Daniel Berlant - California State Fire Marshal - How to Fireproof Your Home Before It’s Too Late

Published Date: 03/28/2025

🔥 How to Fireproof Your Home Before It’s Too Late: Lessons from California’s State Fire Marshal

California’s wildfires are no longer a seasonal threat—they’ve become a year-round reality. Every year, communities face devastating losses as flames consume homes, forests, and livelihoods. While wildfires are part of California’s natural ecosystem, the scale, speed, and destruction of modern fires have reached unprecedented levels.

To understand what homeowners can do to protect themselves, Insurance Hour host Karl Susman sat down with Daniel Berlant, California’s State Fire Marshal, who shared critical insights on wildfire prevention, home hardening, and how science-backed preparation can mean the difference between loss and survival.

🔍 Understanding “Home Hardening”: Your First Line of Defense

Berlant began by emphasizing one essential concept: home hardening. It’s a relatively new term in the public lexicon but has quickly become one of the most effective strategies in wildfire defense.

“Home hardening means the home is built or retrofitted using materials that can resist embers or direct flame impingement,” Berlant explained.

After 2008, California’s building codes for wildfire-prone areas began requiring fire-resistant standards for new homes. The problem? About 90% of homes in these zones were built before 2008, leaving millions of properties at higher risk.

🧱 Simple Steps to Harden Your Home

Home hardening doesn’t always require massive renovation. Some of the simplest changes can dramatically improve fire resistance:

• Install ember-resistant vent screens – Replace standard attic or crawl-space vents with non-combustible fine-mesh screens to block wind-blown embers.
• Clean and guard your gutters – Add metal guards to prevent pine needles or leaves from accumulating and igniting.
• Replace wood roofing and siding – Use Class A fire-rated materials such as asphalt shingles, metal, or tile.
• Seal gaps and cracks – Embers can enter through small openings, so caulk gaps in eaves, garage doors, and vents.
• Upgrade windows – Dual-pane tempered glass can resist the heat of nearby flames far better than single-pane versions.

While home hardening helps, Berlant cautioned that “it’s only as good as your defensible space.”

🌳 Defensible Space: A Science-Backed Shield

Defensible space is the buffer zone between your home and the flammable vegetation that surrounds it. Creating and maintaining this space slows the spread of wildfire and gives firefighters a fighting chance.

California law requires homeowners in fire-prone areas to maintain 100 feet of defensible space, divided into three zones:

🔸 Zone 0: Ember-Resistant Zone (0–5 feet)

• Remove all combustible materials like mulch, wood chips, and garbage cans next to walls.
• Use rock, gravel, or hardscape landscaping instead.
• Keep decks, fences, and patio furniture made of fire-resistant materials.

🔸 Zone 1: Immediate Zone (5–30 feet)

• Eliminate dead or dying plants, weeds, and debris.
• Trim trees so that the lowest branches are at least 6–10 feet above the ground.
• Keep lawns green and mowed short (under 4 inches).

🔸 Zone 2: Reduced Fuel Zone (30–100 feet)

• Space out trees and shrubs to prevent flames from “laddering” upward.
• Remove leaf litter and dry brush regularly.

Berlant compared a well-maintained property to a park: “You don’t see bare dirt, but the grass is low, trees are limbed up, and there’s spacing. Fires can’t easily jump from one plant to another.”

🌺 Landscaping Wisely: Fire-Wise Doesn’t Mean Fireproof

Many Californians take pride in their lush landscaping, but beauty can come at a cost. “All plants burn,” Berlant cautioned. Even healthy, well-watered plants can ignite in extreme heat.

That said, fire-wise landscaping can make a difference. Certain drought-tolerant and low-oil plants, like rosemary or poppies, are less flammable. However, even these require regular pruning to remove dead underbrush.

“The type of plant matters, but so does maintenance,” Berlant noted. “A fire-wise garden becomes dangerous if neglected.”

When in doubt, homeowners should consult local nurseries to identify regional fire-resistant species and proper maintenance routines.

🌡️ Why Wildfires Are Getting Worse

When asked about trends over the last decade, Berlant didn’t mince words:

“The last 10 years have been completely different in terms of severity.”

Wildfires aren’t necessarily more frequent—but they’re far more destructive. Research from the University of California shows that the state’s summers are now 70 days longer on average than they were in the 1970s.

Longer, hotter, and drier seasons mean vegetation dries out more thoroughly, creating abundant fuel. Add dry lightning storms, Santa Ana winds, and urban encroachment into wildland areas, and you have a recipe for disaster.

🚒 How CAL FIRE Prepares for the Unpredictable

CAL FIRE doesn’t just react—it anticipates. Berlant described the agency’s extensive predictive modeling system, which uses weather, fuel moisture, and vegetation data to identify high-risk zones.

“We monitor weather every hour and pre-position equipment before fires even start,” he said.

Before the recent Los Angeles fires, CAL FIRE strategically relocated resources from Northern to Southern California, boosting local firepower before any blaze had ignited.

They also employ AI-powered cameras to detect smoke and satellite-based modeling to predict fire spread. When seconds matter, technology helps firefighters respond faster and smarter.

⚡ 95% of Wildfires Are Human-Caused

Perhaps the most shocking revelation from the interview was this:

“About 95% of California’s wildfires are caused by human activity.”

While only 5% are sparked by natural causes like lightning, the rest result from accidents, negligence, or arson. That means nearly every fire is preventable.

Common Human Causes of Wildfires:

1. Debris burning – Unattended or improperly managed burn piles.
2. Power equipment use – Lawn mowers or trimmers striking rocks and creating sparks.
3. Vehicles – Hot mufflers or dragging trailer chains igniting dry grass.
4. Arson – Intentional fire-setting, which CAL FIRE actively investigates.

To help prevent unintentional ignitions, homeowners can use CAL FIRE’s ReadyForWildfire.org, a resource hub offering self-assessment tools, defensible space guides, and even an AI-driven home risk evaluator.

🚨 What “Containment” Really Means

During fire season, news outlets constantly report percentages of fire containment—but what does that actually signify?

Containment refers to the portion of a fire’s perimeter that firefighters have secured using natural barriers, bulldozer lines, or retardant drops.
If a fire is 20% contained, that means 20% of its edge is no longer spreading.

“Containment doesn’t mean the fire’s out,” Berlant clarified. “It just means that portion is unlikely to grow.”

💡 Key Takeaways: Protecting Your Home and Community

Daniel Berlant’s insights reinforce one truth: wildfire preparedness is a shared responsibility. Firefighters can’t do it alone—homeowners must take proactive steps to defend their properties.

Here’s how you can start today:

1. Inspect and harden your home. Replace flammable materials, seal vents, and clear roofs.
2. Create and maintain defensible space. Think of your yard as a firebreak.
3. Choose smart landscaping. Opt for fire-wise, drought-tolerant plants.
4. Avoid risky behavior. Don’t use mowers on dry grass or burn debris during windy days.
5. Stay informed. Check local alerts, evacuation routes, and use the Ready for Wildfire app.
6. Review your insurance coverage. Make sure your policy adequately reflects the real cost of rebuilding and includes coverage for secondary perils like smoke damage or temporary housing.

🧭 Final Thoughts

As the State Fire Marshal emphasized, wildfires are part of California’s identity—but destruction doesn’t have to be. Science, technology, and personal responsibility can drastically reduce the risks.

Homeowners who invest in prevention—through home hardening, defensible space, and awareness—aren’t just protecting their property. They’re protecting firefighters, their neighbors, and the future resilience of their communities.

Wildfires may be inevitable. Losing your home doesn’t have to be.