What old wildfires can teach us about protecting homes from embers

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Studies of the aftermath of fast-moving wildfires like the Carr Fire in Shasta County and the Camp Fire in Butte County , both in 2018, show that blazes can flatten entire neighborhoods, leaving only one or two houses standing.

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Fire investigators learned from past fires like Carr, Camp and subsequent major fires like the 2025 Palisades Fire in Southern California , that houses spaced further apart and those with at least a 5-foot open space cleared around them were less likely to catch fire.

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“The single most important, and least expensive, way to save your home … is to cover all vents with metal mesh with openings of 1/8 inch or less, to keep embers out,” and to clean the vents regularly, the USDA said. There are vents for sale designed to catch embers, but they’re a little pricier.

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Wooden features on a home can burn quickly. So can the debris in the space underneath them. Embers can also be blown on or under a deck or porch and ignite vegetation and other material. Keep the area under them free of all leaves and other debris, the USDA said.

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