Welcome to the Orange County Fire Authority’s Online Home Assessment tool. If you are looking for a Defensible Space Disclosure inspection for a real estate transaction, please click here to be redirected.

This online Home Assessment tool covers the basics of both Home Hardening and Defensible Space principles. You will be guided through a series of questions about your home and its surroundings. At the end you will be given the opportunity to receive an emailed report that will provide recommendations for fire hazard mitigation strategies.

Reducing home ignitions and wildfire losses requires a proactive team of residents, fire agencies, and other community members. Thank you for taking the first steps to make your home, your family, and your community safer and better prepared for the next wildland fire event!

For more information or help with the Home Assessment tool, please call (714) 573-6774 or email us at RSGOC@ocfa.org.

The roof on your home, its composition, any features (dormers, solar panels, skylights, etc.) and the condition in which they are maintained are critical factors in preventing ignition. Roofs that are ignition resistant are:

• Made from noncombustible material (tile, asphalt, metal, etc.)
• Simple in design with minimal vertical projections (dormers, etc.) and junctions where embers and combustible debris can collect
• Free from gaps, cracks, and openings that allow embers to collect or enter
• Kept free of combustible debris (leaves, pine needles, etc.)

It is critical that rain gutters are kept free of combustible debris (leaves, pine needles, etc.) to prevent ignition. Combustible debris in rain gutters can easily ignite by wind driven embers. Metal gutters containing burning material remain in place and allow flames to come into contact with the edge of the roof. Vinyl gutters containing burning material melt and can cause transmission of fire to combustible material below (vegetation, storage items, exterior wall siding, etc.). Gutter guards when properly installed and maintained can reduce the possibility of gutter fires, the frequency of debris removal, and provide more effective water channeling.

Most attics are ventilated by screened openings (vents) that allow air to enter and exit reducing excess heat and moisture. Because of this airflow, vents are an ideal catalyst for ember intrusion to attic spaces. Vents screens with mesh greater than 1/8-inch allow larger embers to enter, collect, and ignite the interior attic space of your home. Attic vents can be located in many places:

• Under eaves
• On roof surfaces (ridges/edges, etc.)
• On gable peaks of exterior walls

To prevent ignition in attic spaces it is essential to prevent ember intrusion. Even homes with ember resistant roof material can ignite and burn when embers enter openings/vents that are not adequately screened. Screen vents with 1/8-inch noncombustible mesh to prevent large embers from entering and causing internal structure ignition. Approved wildfire resistant vents are also an option to reduce ember entry and potential ignitions.

Eaves are the lower section of your roof that overhang the edge of your home. Eaves shed water off your roof and away from the foundation of your home. Eaves catch rising air and wind currents, which make them ideal locations for wind driven embers to collect.
Unenclosed or “open” eaves have wooden rafter tails and ends that are exposed and visible. Unenclosed eaves have many seams that can provide openings (cracks, gaps, crevices, etc.) that allow embers to lodge or collect and cause ignition. To reduce the chance of ignition, seal all openings with caulking material, keep exposed wood free of rot, and maintain with a good coat of paint

The exterior walls of your home, and any features (windows, doors, vents, etc.) can have junctions, seams, gaps, and openings that allow embers to collect, enter your home and cause ignition. Exterior walls that resist ignition are:

• Made from noncombustible material (stucco, brick, masonry, stone, cement board, etc.)
• Have seams and junctions with noncombustible surfaces (metal flashing, etc.) that are ember resistant
• Are free of gaps and openings that allow embers to collect or enter
• Are separated from combustible material (vegetation, storage, items patio furniture, etc.) so ignition of any combustible items does not allow direct flames contact
• Are adequately separated from large combustible material (outbuildings, vehicles, storage items, shrubs, trees, etc.) that can burn and create significant levels of radiant heat

Structural features that are attached to you home (balconies, patio covers, decks, fences, awnings, etc.) provide many opportunities for ignition. Embers can collect at junctions where attachments connect to your home, continue to burn, and cause ignition. Some examples of these types of junctions are:

• Where a deck, patio cover, or balcony meet a wall
• Where a fence meets a wall

Combustible fencing (wood, vinyl, etc.) can ignite well away from your home, burn to where the fence is attached, and cause direct flame contact. Outdoor living spaces (garages, storage areas, etc.) that are screened by drapes rather than doors allow embers to enter and ignite combustible materials. Awnings made of combustible material (canvas, fabric, wood, etc.) can catch embers, ignite, and carry flames to walls, windows, plants, and siding as well as other combustible material located nearby.

Research shows that creating and maintaining the areas around your home can significantly reduce the risk of ignition during a wildland fire event. These areas are known as Home Ignition Zones and include the home, attachments, (fences, decks, patio covers, balconies, etc.), outbuildings, and vegetation.
There are three Home Ignition Zones to consider when preparing for a wildland fire: the Immediate Zone (0-5 feet), the 5-30 Foot Zone, and the 30-100 Foot Zone. The zones extend from the foundation out toward your lot line and end at the lot line or the length of the zone, whichever is first.

• The main objective of the Immediate Zone is to reduce the potential for embers to ignite combustible material leading to direct flame contact. This is accomplished by limiting combustible material within the first 5 feet of your foundation and hardening your home. This zone includes the home itself, anything attached to your home, and should include the area around any outbuildings (detached garages, barns, etc.).

• The main objective of the 5–30 Foot Zone is to reduce the likelihood that a wildland fire will burn directly to the structure and cause ignition through direct flame contact or radiant heat. This is accomplished by modifying, reducing, or removing fuels. An additional purpose of this zone is to provide an area for fire personnel to stage and take action to protect your home.

• The main objective of the 30–100 Foot Zone is to keep the fire low to the ground, eliminate laddering fuels, reduce crown fires, and slow the forward progress of the fire. Additional benefits of the 30–100 Foot Zone includes reduction of flame heights, reduction of ember generation, and limiting radiant heat exposure. This in turn improves the functions of the 5-30 Foot Zone and the Immediate Zone.