How to make your home fireproof (realistically)

There is no building material, paint, or spray that makes a home fireproof. Insurance adjusters and fire scientists use a different word: ignition-resistant. The goal is to make every surface and opening hostile enough to embers and radiant heat that the house never catches in the first place.

The good news: ignition-resistant construction is well understood, code-defined (California Chapter 7A), and mostly achievable through retrofit rather than rebuild.

Roof: Class A rating, no gaps. This single item is the strongest predictor of survival.

Vents: 1/8-inch noncombustible mesh or WUI-listed ember-resistant vents on every opening.

Siding and windows: noncombustible or ignition-resistant siding; dual-pane windows with at least one tempered pane.

The 5-foot perimeter: nothing combustible touching or within 5 feet of the walls.

Exterior fire-retardant sprays. Most wash off in the first rain and have to be reapplied within days of a fire — useless for an unannounced ember storm.

Sprinkler systems on the roof. Power and water pressure usually fail in a wildfire event. Treat as a bonus, never a substitute for hardening.

Clearing only the front yard. Embers come from every direction; the leeward side of the house often ignites first.

Free this weekend: clean roof, gutters, and Zone 0. Move firewood and propane away from the house.

Under $500: upgrade vent mesh to 1/8-inch. Replace combustible doormats. Seal garage door bottom.

$2k–$10k: ember-resistant vents, dual-pane window upgrades, metal Zone-0 fence section.

Major remodel: Class A roof and noncombustible siding when you next replace them anyway.