Architect: Here’s How to Build Homes in Fire-Prone Areas

Farzana Gandhi, M. Arch., associate professor of architecture at New York Institute of Technology, is available for interview/comments. Contact [email protected]. 

An estimated 15,000 structures have been destroyed by the January wildfires in Los Angeles, with California leaders implementing a $2.5 billion wildfire relief package to help the state rebuild.

In the coming weeks, environmentalists, urban planners, and architects will debate how and where to safely rebuild communities in high-risk wildfire zones. But these concerns are not limited to southern California. In the fall of 2024, firefighters suppressed 500 fires in New Jersey, as blazes in New York and southern Massachusetts also sparked concerns. In fact, 3.3 million Americans live in census tracts with a “very high” wildfire risk, while nearly 15 million live in areas deemed “relatively high.”

Now, one expert in sustainable architecture offers building mitigation strategies for high-risk areas in California and beyond.

“Fire-prone areas in California have many standards in place with their building codes to ensure the life and safety of residents and to safeguard structures against destructive wildfires,” says Farzana Gandhi, M. Arch., associate professor of architecture at New York Institute of Technology.

“These include creating a buffer zone of ‘defensible space’ around homes by landscaping and clearing out flammable brush and vegetation on the ground and by cleaning gutters. Additionally, trees are required to be trimmed back from the roofline, and plants and bushes must be spaced out. Attic vents must also have a mesh covering the openings and the openings are limited in size,” she says.

Gandhi, a registered architect in New York and a LEED-accredited professional with an expertise in sustainable design, urges builders to use fire-resistant materials—such as stucco instead of wood—for the exterior finish and metal gutters and double-paned tempered glass for windows.

Importantly, she advises that homes in fire-prone areas be built with more than 20 feet between them, which prevents the heat in one house from reaching another nearby building. However, she notes that many existing, older structures do not currently meet the stringent building requirements for wildfire areas and retrofits are required to bring them up to code.

“Building to code doesn’t necessarily add to the cost and there is no reason why such preventive measures should not be taken. However, it is important to note that even fire-resistant materials have limits to the number of hours that this resistance holds,” she says.

Gandhi cautions that these suggested measures for individual homes can only mitigate effects—not necessarily act as “foolproof” prevention—in the face of a tremendous fire event. In addition, she calls on cities to invest in ‘smart’ infrastructure systems that act at the neighborhood level to aid in early fire detection. These systems can provide real-time data on fire conditions, including temperature, smoke density, and the spread of flames, allowing firefighters to make informed decisions during an emergency.