Session 5: Rebuilding for Resilience — Home Hardening from Start to Finish

Description

A stronger home starts with informed choices. This session breaks down what the science shows about how homes ignite and what construction and design decisions make the biggest difference in protecting your home from future fires.

You’ll see practical, cost-effective ways to harden your home — from materials and layout to landscaping and maintenance — and learn how to find builders who know how to meet resilience standards. You’ll also explore options for funding the gap between what insurance covers and what true safety requires.

Speakers:

• Laura Blaul, Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS)

• Sarah Wolf, US Green Building Council of California

• Alexis Pelosi and Abby Ross, The Resilience Company

Session Highlights & Timestamps

1. Laura Blaul, IBHS

IBHS is an independent, non-profit organization funded by the insurance industry, focusing on research and full-scale testing of buildings against natural disasters.

• [00:18 - 00:22] Wildfire Risk: Despite advancements in firefighting, the wildfire problem has worsened because it is a community problem, not just a fire service problem. Failure is often due to embers, wind, and drought.

• [00:22 - 00:26] Conflagration Chain: Wildfires quickly become urban fires through ember intrusion (the primary way homes ignite), structure density (homes built closely together), and connective fuels (combustible fencing, sheds, and decks).

• [00:26 - 00:33] The 5-Foot Accumulation Zone (Zone Zero): Research shows embers accumulate and generate maximum heat within 5 feet of the home. This zone must be kept clean, as common household items like synthetic lawns or plastic trash cans can ignite and bring fire right to the house.

• [00:33 - 00:54] Wildfire Prepared Plus Standard: This is a science-based new build standard (requiring roughly 3% more cost than traditional build) that increases resilience by reducing exposure (non-combustible materials, separating fences from the house) and strengthening the structure.

• [00:54 - 01:21] Plus vs. Code: The IBHS Plus standard exceeds California Building Code Chapter 7A/CWOOI code in several areas: Exterior Glass (both panes must be tempered), Decking (must be entirely non-combustible), and Gutters (must have covers).

• [01:21 - 01:42] Tree Management: For large, healthy trees close to the home (e.g., sycamores), practically manage risk by trimming branches to be at least 5 feet above the roofline and 10 feet from any chimney.

• [01:42 - 02:22] Fencing: Non-combustible fencing is required. Available options include concrete, stone, brick, or metal fencing which comes in various colors and wood-look finishes.

2. Sarah Wolf, US Green Building Council of California 

USGBC-CA works to transform the built environment and offers resources focusing on wildfire defense, sustainability, and green building practices.

• [02:22 - 02:51] Rebuilding Resources: Offers a matchmaking service to connect residents with contractors, a Rebuild Marketplace for cost-effective group purchasing of materials, and a professionals directory for finding certified green builders.

• [03:54 - 04:36] Co-Benefits of Resilience: Building to high resiliency standards (like Chapter 7A) offers significant co-benefits for home performance: better insulation leads to lower electric bills, reduced need for heating/cooling, and improved indoor air quality.

• [04:36 - 05:28] Building Systems & Electrification: If budget permits, installing solar with battery storage improves resilience against power outages and Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). The shift to all-electric homes (e.g., induction cooking, heat pumps) is highly encouraged.

• [05:28 - 06:17] Shared Resilience: Wildfire defense is a community effort. Residents should work together on shared purchasing, managing firebreaks, and maintaining brush to reduce neighborhood risk.

• [06:17 - 07:12] Decarbonization Resources: USGBC's Green Homes team works with renters and low-income communities to provide resources, rebates, and direct installation of decarbonization items (heat pumps, induction stoves).

• [07:12 - 08:35] Upcoming Training: Offers Spanish-language rebuilding training (Thursday) and an English training followed by a community expo/resource fair (December 13th) at the Eaton Fire Collaboratory.

3. Alexis Pelosi and Abby Ross, The Resilience Company 

The Resiliency Company is a national nonprofit focused on aggregating funding and policy to help communities rebuild safely in a time of extreme weather events.

• [08:35 - 10:20] LA Delta Fund (Gap Funding): A fund and platform launched to provide joint loans to homeowners to cover the difference in cost between rebuilding to updated code and rebuilding to the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Plus standard.

• [10:20 - 12:47] Insurance Standard Necessity: The IBHS standard is the insurance-backed, science-based, and verifiable standard. The Fortified program (IBHS's wind standard in Alabama) stabilized insurance markets and increased home values by 7% after major hurricanes.

• [10:20 - 12:47] Market Signal: Recent rate filings show insurers are more willing to write policies in high-risk areas when homes are certified to meet the IBHS standard, suggesting risk reduction improves access to affordable insurance.

• [11:00 - 12:47] Pillar Platform: The platform connects homeowners to funding and resources, provides a cost estimate for resiliency upgrades, and facilitates third-party certification of the home for insurers post-rebuild.

• [12:47 - 15:43] ADU/Lot Size Flexibility: The Delta Fund acknowledges the challenge of lot sizes in Altadena. While IBHS currently requires 30-foot separation for the "Plus" designation, the organization is working with IBHS to find flexibility for small lots where both the house and ADU are built to the "Plus" standard.

• [15:43 - 17:09] Standard Focus: The Delta Fund is focused exclusively on getting homes up to the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Plus standard because it is clear, scientific, insurance-backed, and verifiable by a third party.

Resources:

Metal Fencing Providers

• MWF Solutions: Provides pre-assembled, solid, and durable metal fence sections. This fencing has been utilized in demonstration burns to confirm its fire-resistant properties.

• ColorMax: A cost-effective and easily installed metal privacy fence, originally from Australia, which can be ordered from multiple distributors throughout the U.S.

• ​​Example Vendor (Ventura County): Fence Factory

• Knotwood: Offers metal fencing systems with wood-look finishes and various color options, providing an aesthetic alternative to traditional metal barriers.

• Barrier Boss (FireSmart Metal Fence System): Features two distinct profiles—7/8’s Corrugated and Deep Groove/Ribbed—available in a range of heights, widths, and colors.