Ojai Fire Guy

PROTECT YOUR HOME BEFORE THE NEXT WILDFIRE

Practical wildfire hardening information for Ojai homeowners based on real-world fire behavior and current best practices.

HOMES CATCH FIRE FOR 4 PRIMARY REASONS

01

02

03

04 FIRE ORIGINATES INSIDE THE HOME

A fire originates inside the home.

AMBIENT HEAT

Ambient heat from a nearby fire ignites the next nearest property.

STRUCTURE-TO-STRUCTURE FLAMES

Flames from a structure fire jump to neighboring properties. Row houses and properties with zero lot lines are often susceptible to this.

EMBERS

Embers, driven by high winds, ignite combustible materials such as leaves in gutters or on rooftops and surrounding brush, causing a structure to catch fire.

Not all fires are preventable.

You want your home to be in the best possible position to withstand fires from external events.

The Solution

FIRE HARDENING

The Distinction

FIRE HARDENING VS. FIRE PROOFING

There are very few products that are truly fireproof.

After a destructive fire, what commonly remains is the concrete foundation. That illustrates how difficult it is to make a home completely fireproof.

Fire hardening (aka home hardening) consists of measures that help a building survive exposure to fire — especially wildfires.

Exterior

PROTECT YOUR HOME

Exterior wildfire-hardening recommendations that reduce the ways a home can be ignited.

01 Installing a Class-A fire rated roof

02 Using ember-resistant attic and foundation vents

03 Keeping all gutters and the roof clear of leaves and other debris

04 Enclosing eaves and soffits

05 Sealing the gap area between gutters and fascia boards

06 Installing dual-pane tempered glass windows

07 Using noncombustible decks and/or fencing near the home, especially where physically attached to the property

08 Creating a 5-foot, preferably 10-foot, noncombustible zone around the entire building

09 Removing vegetation immediately adjacent to, or hanging over, the structure

Inside the Home

INTERIOR FIRE PREVENTION

This site is primarily dedicated to external wildfire threats, but sensible household fire prevention matters too — smoke detectors, appliances, stoves and ovens, laundry appliances, candles, heaters, fireplaces and fire extinguishers.

Who Is Richard

RICHARD HART HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN PUBLIC SAFETY SINCE AGE 16.

Author of the award-winning book Keep Your Daughter Safe: Ways Young Women Can Prevent Sexual Assault, and an invited speaker at events relating to home and personal safety.