How to Protect Your Home From Wildfires

The wildfires that began in and around Los Angeles last week spread with terrifying speed, forcing many people to flee the flames with little warning. As firefighters work to contain the blazes, the disaster serves as a reminder of the dangers of climate change, which has been found to increase both the severity and frequency of wildfires.

Last year, there were more than 8,000 wildfires in California, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection — roughly 800 more than in 2023. If you live in an area prone to wildfires, what can you do to minimize their threat to your home and the wider community?

First, it’s important to understand how fires spread. According to Doug Green, who runs a community wildfire program at the research institute Headwaters Economics, wildfires typically spread in any of three ways: flame contact, when a flame touches combustible material; radiant heat, when the heat of a fire raises the temperature high enough for a material to ignite; and ember generation, when a piece of burning debris ignites material.

“Why the embers are so problematic is that they can travel long distance,” said Yana S. Valachovic, a fire scientist at the University of California. “They can travel up to a mile or more.”

In the event of wildfires near you — and assuming you’re not in an urgent situation that requires immediate evacuation — be sure to close all windows and skylights. “You want to shut your structure down so that it’s not going to create more openings for embers to come in,” Ms. Valachovic said. “That also means actually closing the cat and dog door if you have those, because wind can push those doors open.”