by: Jane Wilde

Humor Editor

In California, nearly one in five homes is built in a wildfire-impacted area despite repeated devastation in those communities. Of all the structures destroyed in the recent Palisades fire in Los Angeles, more than 80 percent were in a fire-prone zone. California must follow the expanding mandates under the Regional Housing Needs Association (RHNA); however, this creates conflict because when expanding, companies often build in wildfire-prone areas. To combat this, KB Homes, one of the largest homebuilders in the US, launched the first-ever “fire resilient community” in the nation. 

Within the fire-resistant neighborhood otherwise known as Dixon Trail, 64 homes were built that meet the strictest requirements for home fire mitigation. Some examples of fire mitigation in California include preparing homes, removing dead trees, and replacing combustible materials. KB homes looked at dozens of homes affected by recent Los Angeles wildfires as well as several from the Maui tragedy in 2023. Notable features such as untempered glass and single roofs influenced KB to build stronger, more resilient homes. To model complete wildfire protection, each home includes the installation of flame-resistant vents, class A fire-rated roofs, and non-combustible gutters. They also use wire mesh to enclose the gutters and stucco around the shutters to resist flames. Additionally, builders tempered each sheet of glass to protect the fire from infiltrating through the windows. 

The California Wildfire Program has been working in tandem with KB Homes to ensure homes across Southern California are fireproofed. Together they have invested over 117 million dollars into funding half a dozen neighborhood safety installations. Under current funding circumstances, the program is on track to fireproof nearly 2,000 homes within the next year. 

This concept of a fireproof neighborhood was in the making for decades; however, it wasn’t until the recent Los Angeles wildfires that the project was expedited and put into effect. The CEO of the California Wildfire program, Karen Collin, explained how the wildfires heightened the project’s urgency, saying, “Replacing a roof before a fire is cheaper than replacing an entire house afterward.” This is new territory for California with expected complications to come, especially because fire-resistent materials are particularly costly and difficult to access. 

Officials have established that California’s housing shortage cannot come at the expense of the public’s safety. As wildfires become a more common occurrence and threat, the California Wildfire program and KB Homes are working alongside each other in efforts to expand this neighborhood and potentially create others in the future. 

(Sources: CalMatters, KPBS)