WILDFIRE HUB
Wildfire preparedness.
Harden the house, clear the space, know the smoke plan, know when to leave. Everything else is detail.
The four-part model
Wildfire preparedness for a US homeowner splits into four things, roughly in order of return on effort:
- Harden the structure. Roof, vents, windows, siding, and a 5-foot non-combustible perimeter. Embers travel; nothing else matters as much.
- Create defensible space. Zones 0, 1, and 2 — cleared, thinned, and irrigated in that order.
- Plan the smoke response. N95s, filtration, and a stay-or-go threshold before smoke season starts.
- Plan the evacuation. Two routes, two destinations, a packed go-bag, and a drill you've timed.
The wildfire preparedness cluster
Work through these in order if you're new to it. If you've been in fire country for years, skip to the one you know you've been avoiding.
- Defensible space guide: Zones 0, 1, and 2 — Where the code actually lives, what to plant, and what to rip out.
- Home hardening checklist — Class-A roof, ember-resistant vents, tempered glass — retrofits that move modeled loss.
- Wildfire evacuation checklist — Go-bag, routes, destinations, the 10-minute drill.
- Wildfire smoke and air quality — AQI thresholds, N95s, indoor air, the DIY box-fan filter that works.
- Red Flag Warning: what to do — What the warning means, and the four-hour checklist to run when one posts.
- How to read a wildfire risk map — What the colors mean and why two neighbors can score very differently.
- If your wildfire insurance is dropped — FAIR plans, surplus lines, mitigation discounts, and how to appeal.
What we can help with
ArchipelAI's homeowner demo returns an address-level wildfire score built from slope, vegetation, distance to wildland, wind, and drought — plus a 20-year outlook. If you're deciding what to harden first, that's the fastest way to see where your house sits relative to modeled risk.
// frequently asked
Common questions
- What's the single highest-impact thing I can do for wildfire preparedness?
- Two things tied: create a 5-foot non-combustible perimeter around the house (Zone 0), and screen your vents with 1/8-inch metal mesh. Both defend against embers, which cause the majority of home ignitions.
- How much warning does a wildfire evacuation give?
- Sometimes days, often minutes. Plan for a 10-minute departure. Anything more is a bonus.
- Is 'stay and defend' a good strategy in the US?
- No. 'Stay and defend' is Australian doctrine; the US doesn't train civilians for it and fatality rates for people who stay in wind-driven fires are high. Leave when told.
- Should I worry about wildfire smoke even far from the fire?
- Yes. PM2.5 from wildfire smoke can travel a thousand miles and stays in the air for days. AQI above 150 is unhealthy for everyone; N95s and a well-sealed indoor air plan matter.
- How do I know my address's wildfire risk?
- Slope, vegetation, distance to wildland, and prevailing wind matter more than city-wide fire maps. ArchipelAI's homeowner demo returns an address-level wildfire score plus 20-year outlook.
// try the model
Run this on your address.
See your address-level flood, fire, wind, heat, and outage scores — plus a 20-year outlook. No login for the demo.
// related guides