Home Hardening

Why Zone 0 Matters

• The five feet closest to your home is called Zone 0. It is the highest-risk area during a wildfire.
• Embers collect at the base of your walls, on your steps, and on your deck.
• Anything that can burn in this zone can set your home on fire directly.

Here's What You Can Do

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

Clear anything that can burn from against your home

Remove dry leaves, wood piles, doormats, and dead or dying plants touching your house. Walk all the way around your home and check your steps, deck, and the base of every exterior wall. Relocate garbage and recycling containers, outdoor furniture, and any other combustible items from this zone. 

INTERMEDIATE UPGRADE

Replace combustible ground cover and structures in Zone 0 with gravel, rock, or other material that will not burn

Wood chips and bark mulch within five feet of your home give embers a place to catch, which lets flames reach your walls directly. Swap mulch for gravel, pavers, cement, or another surface that will not burn, and replace any combustible gates or fences in this zone the same way.

MAJOR REPLACEMENT

Replace steps and decks with materials that will not burn

Wood decks and steps built directly against your home are especially likely to catch fire. When you replace them, choose concrete, composite, or another material that resists ignition. 

Why Fencing and Gates Are Vulnerable

• A fence attached to your home can act like a fuse. Once it catches fire, it carries flames straight to your walls.
• The greatest risk is when a flammable fence, often wooden, attaches directly to the building. 

Here's What You Can Do

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

Clear vines, ground vegetation, and debris from your gate and fence line, and learn to open your gate without power

Remove leaves, dead plants, mulch, and any other material that can burn from against or near your gates and fences. If ivy is growing on your fence, remove it. Make sure your gate can open by hand, since a gate that only works with power can block firefighters or your own way out during an outage.

INTERMEDIATE TO MAJOR UPGRADE

Replace gates and fences in Zone 0 with material that will not burn

You do not need to replace your whole fence to make real progress. The first five feet where the fence meets your home matters most, so start there.

MAJOR REPLACEMENT

Replace your entire fence and gates with material that will not burn

When you replace a fence or gate, choose a material that will not burn whenever you can. Replacing the section closest to your home helps the most, and the farther out you replace, the safer your home will be.

Why Vents Are Vulnerable

• Vents are one of the most common ways embers get into a home, and attic, soffit, eave, gable, and foundation vents are all possible entry points.
• Standard quarter-inch mesh screens have openings large enough for embers to pass through, and fiberglass or plastic mesh can melt and burn.
• Once embers get inside, they can land on insulation or stored items and set your home on fire from the inside.

Here's What You Can Do

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

Inspect every vent on your home

Walk around your home and find each vent in your attic, soffits, eaves, gables, and foundation. Check for damage, gaps around the frame, missing screens, or plastic and fiberglass mesh that could melt in a fire. Flag these areas for repair. 

INTERMEDIATE UPGRADE

Cover vents with corrosion-resistant metal mesh

Replace standard quarter-inch screens with fine, 1/8" or 1/16" metal mesh that will not burn.

MAJOR REPLACEMENT

Replace vents with CAL FIRE-approved, ember-resistant models

Replace every screened vent with one that meets California Wildland-Urban Interface Code standards. These vents block embers while still letting your home breathe normally.

Why Eaves and Soffits Are Vulnerable

• The soffit is the material under your roof overhang, and an open soffit traps heat and embers underneath, giving fire direct access to your roof structure.
• Wood and vinyl soffit material can catch fire or melt, and gaps between rafter tails and blocking are common places for embers to get into your attic.
• Once fire gets in through an open or damaged eave, it can spread along your roof deck or into your attic before you see any flames outside.

Here's What You Can Do

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

Inspect your eaves for gaps and clear debris underneath

Walk your roofline and look for gaps, cracks, or rot between rafter tails and blocking. Remove all vegetation, leaves, and anything that can burn from directly below your eaves.

INTERMEDIATE UPGRADE

Seal gaps with fire-resistant caulk

Plug openings around exposed rafter ends with fire-resistant caulk or sealant. Even a small gap is enough for embers to get in and smolder in your attic.

MAJOR REPLACEMENT

Enclose open eaves with soffit material that will not burn

Install a flat, horizontal soffit using fiber cement board, stucco, or another material that will not burn, since a flat soffit traps less heat than an angled one. If you have exposed wood in this area, cover or replace it with a fire-resistant option.

Why Gutters Are Vulnerable

• Leaf and debris buildup gives embers a place to catch along your roofline, and even a small pile can spread fire to the roof underneath.
• Vinyl gutters can melt or catch fire directly, which exposes the combustible parts of your roof.
• Gaps between your gutter and roofline let embers get inside and smolder in the structure.

Here's What You Can Do

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

Clean your gutters now

Remove all leaf and debris buildup before fire season starts, and make it a habit to repeat this every spring and fall.

INTERMEDIATE UPGRADE

Install gutter covers that will not burn

Metal mesh guards keep debris from building up and resist embers far better than plastic covers.

MAJOR REPLACEMENT

Replace vinyl gutters with metal and add a drip edge

When it is time to replace your gutters, choose aluminum or steel, and install a metal drip edge along your roofline to close the gap above your gutter system.

Why Windows and Doors Are Vulnerable

• Heat from a wildfire can crack single-pane windows before flames ever reach your home, and once a window breaks, embers and fire have a direct path inside.
• Gaps larger than one eighth of an inch around door frames and thresholds are wide enough for embers to get through, and combustible framing or wood trim speeds up ignition at these openings.
• Door and window screens made of fiberglass or plastic can melt or burn, which removes an important layer of protection against embers.

Here's What You Can Do

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

Inspect all windows and doors for gaps and screens that can burn

Check every exterior door and window for gaps larger than one eighth of an inch at the frame, threshold, and sides. Replace any fiberglass or plastic screens, and clear away anything that can burn within five feet of your windows and glass doors.

INTERMEDIATE UPGRADE

Seal gaps and upgrade to metal mesh screens

Apply weather stripping and fire-resistant caulk around every door frame and threshold to close gaps. Replace fiberglass or plastic screens with corrosion-resistant metal mesh, which blocks embers and reduces heat much better.

MAJOR REPLACEMENT

Replace with dual-pane tempered glass windows and solid-core doors

Tempered glass resists heat about four times better than standard glass. When you replace windows, choose dual-pane units with at least one tempered pane and metal framing where you can. Choose solid-core or fire-rated exterior doors, since hollow-core doors offer little protection against embers or heat.

Why Decks Are Vulnerable

• Embers collect in the gaps between deck boards and underneath the deck, where leaves, debris, and stored items can catch fire and spread to the boards.
• Decks built on a slope face extra risk, since flames from vegetation below can reach the underside of an overhanging deck quickly.
• Everyday items kept on decks, like cushions, doormats, firewood, brooms, and umbrellas, give embers easy fuel right next to your home.

Here's What You Can Do

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

Clear the surface and underneath your deck

Remove all leaves, needles, and debris from your deck surface and from the gaps between boards. Clear out everything stored underneath, including furniture and firewood. On Red Flag days, move patio furniture, cushions, and doormats away from your home.

INTERMEDIATE UPGRADE

Create a zone around your deck that will not burn

Replace mulch or plants under and within five feet of your deck with gravel, pavers, or concrete. Do this even if your deck itself is already made of material that will not burn.

MAJOR REPLACEMENT

Enclose the underside and replace deck boards with materials that resist fire

Close off the sides of your deck with material that will not burn easily, and skip lattice or wood screening, since both ignite quickly. When you replace deck boards, choose materials that meet California Wildland-Urban Interface Code standards, and replace any rotted boards now, since decayed wood catches fire much faster than sound wood.

Why Clear Address Numbers Matter

• When a fire crew or an ambulance is looking for your home, every second counts.
• Numbers that are too small, faded, or hidden behind a branch can slow down first responders right when speed matters most.
• That lost time can change the outcome of an emergency.

Here's What You Can Do

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

Clear anything blocking your address numbers

Walk to the curb today and look back at your house the way a responder would. Remove or trim any branches, vines, or plants covering your numbers, and remove or prune anything nearby that could grow to block them again. Check your numbers again after dark with your porch light off, since numbers that read fine in daylight can disappear at night.

REQUIRED UPGRADE

Install reflectorized numbers in a contrasting color

Your address numbers must be at least four inches tall, reflectorized, and set in a color that stands out clearly against your house, such as light numbers on a dark background or dark numbers on a light one. Reflectorized numbers catch headlights and flashlights, so a responder can find your home in seconds instead of circling the block.

Why Siding Is Vulnerable

• Siding is generally one of the safer parts of your home, and with good yard upkeep, most siding can resist a typical wildfire. The bigger risk usually comes from what sits near it, not the material itself.
• Combustible siding, like wood boards or vinyl, can let flames spread upward and into the wall, especially when plants or debris sit too close.
• Gaps, holes, rot, or openings larger than one eighth of an inch in any siding are places for embers to enter, even if the siding itself resists fire.

Here's What You Can Do

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

Clear vegetation and debris from every exterior wall

Remove plants, vines, leaves, and anything else that can burn from against your home's exterior walls. Pay close attention to inside corners, where debris tends to pile up. This step is required in Zone 0, and it makes a real difference in your siding's risk no matter what material it is.

INTERMEDIATE UPGRADE

Repair gaps, rot, and openings in your existing siding

Check every exterior wall for gaps larger than one eighth of an inch, rot, holes, and failed caulk joints, especially at inside corners, trim edges, and where siding meets the foundation or roofline. Seal these with fire-resistant caulk and replace any rotted boards, since decayed siding catches fire much faster than sound material.

MAJOR REPLACEMENT

Replace combustible siding with materials that will not burn

When you replace siding, choose fiber cement, stucco, brick, stone, or metal. If replacing your entire exterior is not realistic, start with the lower part of the wall, since replacing just the bottom six to twelve inches with fiber cement or stucco meaningfully cuts your risk from fuels at the base of your house.

Why Garages Are Vulnerable

• Embers can slip into a garage as easily as dust through gaps around the door, windows, and vents, and once inside, they can ignite stored items and burn your home from the inside with no warning outside.
• Most garages store flammable materials like gasoline, paint, propane, and solvents near vehicles and power tools, so a single ember can quickly overwhelm the space.
• Power outages are common during wildfires, and an electric garage door without a battery backup can trap your car or block emergency access exactly when you need it most.

Here's What You Can Do

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

Reorganize your garage and learn your manual override

Move flammable liquids away from vehicles, water heaters, and electrical panels. Keep anything that can burn off the floor and away from the door. Find your garage door's manual release cord and practice using it, so you can open the door by hand during a power outage.

INTERMEDIATE UPGRADE

Install weather stripping, metal flashing, and a battery backup

Add a rubber or fire-resistant seal around and under your garage door to block embers, since standard doors have gaps at the bottom and sides. Add metal flashing where the door meets the frame, and install a battery backup for your garage door opener so it still works during an outage.

MAJOR REPLACEMENT

Bring garage windows and vents up to the same standard as the rest of your home

Garage windows often get overlooked. Upgrade them to dual-pane tempered glass, and replace any fiberglass or plastic vent screens with corrosion-resistant metal mesh. If the wall between your garage and living space is not already fire-rated drywall, consider upgrading it, since that wall is your last line of defense if a fire starts inside the garage.

What You Should Know First

An exterior sprinkler system can help protect your home, but it works best alongside the steps above, not in place of them. Finish the rest of this checklist first, since a sprinkler system on an unprepared home protects far less than a fully hardened home without one.

Here's What You Can Do

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

Check your water pressure and know how to use your hose

Before fire season, confirm your outdoor hose spigots work and that at least one hose reaches every side of your home. Know where your main water shutoff is, and on a Red Flag Day, keep your hoses connected and within reach instead of stored in the garage.

INTERMEDIATE UPGRADE

Install a do-it-yourself rooftop or perimeter sprinkler system

Basic pop-up or fixed sprinkler heads can attach along your roofline and connect to a standard hose spigot. These wet down your roof and walls before embers land, which lowers your risk of ignition. Make sure your water supply can hold enough pressure for the length of a fire event, since municipal water pressure often drops as demand rises across the neighborhood during a wildfire.

MAJOR REPLACEMENT

Install a professionally designed, automatic exterior suppression system

A full system combines roof-mounted and perimeter sprinkler heads with automatic activation, a battery backup, and its own water storage, so it keeps working even during a power outage or a drop in municipal water pressure. Have a licensed contractor design and install a system suited to Oakland's terrain and your lot size.

What You Should Know First

Every recommendation in this guide applies equally to mobile and manufactured homes. Embers cause most home fires, whether the home is site-built or manufactured, and the same risks and fixes apply either way.

Manufactured homes often have features that need extra attention, including attached decks, stairs, and the space underneath the home. These spots are easy to overlook, and just as easy to fix.

Here's What You Can Do

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

Clear your decks, stairs, and the space underneath your home

Remove anything that can burn from attached decks and stairs, including cushions, doormats, stored items, and debris. Clear leaves, debris, and stored items from underneath your home too. This step is required in Zone 0, and it is one of the highest-impact things you can do at no cost.

INTERMEDIATE UPGRADE

Enclose and protect the underfloor space and deck perimeter

Install corrosion-resistant metal mesh skirting around your home's perimeter to block embers from getting underneath, since this is one of the most common ways manufactured homes catch fire. Apply the same mesh to any open deck framing, and replace plastic or fiberglass vent screens on your skirting or foundation with metal mesh.