Sequoia ForestKeeper

When it comes to protecting lives and communities from the effects of urban wildfire events, the conversation is dominated by the supposed need for more “fuels reduction logging.” This solution focuses on logging extensive amounts of forests, most of them far away from population centers, because trees are often seen simply as fuel for wildfires. Fuels reduction efforts tend to dry out forests; they can make future fires faster and even more intense.

There is a common-sense solution that is often overlooked by state and local governments as well as fire agencies. Home-hardening is the simple idea that protecting communities from wildfire starts with the home. If houses in fire-prone areas are not built to withstand heat and contact with flames, we’ve lost from the get-go. Not only the home itself, but the yard and area immediately surrounding the house are extremely important to home wildfire safety. Keeping the first five feet surrounding your home, also known as “Zone Zero”, clear of any combustible materials, including plants, wood decks and awnings, and organic buildup, greatly increases wildfire resistance.

Take the tragic urban firestorm that leveled parts of Los Angeles in 2025, for example. That fire started in the chaparral, not the forest. It wasn’t trees that spread the fire; it was houses. Flames jumped from structure to structure.. However, not every house on a street that experienced a fire burned; some were built with ignition-resistant materials surrounded by cleared spaces, which resisted the flames.

It’s time that the United States government invest in retrofitting existing homes and ensuring that all new buildings are built to resist the effects of wildfire.

Sources:

*Community Wildfire Risk: A structure ignition problem; Jack Cohen, PhD; January 5, 2025

*Factors Associated with Structure Loss in the 2013–2018 California Wildfires; Alexandra D. Syphard & Jon E. Keeley

Frontline Wildfire Defense. 2025. “How These Homes Survived the LA Wildfires | Frontline.” Frontline. September 25, 2025.

Happy New Year from the team at Sequoia Forest Keeper!

We are so grateful for your support throughout 2025, and we are committed to the fight for our forests that lies ahead in 2026. Together, we can make a long-lasting, positive change for the Sequoias.