Report details why some houses fell, others withstood LA wildfires
LOS ANGELES (AZFamily) — Densely packed homes, ferocious winds and lack of adequate defensible space all contributed to the more than 16,000 structures destroyed in the Palisades and Eaton fires in January.
The Santa Ana winds, drought and dry fuels were the main culprits in the blazes that started the morning of Jan. 7 and killed nearly 30 people, according to a new preliminary report on the California wildfires.
The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) recently published a report that focused on what helped the fire spread and what kept it from destroying some homes. Densely built areas with homes close together helped the flames jump from home to home, according to the report.
“Higher-density communities tend to have more connective fuels—such as fences, landscaping and debris—which can allow low-intensity fires to build strength and potentially exceed the tolerance of building materials,” investigators said in the report.
Of the 247 structures the IBHS surveyed, 63% had decks, most of them wooded, which ignited when embers landed on them.
The report indicated 65% of the homes surveyed had wooden fences close to the house, acting as a wick that brought the fire close to the home.
Attic and other vents also allowed for fire to enter the home, and in many cases, they were not fire-safe, according to IBHS research. Among structures with vents, only 7.8% had proper fire-safe vents with one-eighth inches or finer metal mesh.
The report also examined homes that were spared from the blaze and what features they had that helped. Homes without connective fuels like trash cans, hot tubs or wood fences close to the home had a much higher chance of survival.
“These examples demonstrate how even seemingly minor external fuel sources can significantly impact fire behavior and the subsequent damage level to a home,” the report noted.
Window glass type also played a role in how quickly fires were able to access homes in the mountain communities. The tempered glass windows did not break in some of the homes field investigators examined, keeping fire from leaping inside.
“Notably, two windows faced the fire and experienced similar levels of heat exposure—an annealed glass window and a tempered glass window. Only the annealed glass failed; the tempered glazing remained in place, sustaining only frame damage.”
The main takeaways highlight what fire officials have been preaching for years: defensible space can make the difference in you losing or saving your home in the event of a wildfire.
Read More: Is your home in a fire danger zone?
Video from CalFire show how quickly a fire can spread to a home with limited defensible space.
For tips on how to make your home fire-safe, check out these tips on building defensible space around your property.
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