In the rolling hills of Lake County, Calif., residents in Kelseyville are getting home makeovers. The improvements aren't eye-catching: new gutters on the roof, gravel around the exterior walls and wire mesh covering attic openings. Still, those mundane items can make a world of difference in a wildfire.

The goal is to make the homes less likely to burn in wildfires that are becoming increasingly destructive. Most structures ignite because of glowing, red embers carried by the wind. Making one house ember-resistant is good, but making a whole neighborhood resistant is dramatically better, since fires spread from house to house.

It's part of a new program being piloted in California, one that many residents in fire-ravaged Lake County appreciate all too well. In the last 10 years, 70%

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