Wildfire Home Hardening Checklist (DIY Edition)

Wildfire season has become a year-round concern for California homeowners. Hotter temperatures, stronger winds, and longer burn periods mean that homes are increasingly exposed to ember storms and heat, often without warning. The good news: some of the most effective wildfire protections are simple, affordable, and achievable by homeowners themselves.

This DIY home hardening checklist is built around recommendations from CAL FIRE’s Ready, Set, Go! Initiative, the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home™ program, and Firestorm Building Products’ 17+ years of experience creating ember-resistant solutions. These straightforward steps help you feel confident in reducing ignition risk and strengthening your home’s first line of defense.

Firestorm is here as your trusted partner in that process, offering reliable, WUI-compliant vents, fire-resistant mesh, and fire-rated gutter guards designed specifically for wildfire-prone regions, helping you feel supported and prepared.

Step 1: Roof & Vent Upgrades for Ember Protection

Your roof and venting system are some of the most vulnerable points during a wildfire, so emphasizing their importance helps homeowners know what to focus on when it comes to ember protection.

Start by ensuring your roofing system uses Class A fire-rated materials, which are designed to limit flame spread and improve overall roof performance during wildfire exposure. While roofing alone does not stop embers, Class A materials have an important role in reducing fire spread once ignition occurs. Next, upgrade all attic, gable, foundation, and soffit vents to ember-resistant vents engineered with fine, fire-resistant mesh that exceeds minimum ember-blocking standards and are designed for maximum ember protection under wildfire conditions. 

If your current vents are older or use wide-screen materials, consider replacing them with Firestorm’s EmberVent™, which is tested to stop ember intrusion under WUI conditions, making your home safer.

Step 2: Reinforce Siding, Windows, and Doors

Wildfire hardening isn’t only about stopping embers; it’s also about reducing how much heat your home absorbs during an event. Using fire-resistant siding materials such as fiber cement, stucco, or metal creates a more resilient exterior surface.

Windows are another vulnerable point. Tempered glass or double-pane windows perform far better under heat exposure than single-pane or untreated glass. Reinforce window and door framing by sealing gaps with fire-retardant caulking and installing fire-resistant mesh where necessary.

At every opening—vents, frames, soffits, and crawlspace areas—ensure you have appropriate fire-resistant mesh screens in place. These mesh systems prevent embers from entering while allowing proper ventilation and drainage.

Step 3: Secure Decks, Fences, and Exterior Features

Decks, fences, and exterior structures are often overlooked, yet they play a major role in home ignition. Wood decks and fences can ignite from embers landing between boards or in debris below the structure.

Choose fire-resistant decking materials when possible, or reinforce wood decks with ember-resistant mesh installed beneath them. This mesh blocks embers from lodging under the deck or igniting debris.

If your fence attaches directly to your home, create a 1.5-meter (5-foot) noncombustible break using metal, masonry, or stone. When a fence ignites, it can act as a wick or a direct pathway, allowing fire to transfer straight to the structure of your home.

Regularly inspect these exterior zones for debris buildup. Clean patios, porches, and stairs to reduce fine fuels that are easily ignited during ember storms. Ensure that soffit screens, roof vent screens, and ember-resistant venting systems remain clean and undamaged.
Explore EmberMesh™ options.

Step 4: Create Defensible Space Around Your Home

Replacing combustible materials around your home is one of the most effective ways to reduce wildfire ignition risk, especially in the immediate zone (0-5 feet). Swap wood mulch, bark, and decorative chips for noncombustible hardscaping such as gravel, stone, concrete, or pavers. These materials do not ignite when exposed to embers and help prevent fire from spreading toward the structure. 

Regular maintenance is just as important. Remove dry vegetation, leaf litter, pine needles, and dead branches, particularly near the foundation, porch, deck, and roofline. Firewood, propane tanks, and other combustible items should be stored well away from exterior walls to eliminate ignition pathways. 

When landscaping, opt for fire-resistant plants, species like Cape Weed, Blueblossom, Lavender, or Star Jasmine. Focus on vegetation that is less likely to ignite, produce fewer embers, and burn with lower intensity. Proper plant spacing, routine pruning, and avoiding planting flammable plants directly against the home all help interrupt ember accumulation and flame spread. 

Maintaining defensible space supports the effectiveness of Firestorm’s ember-resistant products by removing easy fuel sources around the home. Combined with hardscaping and defensible space design, these strategies significantly reduce the likelihood of ignition from rogue embers and of direct flame making contact with your structure.

Many state and federal wildfire agencies recommend using Fire-Adapted Plants and ignition-resistant landscaping as part of a comprehensive defensible space strategy, particularly in wildfire-prone areas of California and the Western U.S. Learn more from CAL FIRE’s Ready, Set, Go! Program.

Step 5: Maintain & Inspect for Long-Term Wildfire Preparedness

Home hardening should be a seasonal routine. Wildfire preparedness improves significantly when homeowners schedule regular inspections, especially before California’s peak fire season.

Clean gutters, roof surfaces, and deck spaces. Remove debris blocking attic or crawlspace vents and check for damage to metal gutter guards or fire-resistant screens. Replace any worn materials and reapply fire-retardant sealants if gaps reopen over time.

Inspect your home’s exterior for new vulnerabilities that may appear due to weather, pests, or aging construction. Upgrading older vents to EmberVent™ or adding additional EmberMesh™ reinforcement can make a meaningful difference in ignition risk.

For deeper guidance, explore IBHS’s wildfire preparedness resources.

Build Your Wildfire-Ready Home with Firestorm

Hardening your home doesn’t require a major remodel. With thoughtful, practical steps—many of which can be completed in a weekend—you can dramatically reduce wildfire ignition risks and create a safer environment for your household and community.

Firestorm Building Products is committed to supporting California homeowners with affordable, code-compliant ember protection materials, including EmberVent™, EmberMesh™, and metal gutter guards. These solutions help block the most common ignition pathways and complement defensible space and maintenance efforts.

Explore Firestorm’s ember-resistant products and start hardening your home today.