Firewise – November 2023

    By now, nearly everyone has seen and heard about the red-roofed home in Lahaina which survived the Maui wildfire unscathed, while all the neighboring homes were reduced to ashes. Lahaina wasn’t prepared with enough fire trucks or water to battle the fast-moving fire, resulting in devastating consequences.
    The story behind the miracle survival is a simple and lucky one. In an effort to keep termites out of their home, owners Dora and Trip Millikin installed a metal roof and removed plants lining exterior walls. Accidentally, they hardened their home against wildfire.
    Although there is no way to know for sure if the home-hardening actions alone saved the wooden house, it did not ignite.
    The biggest threat to homes during a wildfire are embers blowing ahead of the blaze. Embers can ignite flammable roofs or vegetation and quickly grow into large fires. Hopefully homeowners have evacuated and firefighters are on the frontline, which means no one is available to put out an ember-related fire.
    The City and Moraga Orinda Fire Department (MOFD) have been urging residents to harden their homes against wildfire. The most common pre-citation issued by MOFD inspectors is to homeowners who have not removed all combustible ground cover within two feet of their homes and/or structures.
    CalFire has a great web page with ways to prepare at: www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/get-ready/hardening-your-home/.
    In addition to replacing asphalt roofs with metal and removing vegetation, installing ember-resistant vents and gutter guards are excellent ways to improve the fire resistance of a house. MOFD has a number of programs, including a Home Hardening Grant to help with gutter guards and ember resistant vents. Visit www.mofd.org/our-district/fuels-mitigation-fire-prevention/home-hardening-grant-program.
    MOFD hands out bushfire mesh to line vents and offers a reimbursement grant, of up to $1,000 per parcel, toward the purchase of ember-resistant vents. They provided free gutter guards to 182 residents in Moraga and Orinda recently and may be able to do more.
    After several years of encouraging wildfire abatement activities, it’s clear it will take time before all, or even most, Orindans take action to make their homes wildfire-resistant and be fire-code compliant.
    The City and MOFD believe wildfire is a real threat and have created opportunities for residents to keep their properties safe from wildfires. The red-roofed Maui home is a great lesson and incentive to follow recommended home-hardening practices to save yourself and your home.