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Wildfire-Resistance : Home Retrofitting 

In light of the recent wildfire events here is some useful information to help homeowners make their homes more resilient during a wildfire event.

 

Owners that want to retrofit their homes against wildfires can focus on three things: stopping flames from reaching your home, protecting it from heat, and blocking flying embers.

Here are some Low-Cost Ways to Harden Your Home  and during these unprecedented fire events, the Building and Safety Division is allowing homeowners to complete this fire retrofit work prior to permit issuance. After completing the voluntary fire preparedness improvments, a permit application shall be submitted within the next working business day to the Building and Safety Division or via the Burbank Online Permit portal.



 
  • Roof
    • The roof is the most vulnerable part of your building. Buildings with wood or shingle roofs are at high risk of being destroyed during a wildfire. Build your roof or re-roof with materials such as composition, metal or tile. Block any spaces between roof decking and covering to prevent embers from catching.
  • Vents
    • Vents on buildings create openings for flying embers.
    • Cover all vent openings with 1/16-inch metal mesh. Do not use fiberglass or plastic mesh because they can melt and burn.
    • Protect vents in eaves or cornices with baffles to block embers (mesh is not enough).
    • Per BMC 9-1-2-706A.2, gable end or dormer vents shall be located at least 10 feet from property lines.
  • Eaves and Soffits
    • Eaves and soffits should be protected with ignition resistant* or noncombustible materials.
  • Windows
    • Heat from a wildfire can cause windows to break even before the building ignites. This allows burning embers to enter and start fires inside. Single-pane and larger windows are particularly vulnerable.
    • Install dual-pane windows with one pane of tempered glass to reduce the chance of breakage in a fire.
    • Consider limiting the size and number of windows that face large areas of vegetation.
  • Walls
    • Wood products, such as boards, panels or shingles, are common siding materials. However, they are combustible and not good choices for fire prone areas.
    • Build or remodel your walls with ignition resistant* building materials, such as stucco, fiber cement, wall siding, fire retardant, treated wood, or other approved materials.
    • Be sure to extend materials from the foundation to the roof.
  • Decks
    • Surfaces within 10 feet of the building should be built with ignition resistant*, noncombustible, or other approved materials.
    • Ensure that all combustible items are removed from beneath your deck.
  • Rain Gutters
    • Screen or enclose rain gutters to prevent accumulation of plant debris.
  • Patio Cover
    • Use the same ignition resistant* materials for patio coverings as a roof.
    • *Ignition resistant building materials are those that resist ignition or sustained burning when exposed to embers and small flames from wildfires. Examples of ignition resistant materials include “noncombustible materials” that don’t burn, exterior grade fire-retardant treated wood lumber, fire-retardant treated wood shakes and shingles listed by the State Fire Marshal (SFM) and any material that has been tested in accordance with SFM Standard 12-7A-5.
  • Chimney
    • Cover your chimney and stovepipe outlets with a noncombustible screen. Use metal screen material with openings no smaller than 3/8-inch and no larger than 1/2-inch to prevent embers from escaping and igniting a fire.
  • Garage
    • Have a fire extinguisher and tools such as a shovel, rake, bucket, and hoe available for fire emergencies.
    • Install weather stripping around and under the garage door to prevent embers from blowing in.
    • Store all combustible and flammable liquids away from ignition sources.
  • Fences
    • Consider using ignition resistant* or noncombustible fence materials to protect your building during a wildfire.
  • Driveways and Access Roads
    • Driveways should be built and maintained in accordance with state and local codes to allow fire and emergency vehicles to reach your building. Consider maintaining access roads with a minimum of 10 feet of clearance on either side, allowing for two-way traffic.
    • Ensure that all gates open inward and are wide enough to accommodate emergency equipment.
    • Trim trees and shrubs overhanging the road to allow emergency vehicles to pass.
  • Address
    • Make sure your address is clearly visible from the road.
  • Water Supply
    • Consider having multiple garden hoses that are long enough to reach all areas of your building and other structures on your property. If you have a pool or well, consider getting a pump.

The roof is the most vulnerable part of your building. Buildings with wood or shingle roofs are at high risk of being destroyed during a wildfire.

The City adopted the original wood roof removal ordinance in 1992. Ordinance 3296 required all exposed wood shake or wood shingle roofs in the Fire Hazard Severity Zone to be removed by August 14, 2005, and all wood shakes and wood shingles in the rest of the City, even those covered by layer(s) of composition shingles, had to be removed by August 12, 2012.

The City Council extended the deadline for compliance by two years, until August 14, 2014, for roofs with exposed wood shakes or shingles. The deadline for roofs with wood shakes or wood shingles that were re-roofed with asphalt or composition shingles was extended until August 14, 2020. 

The 2022 California Building Standards Code includes these main parts:
2022 California Building Code (CBC)
2022 California Residential Code (CRC)
2022 California Electrical Code (CEC)
2022 California Mechanical Code (CMC)
2022 California Plumbing Code (CPC)
2022 CALGreen
2022 Building Energy Efficiency Standards
more resources