or porch. Only noncombustible materials such as gravel, concrete or dirt are permitted, and there must be no trees or shrubs nearby. A maximum of ten potted plants, each no larger than thirty-six inches high and wide, including the planter, are permitted.

Nothing must be stored underneath the deck or porch, and there must be five feet of defensible space as per the 5-foot Home Ignition Zone requirement that will be discussed later in this article.

For any decks and porches that are less than four feet above the ground, the area under the deck must be enclosed to reduce the possible accumulation of debris using one of two methods. The homeowner may install ⅛ inch or finer noncombustible, corrosion-resistant mesh around the outer edge of the deck from the walking surface to the ground to prevent embers from getting underneath. If a lattice is installed over the mesh it must also be noncombustible. The other option is for the homeowner to fully enclose the space with noncombustible wall covering or cladding.

Decks with Pergolas/Gazebos/Additional Structures

The requirements for decks apply equally to decks attached to the structure and those that are detached. Only metal pergolas are allowed on decks, and there must not be a solid cover. Noncombustible slats that cover no more than ten percent of the total surface of the area where a roof would be is acceptable. There must be no vegetation, curtains, drapes, or screens attached to the pergola/gazebo/structure.

Home Ignition Zone (HIZ)

The Home Ignition Zone is the first five feet from the building, starting at the edge of the exterior walls and extending outward from there. If decks or porches are present, the HIZ must extend around them. The area is to be maintained monthly and must meet all requirements.

First, the groundcover must be noncombustible and free of debris. What this means is that it must be bare soil, gravel, paving stones or other noncombustible material. No grass or vegetation is allowed.

Second, no vegetation should exist within or extend over the HIZ. We've already stated that no vegetation should be on the ground, but there should also be no trees or shrubs within or overhanging the HIZ.

Third, no combustible items should be stored in the HIZ. This includes furniture, firewood, trash cans, plants in pots, or other items. As listed earlier, furniture should be cast aluminum or equally noncombustible.

Lastly, no boats, RVs, or other vehicles should be parked in the HIZ. The zone should be kept as free as possible from any combustible material, be it plant matter or constructed materials.

Landscaping

The rest of the property that extends beyond the HIZ must also have regularly maintained defensible space. This includes routinely removing fallen leaves, pine needles and other debris from any vegetation, and any dead vegetation should be removed. Trees should have a canopy to canopy distance of ten feet, and if the trunk is four inches in diameter or larger, there should be six feet of space from the ground up to the first set of branches. Shrubs should not be in close rows. There should be a distance of twice the height of the shrub before the next shrub. For example, if a shrub is four feet tall, then there should be eight feet of distance before the next shrub. This keeps fire from quickly running along rows of shrubs. Trees and shrubs can quickly spread fires from one area to another.

Fences

Any fence within five feet of the home should be made of noncombustible material. Anything combustible near the home makes it easier for fire to spread to the dwelling.

Outbuildings

There are specific requirements for any unattached structures or outbuildings that are within thirty feet of the home and have a footprint great than or equal to fifteen square feet. These would be sheds, gazebos, playsets, doghouses, and other such structures.

No more than three such structures are allowed within thirty feet of the home, and each structure must meet the same fire resilience requirements as the home itself. Each structure must also have a five-foot defensible space that complies with the HIZ requirements, and it must not overlap the five-foot HIZ zone for the house, deck or other structures within thirty feet of the home. It is important that any other structures are a safe distance from the home itself – distance is critical to preventing the spread of fire.

Any attached accessory dwelling units such as apartments over a garage, or in-law suites that are attached to the dwelling must meet the same requirements as the home itself.

All of these requirements must be met in order for a dwelling to be considered for the Wildfire Prepared Home designation™. A checklist is provided for homeowners to use to ensure they have met all requirements before applying for the designation. https://wildfireprepared.org/wfph-online-assessment/ Once the application is received the home will be inspected to ensure that all requirements have been met.

Wildfire Prepared Home Plus Designation™

This is a higher-level designation with even more stringent requirements above the Wildfire Prepared Home designation™. The Wildfire Prepared Home designation™ requirements must be met, as well as the additional requirements for the Wildfire Prepared Home Plus designation™. Compliance with these requirements will be determined by inspection.

Gutters/Eaves

In the Plus designation, gutters must be noncombustible and be covered with a noncombustible material to prevent leaves, pine needles and other debris from accumulating in the gutters. Eaves and soffits must be enclosed or protected on the exposed underside with either noncombustible or ignition-resistant materials, or 2-inch lumber. This would be 2×4 or 2×6, and not plywood.

Vents

Dryer vents must be made of metal. This provides an extra preventative measure.

Exterior Walls

The wall coverings or cladding must be noncombustible or ignition-resistant material, such as metal siding, fiber-cement siding, masonry veneer or stucco. Likewise, shutters must be noncombustible.

Exterior Glass/Doors

This addresses windows, skylights, and glass within doors. All glass must either be multipaned with a tempered outer pane or windows must be glass blocks. These types of glass are sturdier and resist breaking during a fire, which prevents flames from entering the dwelling.

Additionally, exterior doors must be noncombustible. Combustible doors are permitted only if a noncombustible storm door is the outermost door. Ensuring that the windows and doors are equally as noncombustible as the dwelling itself helps to prevent damage from fire.

Decks/Fences/Outbuildings

For this designation, all deck components, including posts, railings, joists, and walking surfaces must be made from noncombustible materials such as metal. Fences must not be back-to-back, which means that separate fences must be no closer than three feet in distance.

All unattached structures or outbuildings with a footprint equal or greater than fifteen square feet must be at least thirty feet from the home. This includes sheds, gazebos, playsets, doghouses, and other structures. Any attached additional dwelling units such as in-law suites or apartments must meet the same requirements that the main dwelling does.

Most homes, however, are in neighborhoods, and the physical characteristics of any given neighborhood or neighbor may also impact a home's exposure to wildfire. If the neighbors haven't trimmed the trees and have combustibles in the yard, that will affect the potential for wildfire for a home that has taken all the best mitigation measures. As IBHS continues to develop the program, it will look at measures that neighborhoods should take. Related articles you may find interesting: Drought and Wildfires

The Aftermath of Wildfires

Disaster Compendium Wildfires and Blizzards