Southern California SAFE Landscapes Guidebook

Fire resistant buildings

Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety

Our expert in fire resistant construction, Dr. Steven Quarles, continues his research with the IIBHS. Visit them for fact sheets and guidelines at https://disastersafety.org/wildfire/

The key to protecting your home and property from fire is to start from the house out, rather than from the wildland in. The Wildland Urban Interface Building Standard, also known as Chapter 7A, is a new addition to the California Building Code, and it affects how new homes are built in wildfire-prone areas.

Figure courtesy of the East Bay Municipal Utility District

Those who already own a home can utilize the new code to help decide what to do when remodeling. Check with your building department to find out about any local requirements.

For detailed information from the University of California Cooperative Extension on fire resistant buildings, see the Homeowners Wildfire Mitigation Guide, the Homeowner's Wildfire Assessment, and the Builder's Wildfire Mitigation Guide. Click here to take a virtual tour of a fire-resistant building.

View our brand new (May 10) publication, Home Survival in Wildfire Prone Areas

See also the UC Center for Fire Research and Outreach at http://firecenter.berkeley.edu/, and an interactive Web site with information about actions to take before, during and after fires at http://www.wildfirezone.org/.

A handbook listing products that comply with the provisions of Chapter 7A has been published by the Office of the State Fire Marshal. It’s available on line at http://www.osfm.fire.ca.gov/strucfireengineer/pdf/bml/wuiproducts.pdf

To review Chapter 7A in its entirety, please visit http://www.osfm.fire.ca.gov/pdf/firemarshal/buildingcodechapter7a.pdf.