Big New Science -- What Worked & What Didn't
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In this very large examination of 41,717 homes exposed to wildfire from 2013 to 2018 in California, 37,838 homes were destroyed while 3,879 survived. With numbers that large and a time period that long, researchers using strict scientific processes can reliably nail down what factors about a property contributed to a home's loss and what factors contributed to a home's survival.
The structural variables that increased chances of property loss were:
- being a mobile home
- presence of accessory/utility outbuildings
- sloped properties, and more
Structural variables that contributed to survival were:
- construction after California's 2008 fire-safe building code was passed
- presence of multi-pane windows
- enclosed eaves
- ignition resistant siding, and more
Download the complete article . . .
2013-2018 Structure Loss.pdf