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Fire and safety · Design out fire and fuel hazards · safety-5Specify ember-resistant construction
Most homes lost in wildfires are ignited by wind-blown embers and small nearby fires, not by a wall of flame. Simple details on the roof, vents, gutters, decks and fences close the gaps embers use.
How
- Roof: choose noncombustible or Class A rated roofing (a US rating) and seal open ends of tile profiles and ridge gaps, as FEMA advises.
- Vents: cover attic, eave and crawl space vents with metal mesh of 1/8 inch (about 3 mm) or smaller. FEMA notes 1/16 inch mesh also works but clogs faster.
- Gutters: use metal gutters and noncombustible gutter guards, and keep them clear.
- Walls: FEMA suggests noncombustible siding on the lowest 2 to 3 courses, and sealing gaps between siding and foundation.
- Windows and doors: seal gaps around frames with fire-resistant sealant and use fire-rated weather stripping.
- Decks: use ignition-resistant decking, keep the board strip within 1 ft (30 cm) of the wall noncombustible, and enclose the space under decks.
- Fences: FEMA recommends noncombustible fencing for at least the first 5 ft (1.5 m) where a fence joins the house.
- Pass these details to the design module so they are in the drawings, not added later.
- For construction ratings by exposure level, including the Australian bushfire attack levels, see design-28.
Do these first
Sources
- Homeowner's Guide to Reducing the Risk of Structure Ignition from Wildfire. FEMA, accessed 2026-11
- Defensible Space: Protection Against Wildfires. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Building America Solution Center (US DOE), accessed 2026-11
- Firewise Fact Sheet: Immediate Noncombustible Zone. Texas A&M Forest Service, accessed 2026-11