Protect Your Home in a Weekend: 3 High-Impact Fire Hardening Upgrades
Wildfires and urban firestorms move fast. In up to 90% of cases, homes don’t ignite from a wall of flame—they ignite from embers, heat exposure, and small vulnerabilities that could have been fixed with simple upgrades. The good news? You don’t need a full remodel to make your home dramatically more resilient.
Here are the top three low-cost improvements that offer the biggest impact on your home’s ability to survive a wildfire or urban conflagration.
1. Install Ember-Resistant Vents
Embers are the number one reason homes ignite during wildfires. They can travel miles ahead of the main fire front and slip into attics, crawlspaces, and wall cavities through standard vents. Once inside, ignition is almost guaranteed.
What to Install
Minimum mesh size: 1/8" down to 1/16" wire mesh (1/16” can clog and restrict air flow, so monitor and add ventilation where needed)
Best option: Specialty fire- and ember-resistant vents (higher cost, but highest protection)
These upgrades help block embers while still allowing your home to breathe properly. They’re affordable, fast to install, and immediately reduce risk.
Why It Matters
Even if your home never sees direct flame contact, airborne embers can penetrate vents and ignite the interior. Swapping your vents is one of the most cost-effective improvements any homeowner can make and why it’s our number 1 improvement on this list.
2. Upgrade to a Class A Roof — and Keep It Clean
Your roof is one of the most vulnerable surfaces on your home. Thankfully, most modern homes already have Class A fire-rated roofing, which provides the highest level of fire resistance. But if you’re still living with wood shake or any other combustible roofing material, it needs to be replaced.
What to Do
Verify you have a Class A roof (asphalt composite, metal, tile, or certain high-rated synthetics)
Remove all debris regularly—leaves, pine needles, and branches act as tinder
Check gutters and roof valleys for build-up. Adding gutter covers is another lower cost improvement we highly recommend
Why It Matters
Wood roofs ignite quickly and create cascading failures in a fire event. A Class A roof dramatically improves survivability, and simply keeping it clean prevents embers from finding fuel.
3. Create a Zero-Combustible Zone 0 (The First 5 Feet)
Zone 0 is the first 5 feet surrounding your home—and it’s the most important real estate for fire resilience. Most home ignitions start right here.
What to Remove
Wood mulch
Plants touching the home
Branches within 5 ft of home/roof
Stored items or decor
Wood fences that connect directly to the structure
What to Add Instead
Gravel, rock, pavers, or other noncombustible groundcovers
Metal gate or metal break between any wood fencing and the house. There are composite wood look options for privacy and aesthetic
A minimum 6 inches of clearance between soil and siding around the house
Deck Considerations
Decks are often a hidden weak point.
Keep the space under the deck clean
Add wire mesh skirting to stop embers
Install a metal flashing or fire break where the deck meets the home
If replacing your deck:
Choose high fire-rated composite materials
They last longer, require less maintenance, and drastically outperform wood in fire exposure
Why It Matters
Zone 0 is where embers pile up, mulch smolders, and small flames can grow into structure fires. Clearing this zone is one of the most impactful wildfire mitigation steps a homeowner can take—and it’s completely doable on a budget.
Final Thoughts
Fire hardening doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. These three upgrades—ember-resistant vents, a debris free Class A roof, and a clean, noncombustible Zone 0—offer incredibly high protection for a relatively low cost.
They don’t just give your home a better chance during a wildfire—they give firefighters a safer environment to defend it.
Want help assessing your home’s risks or creating a priority list of improvements? Reach out and we’re happy to walk you through a customized plan.
