How Vulnerable Is Your House to Embers and Wildfire?

The Resource Conservation District Will Evaluate Your Home for Free
Posted: December 3, 2020, 2:30 p.m.

A home ignition zone evaluation is a review of the vulnerability of your house and landscape to wildfire and ember-ignition. During this assessment, an evaluator will review defensible space and home hardening principles and make specific recommendations based on your property.

Evaluations are performed by trained volunteers and RCD staff and take about 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete. A summary of all the recommendations along with additional resources and materials is provided at the end of the evaluation. The homeowner is under no obligation to complete any of the recommendations, though we will also follow up to find out if the homeowner decided to do any of the improvements, and if not, what barriers to completion the homeowner encountered. We will use this information to determine what incentive programs might be developed to help homeowners to complete more of these Ignition-resisting improvements.

This service is provided free of charge until the grant funds are exhausted, and afterward as a fee service. CLICK HERE to learn more and to reserve your evaluation.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department estimates that embers caused the ignition of over 50% of the homes that burned in recent wildfires. Carried by strong winds, embers fly through the air and rain down on vulnerable homes, often miles ahead of flames. Once homes ignite, they create intense heat and more embers that can ignite other nearby homes. This turns what would be a fast-moving vegetation fire into a multi-structure inferno, putting entire neighborhoods at risk — and making it exceedingly dangerous for vital first-responders to enter the area and protect the remaining homes.

You can donate to support the RCD's mission to develop resilient communities in the Santa Monica Mountains. Less than 35% of their annual operating budget comes from County property tax revenue. The remainder comes from competitively-sought grants like the one funding the HIZEP, as well as from contracts and donations. 

You can also learn some simple steps you can take to reduce your home's vulnerability to wind-driven wildfire in this Zoom video presentation by Topanga Canyon Fire Safe Council Co-Presidents Beth Burnam and Ryan Ulyate. Recorded on July 25th 2020 for the Pasadena Glen Homeowners Association