Preparing your home
Click on each tab below to learn more about how you can better prepare your home and yard for wildfire.
Home hardening refers to making improvements to your house (or other structures) to reduce the chance of a wildfire ignition. This can include upgrading building materials, changing structural elements (like sealing cracks or adding screens), and doing regular maintenance, such as cleaning out your gutters. Home hardening is the #1 defense you have against home loss due to wildfire. Check out these resources for guidance on home hardening strategies.
Home hardening guidance
Home hardening addresses the most vulnerable components of your house with building materials and installation techniques that increase resistance to heat, flames, and embers that accompany most wildfires. Oregon's Building Codes Division has created a fire hardening guide to assist with proper selection and techniques.
Creating defensible space means managing vegetation and other combustible materials around your house to reduce the chance of home loss in a wildfire.
The Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) includes structures and the area within 100’ (or 200’ on steep slopes) which requires fuels management to reduce the chance of a structure ignition in a wildfire.
Defensible space for homeowners & renters
The Oregon State Fire Marshal has created a defensible space checklist to help you prioritize. Following these recommendations can increase the likelihood that your structure - like your home or business - will survive a wildfire.