How to defend a home from wildfire: UC Berkeley researchers’ lessons from infernos

Lessons learned from catastrophic and deadly wildfires that ravaged California in recent years could help residents and communities in and near forested areas limit damage from future fires, a first-of-its-kind study suggests.

And experts say the researchers’ conclusion that clearing flammable materials for five feet around houses — the area targeted as Zone 0 under a looming and controversial state-wide regulation — should also help residents in fire-risk zones understand the need for such measures .

UC Berkeley scientists studied five major wildfires the Wine Country’s 2017 Tubbs Fire , 2019 Kincade Fire and 2020 Glass Fire , plus the 2017 Thomas Fire in Southern California and the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise that together burned some 27,000 structures and killed 109 p