Library

Fact sheet describing guidance for choosing appropriate materials and using proper construction practices when rebuilding, repairing, or renovating a home to increase its resistance to fires.

Article from Stephen L. Quarles on fire resistant decking design and materials recommendations.

Article describing codes and test methods related to fire-resistant construction of decks.

Technical fact sheet proving information on creating defensible space to reduce the risk of damage from fires to property.

Wildfire resistant home checklist from Murray Milne, a professor of architecture at UCLA, who outlines seven steps to take to improve a home's chance of survival during a wildfire.

Report identifying codes and standards that embody the concepts of resiliency.

Article describing risks of living in wildfire-prone areas of southern California and ways to reduce risks to homes and communities.

Article describing the difference between swales and hugels (berms used to create soil from woody debris).

Standard providing minimum functionality requirements for earthquake-actuated automatic gas shutoff devices; applicable to systems carrying natural gas and propane, the devices are used in piping, equipment, and appliances typically found in structures of three stories or less.

Document explaining requirements and recommendations for defensible space, with a focus on sloped vegetation.

A San Diego County standard highlighting the requirements for residential emergency vehicle turnarounds.

A factsheet that provides information and requirements for emergency water supplies for firefighting in Boulder County, Colorado.

Document providing descriptions of the many insulation options available to homeowners, along with guidance on where, when, and how to install insulation throughout your house.

Information sheet briefly summarizing double stud with spray foam wall construction including the advantages and disadvantages of this construction strategy.

Flyer from the City of Ellensburg WA describing what an excess flow valve is, how they work, and associated costs.

Website for gas utility customers describing the installation of excess flow valves to stop the flow of natural gas into a home in the event of a line rupture.

Webpage describing what excess flow valves are, how they work, and the installation process.

Utility webpage describing the monetary costs associated with excess flow valves for TECO in Florida.

Webpage with statistics on recent U.S. wildfires.

An example of a commercially available thermally expansive fire stopping product for controlling the spread of fires in a rainscreen cavity.

Newsletter reviewing federal disaster policy, the research basis for resilience, and three models of building resilient communities.

Documents describing Flood Resistant Provisions of the international codes (including the international building, residential, exiting building, mechanical, plumbing, fuel gas, fire, swimming pool and spa, private sewage disposal, and code council performance codes) and summaries of changes from the...

Activity sheets describing questions and preparedness action items for a variety of disasters including floods, fires, earthquakes, and winter weather.

Report comparing a high-performance house with a code-built control home.

Report presenting the results from several demonstrations of a new method for sealing building envelop air leaks.

A guide to construction of wildfire resistant homes and communities.

Factsheet describing fire related terms such as noncombustible, fire resistant, fire retardant, flame spread, how they are applied, and related testing standards.

Guidelines from the University of California Cooperative Extension on how fires spread, how homes typically burn, and what homeowners can do to prepare their homes for wildfire season.

A report showing what happens when windows break as a result of temperature differences between the inside and outside of the home, as well as code standards for the State of California regarding window exposure to wildfires.

A guide for designers, architects, engineers, and fire experts on how to design rainscreen and ventilated cavities such that they don’t contribute to the spread of a fire.

Articles, research, case studies, and more outlining considerations for planning and installation of a fire-protection system.

Fact sheet providing a reference for the different types of fire pumps and fire pump drivers.

Article defining terms and testing requirements for fire-resistant construction materials including combustible, noncombustible, fire-resistant or fire-resistance, and ignition-resistant.

Webpage from FireSafe Marin explaining the vulnerability of different deck setups and materials.

Fact sheet describing research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety into how burning embers can ignite softwood decks like redwood and cedar and how to minimize the likelihood these decks will be ignited by embers.

A webpage containing information provides links to state- and province- based coalitions dedicated to advocating for home fire sprinklers.

Article from CAL FIRE on fire-resistant landscaping to mitigate ignition of homes.

List of guidelines for plants and their fire resistance from FIRESafe Marin.

Five step plan from the Tahoe Fire & Fuels team outlining how to create an effective defensible space for wildfire protection. Recommendations include siting for homes on slopes.

Research report assessing the moisture and cooling load impacts of airtightness and mechanical ventilation in homes in hot-humid climates.

Article discussing flow-through assemblies of walls.

Journal article describing lessons learned from updating a 16-year-old deep-energy retrofit.

Website providing resources for roofers to construct high-wind, hurricane, and hail-resistant roofs from IBHS Fortified program.

The FPC Monitoring project has evaluated radiant barrier systems (RBS) as a new potential DSM program.

A guideline containing fire sprinkler insulation requirements from the Prescott, Arizona Fire Department.

Results from a research program testing airtightness, implications of air leakage and contaminant reduction over the garage-to-house interface.

Webpage describing the safety hazards associated with natural gas and tips on how to avoid these hazards by a step process of turning off natural gas service to a home and restoring service afterwards.

Brochure for natural gas utility customers describing seismic valves and excess flow valves for homes.

Webpage describing when and how to safely turn off the natural gas to the home during an emergency.

Webpage with certification requirements for excess flow and earthquake valves from California's Division of the State Architect (DSA).