Home / Guides
Guides
188 field guides on the documents that actually bind your lot — written from the code texts, adoption records, and test standards, with every claim cited. Start with your situation, not with a product.
guides name directly — exact local rows sort first while inherited and elsewhere evidence stays available.
Find what applies near you
Enter a ZIP before browsing the complete evidence. Matching, inherited, and place-neutral records will move first; other places and unmapped application rows will fold into expandable groups. Nothing is removed. All 188 guides remain available.
Evidence prioritized for
Matching, inherited, and national evidence is open. Other locations and records not yet joined to a place are collapsed below and remain available.
30 SOURCED PLACE DIFFERENCES Covering versus assembly A roof covering is the visible layer. Class A, B, and C describe the tested assembly under ASTM E108 or UL 790. A bag of shingles is not an assembly. 20 SOURCED PLACE DIFFERENCES How the WUI is mapped Radeloff (2005) maps the wildland-urban interface as census housing plus wildland vegetation from the Federal Register definition. Intermix is houses in the vegetation. Interface is developed land within 2.4 km of a large vegetated block. That map is not a CAL FIRE FHSZ overlay, not Cohen’s 40 meters, and not Oregon R327. 17 SOURCED PLACE DIFFERENCES Mesh versus listed vents 1/16–1/8 inch noncombustible mesh is a prescriptive path. ASTM E2886 / OSFM 8165 is a performance listing. They are not the same product and they do not always substitute for each other. 14 SOURCED PLACE DIFFERENCES Gutters and debris as an ember bed Debris in a gutter is an ember bed at the roof edge. Oregon R327 and California CWUIC want noncombustible gutters and a way to keep needles out. IBHS Essential wants metal and cleaning. Enhanced adds covers.
How the documents differ · 48
- A Class A rating is not a service-life clock ASTM E108 and UL 790 classify a roof assembly in the lab. They do not print a year when Class A expires. IBHS Base wants a Class A covering kept clear of debris. FEMA says not to assume existing asphalt still meets Class A. Oregon R327’s floor is a Class B-rated assembly equivalent. ›
- Arizona WUI code status Arizona does not adopt a statewide WUI construction book. A.R.S. 11-861 lets a county adopt a current wildland-urban interface code. A.R.S. 9-806 is the parallel option for a city or town. Flagstaff retains a local 2006 IWUIC while Prescott now adopts the 2024 IWUIC with local amendments. ›
- Artificial turf in Zone 0 IBHS Base requires the 0–5 foot noncombustible zone to bare mineral soil. Artificial turf is named among combustible groundcover to remove. Noncombustible hardscape is permitted. Oregon R327 does not print a turf rule. ›
- California AB 38 seller disclosure In a California high or very high fire hazard severity zone, Civil Code 1102.19 requires defensible-space compliance documentation at sale, or a written agreement that the buyer will obtain it within one year. Civil Code 1102.6f adds a fire-hardening notice for homes built before 2010, including the State Fire Marshal’s low-cost retrofit list on or after 1 July 2025. That is disclosure, not a building permit and not Safer from Wildfires. ›
- Clark County IWUIC over Nevada’s deleted Chapter 5 Clark County Ordinance 5320 adopts the 2024 IWUIC, with Appendices A, B, and C, effective 1 January 2026. Listed amendments hit Chapters 1, 3, and 4. Chapter 5 is not among them. Nevada’s State Fire Marshal still adopts the 2018 IWUIC and then deletes Chapter 5. Spec the county book if the building official names it. ›
- Class A covering is not a bag of shingles Class A under ASTM E108 or UL 790 is a roof-assembly result. Shingles in a bag are not automatically Class A on a house. Spec covering, underlayment, and deck as tested. ›
- Colorado CWRC versus Oregon R327 versus California CWUIC Three live WUI construction books, not one chapter with three numbers. Colorado’s 2025 CWRC is Class A roofs and Class 1 versus Class 2 by fire intensity. Oregon R327, where adopted, is Class B equivalent and opt-in. California CWUIC is mapped and typically Class A. Windows, vents, and remodel triggers do not match. ›
- Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code adoption The 2025 CWRC is a state minimum through 8 CCR 1507-39. Class 1 is low fire intensity. Class 2 is moderate or high. Governing bodies still adopt a meeting-or-exceeding ordinance. Confirm the local book. ›
- Covering versus assembly A roof covering is the visible layer. Class A, B, and C describe the tested assembly under ASTM E108 or UL 790. A bag of shingles is not an assembly. ›
- Crown and shrub spacing California guidance keys plant spacing to slope. IBHS Base and Prescott's current Intermediate Zone both use two times the tallest plant, capped at 10 feet, and no shrubs under trees—but they are different instruments. ›
- Defensible space vs tree preservation Oregon’s model defensible-space code wants a 5-foot noncombustible band and 10-foot crown clearance; well-maintained trees are still encouraged if they are spaced. Bend’s development code can require keeping 20 percent of 20-inch trees, or 25 percent of total trunk diameter, on sites larger than one acre, with a three-year condition. Bend’s flammable-vegetation explainer says healthy trees within five feet do not have to come out. Name the document before you cut. ›
- Dryer vents versus mesh IBHS does not want 1/16–1/8 inch mesh on a dryer vent. Use a working louver or flap, and metal duct at the Enhanced level. Mesh remains the prescriptive path for attic, gable, and crawlspace vents, not for the dryer. ›
- Dual-pane versus tempered windows Oregon R327 lists dual-pane (multilayered) and tempered as separate glazing options. California CWUIC wants dual-pane with at least one tempered pane, or an SFM 12-7A-2 listed window. ›
- Fence as a wick A combustible fence that hits the house can carry fire into the wall. IBHS Essential and California Safer from Wildfires use the first five feet. CAL FIRE’s home-hardening page says replace attached combustible fencing or gates for the first 8 feet. Oregon’s State Fire Marshal tells homeowners to use metal gates within 5 feet. ›
- Fire-resistant plants are not noncombustible A plant this site rates fire-resistant can still burn. Fire-resistant is a derived evidence class, not a lab property. Noncombustible is ASTM E136. Zone 0 is not a planting list. Oregon R327 does not pick shrubs. ›
- Florida WUI code status F.S. 553.73 updates the Florida Building Code from the IBC, IFGC, IEBC, IMC, IPC, IRC, NEC, and IECC. IWUIC is not on that list. The Florida Fire Prevention Code is a separate NFPA path. ›
- Garage doors as an ember path A garage door is a large hole in the wall. CAL FIRE wants weatherstrip (gasketing) and no extra penetrations. IBHS treats that as ember designation work, not an OSFM 8150 listing. ›
- Gutters and debris as an ember bed Debris in a gutter is an ember bed at the roof edge. Oregon R327 and California CWUIC want noncombustible gutters and a way to keep needles out. IBHS Essential wants metal and cleaning. Enhanced adds covers. ›
- How clean is clean enough IBHS Base wants roofs, gutters, and the 0–5 foot band kept clear of vegetative debris, including pine needles. FEMA says clean roofs, gutters, and joints, and inspect bird stops annually. Oregon R327 does not print a needle depth. A Class A letter does not mow the roof. ›
- Idaho WUI code status Idaho Code 39-4109 adopts IBC, the Idaho residential code, energy, and IEBC. IWUIC is not on that list. Locals that issue permits must adopt those state codes. They are not required to adopt other referenced codes. ›
- Ignition-resistant versus noncombustible Ignition-resistant is not ASTM E136. Oregon R327 defines ignition-resistant as an extended ASTM E84 or UL 723 run. Noncombustible is ASTM E136. OSFM 8170 and 8175 are different handbook buckets. ›
- Ladder fuels A shrub under a tree is a vertical fuel path. CAL FIRE wants at least three times the shrub height between the shrub and the lowest branches. IBHS Base does not place shrubs under larger trees. Oregon R327 does not print this picture. ›
- Mesh versus listed vents 1/16–1/8 inch noncombustible mesh is a prescriptive path. ASTM E2886 / OSFM 8165 is a performance listing. They are not the same product and they do not always substitute for each other. ›
- Montana WUI code status DLI adopts the 2021 IWUIC with Chapter 4 and Section 602 deleted. Cities, counties, and towns that enforce IBC or IRC may elect to enforce it and must then map WUI areas. That election is not a statewide mandate. ›
- Nevada WUI code status NAC 477.281 adopts the 2018 IWUIC including Appendices A and B. NAC 477.283 then deletes Chapter 5. That is not a statewide construction book. Locals may be more stringent. ›
- New Mexico WUI code status 14.7.2 and 14.7.3 NMAC adopt the 2021 IBC and IRC as New Mexico’s statewide construction books. They do not adopt IWUIC. A county may still adopt IWUIC locally. ›
- NFPA 13D sprinklers and wildfire NFPA 13D is a residential sprinkler standard for one- and two-family dwellings and manufactured homes. Its job is life safety after a fire starts inside. Two sprinklers discharging for about ten minutes is the escape window NFPA’s consumer page names. It is not an exterior WUI wall or eave assembly. Some Oregon fire-access guides trade hydrant fire flow for a 13D system. That is OFC practice, not 13D-as-wildfire. ›
- No national WUI construction code The United States has no federal WUI construction book for a private house. Executive Order 13728 points Federal agencies at the current IWUIC, or an equivalent nationally recognized code, for Federal buildings greater than 5,000 square feet on Federal land in moderate or greater WUI risk. That order is not your permit. IWUIC applies where a state or city adopts it. ›
- Oregon defensible-space checklist The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s homeowner checklist is a walk-the-yard list, not R327. It wants 10 feet from buildings and chimneys, limbs at 6 feet on trees over 18 feet or one-third height on shorter trees, 1/8-inch mesh, vegetation 5 feet from the structure, and 100 feet of defensible space or to the property line. CAL FIRE’s 3-times-shrub-height ladder rule is a different picture. Confirm with the fire agency. ›
- Oregon R327 versus California CWUIC Oregon opts in locally to ORSC R327. California maps WUI and now uses CWUIC (formerly Chapter 7A). Roof class, windows, vents, and who must comply all differ. ›
- OSFM listing is usually voluntary OSFM listing is not a statutory mandate for most WUI products. Absence from the handbook is not a ban. Presence is not a permit. The building official still decides. ›
- Public Safety Power Shutoff and the house A Public Safety Power Shutoff is a utility turning off lines to reduce wildfire ignition from electric infrastructure. It is not R327. CPUC treats it as a last-resort de-energization. Pacific Power’s consumer page, for Oregon and California customers, aims for about 48 hours’ notice. Plan for the garage opener, the well pump, the fridge, and medical devices. Do not scrape a utility map into a drawing. ›
- Renters and defensible space California PRC 4291 names a person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a structure in the state responsibility area. Oregon’s OSFM model code defines the responsible party the same way, but only after a local government adopts it. ORS 90.320’s landlord habitability duty is smoke alarms and weatherproofing, not a 100-foot fuel break. ORS 90.727 splits manufactured-dwelling-park trees: the landlord maintains a hazard tree the current tenant did not plant; the tenant maintains other trees on the space. A lease is not an IBHS application. ›
- Texas WUI code status Texas Local Government Code 214.212 adopts the IRC as the municipal residential building code. IWUIC is not that statute. Austin’s opened example is a local 2024 IWUIC overlay. ›
- The 100-foot rule on a 50-foot lot PRC 4291(a)(1)(A) requires 100 feet of defensible space in the California state responsibility area, but not beyond the property line. 4291(b) does not require you to manage fuels you have no legal right to manage, or to enter a neighbor’s land without consent. Fuel work past the line needs written consent under 4291(a)(1)(B). Oregon OSFM Version 1 already says 100 feet or the property line, whichever is closer. A short lot does not waive the first five feet. ›
- The IWUIC edition on the lot IWUIC is a model family, not one construction chapter. Flagstaff still adopts the 2006 edition after it moved the fire code to 2018. Prescott now adopts 2024. Risk classes, roofs, eaves, and project thresholds differ in the opened local amendments. Spec the year and local application the building official names. ›
- Unvented attic as a wildfire path An unvented attic removes attic ventilation openings. Deschutes County lists it next to the 12-foot vent height and manufactured ember-resistant vents. Remaining openings still need mesh or a listing. It is not a foam product and not a fireproof roof. ›
- USFA home ignition zones USFA’s 16 December 2024 wildfire-safety article, citing NIST, IBHS, and Jack Cohen, tells residents to work three home-ignition zones. Immediate is the home and 0 to 5 feet. Intermediate is 5 to 30 feet. Extended is 30 to 100 feet. Ready.gov’s household page instead names one fire-resistant zone of at least 30 feet. Those pictures are not the same, and neither is Oregon R327. ›
- Utah WUI code status 15A-2-103 currently offers the 2006 Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code for local adoption. 65A-8-203 ties FFSL cooperative-agreement cost share to that adoption. The 2024 IWUIC is effective 1 January 2027. ›
- Washington WUI code status RCW 19.27.560 adopts IWUIC Class 1 roof, wall, deck, and driveway rules only after DNR finishes statewide hazard maps. WAC 51-55 is reserved. Counties may adopt IWUIC locally now. ›
- What a greenstrip is A greenstrip is a rangeland fuel break: a long, narrow band of fire-retardant vegetation, often 100 to 300 feet wide. UNR Fact Sheet 97-36 defines it that way for Nevada. It is not Zone 0, and forage kochia in a greenstrip is not a five-foot planting list. ›
- What deleting IWUIC Chapter 5 actually removes IWUIC Chapter 5 is Special Building Construction Regulations: roofs, eaves, walls, windows, doors, vents, underfloor areas, gutters, and accessory structures. Santa Fe County Ordinance 2023-6 Section 9.H deletes it. Nevada’s State Fire Marshal deletes it statewide. Clark County and Prescott keep and amend it in their current local books. A deleted chapter is not a Class A roof. ›
- When the overlay map decides the eave Idaho does not adopt IWUIC statewide. Eagle City Code 7-1G puts the 2018 IWUIC only inside a mapped overlay adopted by Ordinance 947. A city-approved fire-protection plan can exempt a project from that article. Lots that only abut the line can still be pulled into a mitigation plan. The line is the first question. ›
- WUI doors versus 20-minute fire doors A 20-minute fire door is an interior-rated leaf test. OSFM category 8150 is a California WUI exterior-door listing. Oregon R327.3.6 covers glazed doors and windows, not a solid swinging entry leaf. Read the listing. Do not swap the two. ›
- WUI is not only the West USFA’s WUI page, opened 26 August 2026, says you may believe WUI fires only occur in western states, but more than 60,000 communities in the United States are at risk, citing a National Association of State Foresters PDF. NASF’s FY2021 Communities At Risk report counts 63,661 CAR nationwide. That count is not a construction code and not a parcel read. ›
- Wyoming WUI code status Wyoming Council on Fire Prevention Chapter 1 incorporates 2024 IBC, IEBC, IFC, IMC, and IFGC. IWUIC is not on that list. There is no statewide WUI construction book. ›
- Zone 0 in California, Oregon, Firewise, and IBHS California’s Board of Forestry voted on Zone 0 rules on 19 August 2026. As of 23 August 2026 those rules were not yet in force. Oregon OSFM guidance, Firewise USA, and IBHS Essential are different documents. None of them is R327. ›
- Zone 0 versus Zone 1 versus Zone 2 Zone 0 is the first five feet and is largely noncombustible. Zone 1 and Zone 2 are farther out, where fire-resistant plants belong. Prescott uses three local bands; Boise places a local five-foot fuel-free area inside at least 30 feet of fuel modification. The plant directory is not a Zone 0 spec. ›
How to read a record · 64
- A million prescribed acres and your backyard Mississippi Forestry Commission: 19.2 million forested acres, 77 percent private. FY25 MFC prescribed burning totaled 13,819 acres. FY25 wildfires: 1,702 fires, 43,637 acres. No opened MFC document says the state prescribed-burns a million acres. MFC Firewise Immediate Zone is 0 to 5 feet; remove plants containing resins, oils, and waxes. P2315 has no species list. Pinus palustris, Pinus taeda, and Pinus elliottii compute as avoid and include MS. ›
- Black Hills ponderosa is an island forest SDSU Extension (reviewed by Logan Brown, SD Wildland-Urban Interface specialist): the Black Hills National Forest averages 92 wildfires and about 7,507 acres a year over 30 years; about 70% lightning. Immediate zone 0–5 feet fuel free. There are no fireproof plant species. Common flammable trees include junipers, pines, firs and spruces. Planting conifers is discouraged in the immediate and intermediate zones. Pinus ponderosa computes as avoid and includes SD. FEIS Pinus ponderosa was not opened this session. ›
- Can one yard be hurricane-tough and ember-tough UF/IFAS FOR 71 (July 2023): remove saw palmetto, wax myrtle, yaupon holly, red cedar, and gallberry within 30 or more feet of the home. They contain resins, oils, and waxes that burn readily. UF/IFAS FOR119: wax myrtle was among the highest-survival species in Hurricane Ivan. Two documents. Two jobs. This directory’s Serenoa repens and Morella cerifera compute as avoid. Callicarpa americana computes as on-list. ›
- Cedar glades versus cedar hedges Missouri Department of Conservation: before settlement, eastern red cedar was almost entirely restricted to bluffs and cliffs — places where fire could not reach it. It invades glades and prairies that are not burned. Cultivated since 1664; old specimens in cemeteries, farmyards, and neighborhoods. University of Missouri Extension (Hank Stelzer, 2006): eliminate all conifers (especially red cedar) in the first 30 feet. Juniperus virginiana computes as avoid and includes MO. A 1,000-year bluff tree is not a hedge against the house. ›
- Could the 1947 Maine fires happen again Maine Forest Service: in 1947 the state suffered its largest forest-fire disaster in modern history — over 220,000 acres, 1,000 homes, 16 dead. Humans still cause over 90% of wildfires in Maine. A 2025 LUPC/MFS ignition-zone poster: hardwoods are preferable to softwoods; softwoods have more resin and less leaf moisture. This directory’s Abies balsamea and Picea rubens compute as avoid and include ME. Birch and aspen compute as on-list. ›
- Crosstimbers and red flags Oklahoma Forestry Services (SafeStayOK, last modified 16 June 2026): all plants will burn; placement is the most important criterion; eliminate combustible vegetation within 0–5 feet. E-988: fire suppression let eastern redcedar and ashe juniper increase. OSU Extension Grow (28 August 2022) names Sedum and Helleborus as choices and pine, juniper, and yaupon as highly flammable near structures. Oklahoma’s state surface keeps five exact OSU source owners. ›
- Cupressus or Hesperocyparis GBIF’s backbone still accepts Cupressus macrocarpa and treats Hesperocyparis macrocarpa (Bartel 2009) as a synonym. iNaturalist marks Cupressus arizonica inactive and points at Hesperocyparis arizonica. We store the source’s letters and join with GBIF, iNat, and USDA ids. We do not mint a second plant. ›
- Does a deep-rooted prairie native mean fire-safe No. Illinois Extension’s 2016 backyard-prairie brochure: prairie plants survive fast prairie fires because growing points and a large root mass are underground. If you plant a lot of grasses, keep the plot away from buildings and surround it with a mowed or gravel firebreak. This directory’s Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem) computes as avoid. Butterfly weed and purple coneflower compute as on-list. Deep roots are not Zone 0. ›
- Does anything burn here besides stubble NDSU (15 Nov 2024): 2024 wildfires impacted more than 110,000 acres; Ray/Tioga almost 89,000 acres of rangeland, cropland, and hay land. Largest since the 1999 Halloween fire. R2077: grasslands evolved with fire every 5 to 10 years in mesic areas and about every 25 years in drier portions; Century Code names grass or stubble lands. NDFS Firewise page is not a plant list. Juniperus scopulorum and Pinus ponderosa compute as avoid and include ND. ›
- Does anything here not grow fast and wet LSU AgCenter Get It Growing (21 February 2025): a low-maintenance landscape is virtually impossible in Louisiana. Warm, wet climate and a long growing season promote explosive weed growth; even desirable plants outgrow their spaces. Hammond Research Station (2 December 2008): we do not hear a lot about firewise in Louisiana; Zone 4 still says remove pine trees, wax myrtles, and ornamental grasses. This directory’s Magnolia grandiflora and Quercus virginiana compute as avoid and include LA. ›
- East of the Cascades is a different state WA DNR Fire-Resistant Plants for Eastern Washington: 46 exact source owners remain eastern regional context and Tier 2 corroboration. King County’s separate Puget Sound Basin list contributes 82 western regional owners. Neither regional list becomes statewide suitability; the state page keeps both beside its 592 occurrence records and exact PNW 590 source. ›
- Fall fire season in hardwood hollows West Virginia Code §20-3-5: forest fire seasons are March 1 through May 31 and October 1 through December 31. During those seasons outdoor burning of forest land, grass, grain, stubble, slash, or debris is allowed only between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m. WVDOF (Oct. 2021): most fires over 10 years were debris burns (35%); fall 2019 305 fires / 4,098 acres. Region 4: fall burns more acreage because of dried dead leaves. Region 6: most fires in hardwood leaf litter. Quercus alba computes as on-list and includes WV. Opened pages do not print a West Virginia plant table. ›
- Fire risk is low here. Why does plant choice still matter CT DEEP: forest fires burn an average of 500 acres a year in Connecticut, and homeowners should still make a fire safe zone of at least 30 feet and prune lower limbs of evergreens, which catch fire easily during dry periods. The 559 records on this site’s Connecticut page are USDA distribution, not a Connecticut Firewise list. NFPA Firewise USA is community recognition, not a plant list. ›
- Fire-resistant is not fireproof PNW 590 (October 2023) prints the sentence Fire-resistant does not mean fireproof. Even fire-resistant plants will burn if not well maintained. An on-list status on this site is a computed evidence class. It is not a promise the plant will not burn. ›
- Gambel oak: the neighbor everyone asks about USU NR/FF/002 (Mike Kuhns, February 2005) opens with a house in a dense Gambel oak stand and states that no plant is fireproof. Its firewise plant table lists Acer, Betula, Cercis occidentalis, Populus tremuloides, other Populus, and Salix as trees. Quercus gambelii is not in that table. USU Forestry tree identification: fire-prone on native sites; thin around buildings. White, Weise, Mackes, and Dibble 2002 Table 4 (GOAK): 107% moisture, green PHRR 41 kW/m², dry EHOC 14.2 MJ/kg. Quercus gambelii computes as on-list, limited-evidence, and includes UT. ›
- Gatlinburg 2016 changed the question NPS Chimney Tops 2 (reported 23 November 2016): on 28 November exceptional drought and winds 40–50 mph, gusts to 87 mph, carried embers far ahead of the main fire. About 11,000 acres burned in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and about 6,000 acres in Sevier County outside the park. UT Extension SP685 (Mercker, Reese, Clatterbuck, 2006) already told Tennesseans the first 5 feet should contain no flammable material, and that rhododendron, laurel, holly, juniper, and hemlock should not be planted near structures. Kalmia latifolia computes as avoid and includes TN. Rhododendron maximum computes as conflict and includes TN. ›
- How Oregon got a deep plant page Oregon’s state page holds 622 occurrence records and 155 exact PNW 590 owners. OSU EM 9103 now contributes 172 Willamette Valley owners at regional grain, while Ashland and Grants Pass remain municipal descendants on the same lineage. Source depth is not four independent votes. ›
- How to read a CAL FIRE FHSZ map California Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps measure hazard, not risk. Moderate, High, and Very High are physical-condition classes. They are not Oregon R327, not an insurance rate map, and not Zone 0. ›
- How to read a Class A roof listing Class A is a tested covering on a named deck, slope, and underlayment. OSFM 8180-2299:0500 is one Metal Sales Image II stack. A sibling row and an underlayment listing are not the same roof. Search the BML. A bag is not the listing. ›
- How to read a listing A test method is not a listing. A listing is not adopted code. Adopted code is not an HOA spec or an insurer checklist. Confirm the model number. ›
- How to read a plant page Read a plant's computed fire status separately from local distribution, native or introduced range, hardiness, ecological and legal status, test conditions, and FEIS fire-ecology context. ›
- How to read a state page Live, coming-soon, none, and not-yet-reviewed are coverage labels, not parcel reads. Live means a sourced statewide construction picture is on the page. Coming-soon is adopted-but-not-effective. None means no statewide WUI construction book is sourced. Not-yet-reviewed asserts nothing. Plants can be complete while construction is still a gap. ›
- How to read an ICC-ES report The header is not the product. Open the PDF. On ESL-1689 the product is Table 1 plus the conditions of listing. An ESL is not an ESR and not an OSFM BML number. The building official still decides. ›
- Is mulch your biggest plant decision in a Chesapeake suburb Maryland DNR Forest Service Firewise plants PDF: many commonly used mulches can be quite flammable and ignite from windborne embers. Shredded hardwood bark is High/High after one year. Decorative ground rubber is Very High. Brick chips, marble, and oyster shells are Nonflammable. Maryland pages now join this place-specific mulch guidance to 169 scoped plant-list owners while keeping 852 USDA occurrence records separate. ›
- Is sagebrush a hazard in Idaho Idaho Firewise garden signage: avoid sagebrush, juniper, or pine that burn easily when they dry out in late summer and fall. Sagebrush is flammable because of its oil content and should not be in Zone 1 or Zone 2. Zone 3 native plantings including sagebrush should be thinned. This directory’s Artemisia tridentata computes as avoid. The Artemisia genus page computes as on-list from garden wormwoods, not big sagebrush. A Nevada greenstrip is not a sagebrush planting list. ›
- Is the maple economy also a fuel break Vermont FPR: most wildland fires burn between the end of March and the beginning of June, after snowmelt, in dead grasses, leaves, and twigs. Spring fires seldom burn deeply. 2025: 84 fires, 66.33 acres; 10-year average 77.5 fires and 124.1 acres. Opened FPR pages distribute firewise/defensible space literature and do not print a Vermont species table. Acer saccharum computes as on-list and includes VT. A sugarbush is not Zone 0. ›
- Is the Ozark cedar invasion a fire problem FEIS: eastern redcedar has thin bark, does not sprout, and carries highly combustible evergreen foliage to the ground as ladder fuels. Fire suppression let it invade grasslands and savannas. Cedar glades occur in the Ozarks, including Arkansas limestone glades. Juniperus virginiana computes as avoid; white oak and post oak compute as on-list. ›
- Juniper or redcedar? The names lie Cedar is a common name, not a genus. USFS FEIS lists Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) as mountain red cedar and Rocky Mountain cedar. Western redcedar is Thuja plicata. Tell them apart by spray form and cone type. Bark does not distinguish. Exhibit ID-001 is the two-panel comparison. ›
- Listings expire. The lapse log is where we catch it A product can sit in last year’s OSFM WUI handbook and be missing from the live Building Materials Listing. DURA listing 8160-2126:0501 is stored that way. American Wood Council 8140-2041:0004 is stored as listed, expires 2027-06-30. Search GOVmotus before you spec. Absence from the handbook is a different fact. ›
- Long Island barrens to Adirondack camps Central Pine Barrens Commission: more than 800 brush fires occur in Suffolk County every year, most in the Central Pine Barrens. Pitch pine has thick bark and sprouts from under the bark after fire. 106,000 acres. NYSDEC FIREWISE NY: keep everything within 30 feet lean, clean and green; within five feet use non-flammable materials; keep flammable conifer trees about 30 feet between crowns. Pinus rigida computes as avoid and includes NY. Abies balsamea computes as avoid and includes NY. One statewide landscaping sheet, two fire forests. ›
- OSFM 8165 vent applications Category 8165 is California’s BML bucket for ember- and flame-resistant vents. The listing is a model and an orientation. A gable row is not an eave row. 8160 is soffit covering. Ridge geometry is outside ASTM E2886’s public scope. ›
- Piñon-juniper woodland is the yard NMSU Los Alamos Extension calls for no vegetation within 5 feet and no conifer trees within 30 feet. New Mexico Forestry Division's 140-row FireWise list now joins 95 exact plant records with every 4,000-to-9,000+-foot Y, N, ?, or blank cell retained. Piñon and juniper are not on that table; Pinus edulis computes as a candidate from separate evidence. ›
- Sea-island landscaping after Pinnacle Mountain SCFC FY2016-17: Pinnacle Mountain Fire in Pickens and Greenville Counties burned 10,623 acres over 28 days, largest in upstate history. SCFC 2005 Fire Smart plant list: hollies, junipers, yaupon, pines, eastern red cedar, Leyland cypress, pine straw are highly flammable and should not be planted adjacent to wooden structures. Any plant will burn given sufficient heat. Ilex vomitoria and Juniperus virginiana compute as avoid and include SC. This is not a South Carolina doorway. ›
- Shelterbelts again on the plains Nebraska Forest Service Conservation Roundtable: conservation plantings are a cedar seed source. Identify alternative species for windbreaks. Cedar estimated at 333,134 forested acres in 2015, 22 percent of Nebraska’s forest. How Windbreaks Work: species used in windbreaks are changing; concerns over eastern redcedar spread prompted trial testing of eastern white pine and ponderosa pine. Rural Homes and Wildfire: fire-resistant plants have non-resinous woody material (avoid conifers). Juniperus virginiana computes as avoid and includes NE. Opened NFS pages do not print a 40 mph figure. ›
- Source-verbatim names and the Vitis record A plant name is stored as the source spelled it. The Vitis genus record keeps an FPS row whose source spelling is Vitus spp., so a typo cannot drop a condemning lineage. Idaho Firewise, opened this session, scores Vitis spp. grapes 8 of 10. The computed status is conflict. We do not average. ›
- Southeast humidity does not make firewise planting pointless Longleaf pine grows in a warm, wet climate with 43 to 69 inches of rain and is still adapted to frequent surface fire. FEIS classifies it fire-resistant in that forest sense. This directory’s Pinus palustris record computes as avoid next to a house. Humidity is not a planting permit. ›
- The list Ohio forgot it had OSU Extension Bulletin 921 (Sydnor, Steward, Kloss, 2006): there are no fireproof plants. Zone 1 is the house to 5 feet with nothing flammable, including bark mulch. Evergreen trees belong 30 feet out in Zone 3. Ratings are the authors’ experience on a VL–VH scale. Live Ohioline returned 404 this session; the surviving copy is the 2007 Wayback firewise.org PDF. Ohio pages now surface 352 source-scoped plant records without presenting this historical bulletin as current site approval. ›
- The Pine Barrens are a fire forest next to the house New Jersey's statewide Firewise edition contributes 169 exact plant-list owners, while the Pinelands Commission separately sets 30-, 75-, or 100-foot fuel breaks and warns against rhododendron and mountain laurel at the foundation. This is how to use both layers without turning either one into a site-specific planting approval. ›
- The resin question at a Minnesota lake cabin Dovetail Partners (2017): needle-leaved evergreens are more flammable than broadleaved deciduous trees because of lower moisture, especially in drought, and sap containing flammable resins. The two most flammable trees in northeastern Minnesota are balsam fir and black spruce. This site has no Picea mariana species record. Abies balsamea computes as avoid and includes MN. Minnesota DNR (2004): plant nothing within 3 to 5 feet. A lake cabin’s first five feet is not a balsam screen. ›
- The smallest state's five feet RIDEM Division of Forest Environment (Nancy Stairs, 8 April 2020): replace evergreen shrubs with low-flammable plants in close proximity to your home; thin and prune conifer trees for 30 to 100 feet. The opened 35-things sheet does not print a five-foot Zone 0. Firewood 30 feet from the house. Live DEM Forest Fire HTML returned Cloudflare 403 this session. Kalmia latifolia computes as avoid and includes RI. This site’s Rhode Island page holds 417 USDA-distribution records. ›
- The state flower is an ericaceous fuel Pennsylvania named mountain laurel the state flower in 1933 (Governor Gifford Pinchot). DCNR still publishes viewing tours. The same department’s wildfire page (opened 2026) sets an Immediate Zone of 0–5 feet free of anything that can burn and does not print a plant table. Long, Behm, Zipperer, Hermansen, Maranghides, and Mell (NIST BFRL whole-plant burns) ranked Kalmia latifolia high flammability: should not be planted close to structures. This directory’s Kalmia latifolia computes as avoid and includes PA. ›
- The Steward rule — lineages vote, not rows One rater’s copies are one vote. The Eastern US Fire Performance Plant Selector credits Larry G. Steward of Ohio State ATI with the prototype and the adapted Florida Circular 1453 key, and says its introduction was adapted from Ohio State Extension Bulletin 921, which Steward co-authored. Counting FPS and B921 as two lists would double-count one lineage. ›
- What did MSU actually rate MontGuide MT200101AG (current as of 4/22): fire-resistant plants have supple, moist leaves and water-like sap. Junipers should not be used as a foundation plant. Not all listed species grow in all parts of Montana. Thick-bark forest survivors (western larch, ponderosa pine, Douglas fir) are named in the forest paragraph, not on the landscape table. Pinus ponderosa computes as avoid and includes MT. Populus tremuloides computes as on-list, cites the MontGuide, and includes MT. Location and arrangement take priority over the list (MT202104AG). ›
- What do you plant when the forest itself is the fuel FEIS: black spruce needles and branches are highly resinous; fire of any severity generally kills the tree; most fires are stand-replacement. Firewise Alaska (2009) lists paper birch, quaking aspen, and black cottonwood, and says firewise plants are fire resistant, not fireproof. Thin black spruce. Do not plant the fuel against the house. ›
- What Firescapes rated that lists guess at Virginia Firescapes 430-300 (2015 reprint): plants get H, M, or L flammability ratings. There are no fireproof plants. Zone 1 is the house to 5 feet with nothing flammable. Every evergreen tree and shrub in the tables is H. VDOF Firewise Communities for Virginia (P00111, July 2013) names Azalea among less-flammable plants and tells readers to remove ornamental junipers, hollies, red cedar, and young pine. Virginia pages now join this explainer to 306 source-scoped plant owners. ›
- What Flint Hills burning teaches a homeowner Kansas Forest Service: in the Flint Hills alone, Kansans burn over 2 million acres per year with prescribed fire, and Kansas ranks in the top two states nationally for acres burned. The 2015 KSU Prescribed Burning Notebook: avoid burning near a house; construct a wide firebreak; set headfires away from the structure. Timing is the lesson. This directory’s Schizachyrium scoparium and Juniperus virginiana compute as avoid and include KS. ›
- What FORFS 17-01 told Kentuckians to plant University of Kentucky FORFS 17-01 (January 2017): no such thing as a fireproof plant. Remove eastern red cedar, any pine, and holly near the home (resin, oils, waxes). Trees and shrubs that work well include elms, oaks, sycamore, birch, dogwood, redbud, hazelnut, viburnum, sumac, and spicebush. Minimum 30 feet of defensible space. This directory stores those 13 prose names on 13 exact species or genus owners; holly and dogwood remain at genus rank. ›
- What it means when almost nothing is rated for your state Delaware Forest Service’s opened wildland-fire page has no plant list. The 2020 Statewide Forest Strategy says wildland fire is not a substantial threat, then names coastal phragmites and young loblolly as the exceptions. This site’s Delaware page currently holds 755 USDA-distribution records. Those rows are not Delaware ratings. Phragmites australis computes as avoid. ›
- What Kirtland's warbler country teaches a cabin Michigan DNR (25 May 2023): jack pine is fire-dependent; cones need heat to open. Because we protect against wildfire to keep communities safe, the large-scale fires that historically created the habitat aren’t regularly happening. The DNR plants 1 to 1.5 million jack pines on 1,000 to 1,500 acres per year. This site has no Pinus banksiana species record. Pinus strobus and Pinus resinosa compute as avoid and include MI. A 300-acre opposing-wave plantation is not a five-foot planting. ›
- What limited evidence means on a plant page Limited evidence is a computed label, not a third recommendation. One independent Tier-1 lineage can classify a plant, and the page says the stack is thin. Dianthus sylvestris is on-list from Idaho Firewise’s 9-of-10 score alone. That is not a second list, not a lab test, and not a Zone 0 permit. ›
- What Plymouth-area yards should know about pitch pine DCR and DFS (11 June 2025): Massachusetts had a historic 2024 season of 1,300 wildfires. Immediate Zone is the home plus five feet; move mulch, flammable plants, dried leaves, pine needles, and firewood away from exterior walls. FEIS (Gucker 2007): pitch pine is fire-dependent, thick-barked, sprouts after fire, and dominates Cape Cod pitch pine-oak. This directory’s Pinus rigida computes as avoid and includes MA. A fire-adapted barrens tree is not a five-foot planting. ›
- What survives hail, drought, and embers at 7,000 feet CSU Fact Sheet 6.305 (2025) does not score hail. It scores flammability 0–10, lists elevation and water, and says there are no truly fireproof plant species. At 7,000 feet, Rocky Mountain penstemon (score 8) and yellow stonecrop (score 10) are listed 5–10K. Mountain mahogany is named among common flammable shrubs. Cercocarpus montanus computes as avoid. Penstemon strictus and Sedum lanceolatum compute as on-list, limited-evidence. ›
- What TFS rates where Texas A&M Forest Service Firewise Landscaping in Texas applies across Texas and contributes ten exact owners. Travis County contributes 56 regional owners and the archived Sun City Texas guide contributes 142 Georgetown-community owners. Exact state, county/Austin, and HOA-community evidence stay separate. ›
- What the NC Toolbox rates that surprises people NC State Extension AG-874 (revised 26 March 2025): there are no fireproof plants. Defensible space at least 100 feet; 5 feet of noncombustible mulch. Do not plant vines or ornamental grasses in the defensible space; switchgrass is extremely flammable. Table 5 rates American holly, longleaf pine, mountain laurel, eastern redcedar, and switchgrass high. The NC Plant Toolbox is corroboration, not an independent Tier-1 lineage. This directory stores 202 plant records citing AG-874. Ilex opaca, Pinus palustris, and Kalmia latifolia compute as avoid and include NC. ›
- What UWEX and the DNR agreed on UW-Extension GWQ 049 / DNR PUB-FR-417-2008 (February 2009 imprint, ©2008): Firewise Landscaping is a co-published guide. Keep the first 3-to-5 feet around the house fuel-free. In the Great Lakes region, red pine and jack pine are the most flammable tree species and can carry burning embers up to a mile. WI DNR Ready, Set, Go: spring and fall are the primary wildfire seasons; Zone One is 3–5 feet. This directory stores the 2008 guide as the wdnr-uwex lineage (21 plant records). Pinus resinosa computes as avoid and includes WI. ›
- Which canopy trees earn their keep in an oak-hickory backyard Purdue Extension’s September 2023 oak-hickory stewardship guide: oaks are adapted to prescribed fire by thick bark and extensive roots; fire should be conducted by experienced individuals; low-intensity flames under 3 feet. Mature oak and hickory still sit in the overstory while beech and maple take the midstory. This directory’s Quercus alba and Carya tomentosa compute as on-list. On-list is not Zone 0. Eastern redcedar computes as avoid. ›
- Which high-desert plants still hold water in June UA Cooperative Extension AZ1289 (December 2011) says a plant’s moisture content is the most important factor governing volatility, and that succulent leaves that store water are a FIREWISE trait. Agave parryi is listed at very-low water. Kinnikinnick is listed at moderate-to-high water and only at 7,000 feet and up. There are no fireproof plant species. ›
- Whose job is fire in a state that burns on purpose Georgia Forestry Commission FY2019 annual report: 2,005 wildfires burned 7,036 acres, the lowest in 62 years. GFC provided 1,622 burn assists totaling about 136,005 acres, about 13 percent of all acres prescribed burned in Georgia that year. Landowners do most of the burning. The yard is not the million-acre program. Pinus palustris computes as avoid. Quercus alba computes as on-list. ›
- Why is there no official California plant list PRC 4291 is 100 feet of defensible space and an ember-resistant zone, not a planting palette. 2022 Chapter 7A is building materials, systems, and assemblies. Its fire-resistant vegetation definition is traits plus a note naming example publications, not a CAL FIRE list. UC ANR: no plant is fire-proof. Rosemary is conflict. Oleander is a conflict that appears on this site’s California evidence list. ›
- Why junipers get one verdict per species A genus page is a split of cited records, not a genus grade. Long and Behm 2006 ranked Juniperus ashei moderate and Juniperus chinensis high in the same NIST whole-plant table. Grants Pass lists ornamental juniper as highly flammable. That umbrella row does not rewrite the species pages. ›
- Why the Hawaii fire-plant question is upside-down HWMO: invasive guinea and fountain grass ignite easily, re-sprout after fire, and create a vicious fire cycle. HISC: wildfire frequency in the Hawaiian Islands is up 400% over the last century; fountain grass (Cenchrus setaceus) and guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus) are high fire hazard. This directory has no species pages for those two taxa. Sorghum halepense and Arundo donax carry US-RIIS invasive-reported flags for HI and compute as avoid. ›
- Why West Virginia's plant list still names Maryland's state flower West Virginia Division of Forestry publishes 180 Firewise plant rows that reconcile to 169 directory owners. A copied Maryland state-flower comment exposes the list's shared Maryland/New Jersey/West Virginia lineage—useful exact-state scope, but not three independent evidence votes or a site-specific planting approval. ›
- Wind, sage, and planting where nothing stays wet UW Extension (Scott Hininger, Sheridan County, 6 January 2016): many plants that grow naturally in an area are highly flammable during the summer. Defensible landscape at least 30 feet, out to 100 feet or more. Deciduous trees and shrubs typically are not as flammable as evergreens. Barnyards and Backyards Spring 2005: there are no truly fireproof plants; Rocky Mountain juniper is named fire-prone. Firewise Wyoming plant appendix lists fringed sage and prairie sage, not big sagebrush. Artemisia tridentata computes as avoid and includes WY. Artemisia frigida computes as on-list and includes WY. ›
- Windbreaks that don't become wicks ISU Extension: conifers are the major windbreak tree in Iowa; deciduous trees are only 5–20 percent as effective. PM-1716 (August 1997): the inside row of a narrow windbreak should be at least 75 feet from buildings. Iowa DNR Firewise (Fall 2009): start with a 5-foot nonflammable perimeter. This directory’s Juniperus virginiana and Pinus strobus compute as avoid and include IA. A farmstead windbreak is not Zone 0. ›
For builders — detailing · 25
- Bird blocks, boxed soffit, or unvented attic Where Oregon R327 is adopted, three eave strategies exist. Swap bird blocks for a manufactured ember- and flame-resistant vent, box the soffit on an underside path, or design an unvented attic. Ordinary bird-block mesh is not the exception. This page does not price the three. ›
- Chimney spark arrestors A spark arrestor is 3/8- to 1/2-inch noncombustible metal mesh on a chimney or stovepipe outlet. It is not attic-vent mesh. CAL FIRE’s low-cost list names that range. IBHS wants branches 10 feet from the outlet. Oregon R327.3.2 does not name fireplaces. The chase is still a wall. ›
- Craftsman eaves under R327 Exposed rafter tails under 12 feet need an R327.3.4.1 path. Type X behind the covering is one numbered option. Fascia is exempt. A 4x heavy-timber tail is seminar practice, not a fifth numbered eave item. ›
- Deck ledger and the wall intersection The ledger is the board that hangs the deck on the house. Oregon R327 does not give it its own fire section. The walking surface, the wall covering, and the underfloor each have a rule. FEMA treats the joint as an ember and water flashing problem. ›
- Deck railings in the WUI FEMA P-737 (2008) says embers accumulate at railing edges and recommends metal, cables, tempered glass, or 3-inch nominal fire-retardant-treated wood. Oregon R327.3.5 is the walking surface, not the guard. Dimensional lumber railings are the thing that sheet tells you to replace. ›
- Exterior FRT wood and weathering Oregon R327 names exterior fire-retardant-treated wood as a walking-surface path. Ignition-resistant material is a 30-minute ASTM E84 or UL 723 run. FEMA P-737 warns that ignition-resistant treatments and coatings have service-life uncertainty and does not recommend wood roof coverings. A coating on site is not this product. ›
- Gravel and pavers under the deck IBHS Base strips vegetation and combustible groundcover from under an elevated deck to mineral soil. Noncombustible hardscape is permitted. Oregon R327.3.4.4 is enclose-to-grade or protect the underside. Gravel is not that enclosure. ›
- Heavy timber and log walls under R327 Oregon R327.2 defines heavy timber as sawn or glued-laminated wood with a smallest minimum nominal dimension of 4 inches. That definition is a wall path, a floor path, and an underfloor exception for columns and beams. It is not a fifth eave-tail item and not ignition-resistant lumber. ›
- Hot tubs, planters, and firewood on decks IBHS treats attached-deck contents as part of the building footprint. Planter boxes and climbing vines come off the walking surface. Hot tubs sit 10 feet from exterior walls, with a noncombustible pad if they sit on a combustible deck. Wood piles sit 30 feet from the home unless they are inside an accessory structure. ›
- Net free area after mesh or a listed core Oregon R327.3.2 keeps attic and underfloor net ventilation area under R408 and R806. Mesh and listed cores both cut net free area. Size the openings. This page does not invent NFA numbers for a SKU. ›
- Pergolas and patio covers as projections Oregon R327.3.4 names patio covers among overhanging projections. The underside of a patio or porch ceiling larger than 200 square feet and under 12 feet follows a numbered menu. IBHS treats overhead structures on an attached deck as part of the footprint, with Class A roofs or slats covering no more than 15 percent, and a 10-foot setback if combustible. ›
- Plastic skylights under R327 and CWUIC Oregon R327.3.6 treats skylights with exterior windows. Tempered, multilayered glazed panels, glass block, or a 20-minute rating. Plastic domes are not on that list. California CWUIC 504.8 includes skylights on the same glazing menu, and operable skylights also need 1/8 inch noncombustible mesh. ›
- Ridge vents versus ASTM E2886 A ridge vent can still be an attic ventilation opening under Oregon R327. ASTM E2886’s public scope excludes roof ridge and off-ridge field vents. Metal is not an ember test. California CWUIC names a mesh path for those roof vents on a sloped roof. ›
- Roof-to-wall transitions and dormer cheeks A dormer cheek is a wall that meets a roof. Oregon R327 splits that joint. The roof is a Class B-rated assembly equivalent. The cheek is an exterior wall covering. FEMA says flash where a roof abuts a wall. An E108 class does not flash the wall. ›
- Solar on a Class A roof A photovoltaic array does not inherit a roof’s Class A letter automatically. FEMA P-737 says BIPV or rooftop PV should meet Class A, NFPA 70, and the site wind loads, and that roof penetrations need noncombustible caulk, flashing, or assemblies. Oregon R327 does not name solar. This page does not invent UL 2703 numbers. ›
- Spray-applied FRT and special inspection Presenters at the 25 June 2026 Central Oregon seminar said spray-applied fire retardant may need a third-party special inspector the jurisdiction has approved. That inspector reports to the jurisdiction. Paint-on coatings are not an R327 wall path. ›
- Stucco in the WUI Stucco can be a noncombustible covering when the material meets ASTM E136 in the form used. Oregon R327.3.3 still wants a numbered wall path and full-height extent. Cracks, weeps, and penetrations are holes. IBHS names stucco as an example of the six-inch base. Stucco is not automatically the whole house. ›
- The 200 square foot 2-inch lumber deck exception Where Oregon R327 is adopted, walking surfaces of decks, porches, and balconies not greater than 200 square feet, built of nominal 2-inch lumber, are excepted from the R327.3.5 material menu. The exception is not an underfloor skip, not a wall skip, and not a Trex pass. Presenters said 2x lumber is only that small-deck exception. ›
- The wall base and the six-inch band Oregon R327.3.3.1 runs the wall covering from the top of the foundation to the roof. It does not name a six-inch noncombustible band. IBHS Wildfire Prepared does. Do not write the IBHS number onto the Oregon termination sentence. ›
- Tile bird stops and roof-profile gaps Where Oregon R327 is adopted, spaces between a profiled covering and the deck must be closed, fireblocked, or covered with ASTM D3909 72-pound cap sheet. That sentence is not the valley stack. IBHS and FEMA name noncombustible bird stops at barrel-tile and corrugated eave ends. ›
- Type X behind the covering One layer of 5/8 inch Type X exterior gypsum sheathing behind the covering is a deemed-to-comply path on walls and several undersides. It is not an ASTM E136 pass for the board you see. Presenters at the 25 June 2026 seminar said that path needs a firewall inspection before you cover it. ›
- Valley metal and cap sheet under R327.3 Where Oregon R327 is adopted and valley flashing is installed, the metal is not less than 0.019 inch (No. 26 gage) corrosion-resistant galvanized sheet over a 72-pound ASTM D3909 cap sheet at least 36 inches wide, full length of the valley. That stack is not the same sentence as closing profile gaps under tile. ›
- Vinyl siding in the WUI Vinyl can melt. FEMA P-737 says not to use vinyl, wood, or polypropylene cladding in wildfire zones. Oregon R327.3.3 is a covering or assembly menu. Vinyl is not ASTM E136 noncombustible. Type X behind cladding is a different path than the vinyl itself. ›
- Wall covering termination under R327.3.3.1 Where Oregon R327 is adopted, exterior wall covering runs from the top of the foundation to the roof. It dies into 2-inch nominal blocking at an open overhang, or at the underside of an enclosed soffit. Stopping the siding at the window head is not that section. ›
- Wall penetrations, hose bibs, and linesets Hose bibs, AC linesets, conduit, and dryer hoods are holes in the wall covering. Oregon R327.3.2 does not name them. FEMA treats utility penetrations as gaps to seal. Do not mesh the dryer because the attic rule said all vents. ›
Submittals and drawings · 5
- Alternate materials and methods under R104.11 Oregon R104.11 lets the building official approve a material, design, or method not prescribed in the code when it is equivalent in quality, strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durability, and safety. A denial has to be in writing. R104.10 is a different section. R327.1 points modifications of that wildfire section at R104.10. ›
- Keep WUI work exposed until inspected ORSC R109.1 says work shall remain accessible and exposed until the building official approves it. Presenters at the 25 June 2026 seminar said Type X behind covering needs a firewall inspection after gypsum and screws, before the finish. That is a hold point, not a photo protocol. Confirm with the official. ›
- R327 inspection sequence ORSC Chapter 1 already names foundation, under-floor, mechanical rough, and frame inspections. The official may require other inspections. Presenters at the 25 June 2026 seminar added a Type X firewall look before cover. R109.1.5.1 is gypsum between dwelling units, not that WUI path. Confirm the card with the jurisdiction. ›
- Show the product on the drawings Deschutes County accepts OSFM WUI handbook products for R327 only when the model is listed on the drawings and noted where it installs. A brand name is not a listing. A listing is not a permit. ›
- What examiners redline on R327 drawings Public Bend and Deschutes practice, plus the 25 June 2026 seminar, name the same misses. The product is not on the drawings. Type X is covered before the firewall inspection. Ordinary bird-block mesh sits under 12 feet. This page is not a private comment log. ›
Oregon R327 practice · 7
- Manufactured homes in fire country HUD manufactured dwellings are built to 24 CFR 3280, not Oregon R327. Oregon BCD and Deschutes County say they are outside ORSC scope. Skirting, crawlspace vents, and dryer exhaust are HUD installation rules. A factory wildfire package or 13D sprinklers are optional. Insurance and Zone 0 around the unit are still real. ›
- Oregon BCD, State Fire Marshal, and ODF Oregon splits wildfire work across three agencies. Building Codes Division adopts construction, including R327 where a local department opts in. The State Fire Marshal owns the Oregon Fire Code, a model defensible-space code, and grants. The Department of Forestry protects 16 million acres of forest. The 2025 legislature repealed the statewide hazard map as a regulatory overlay. None of those agencies is the other. ›
- Oregon wildfire disclosure Oregon’s seller’s property disclosure statement is ORS 105.464. The reprint opened 23 August 2026 still asks whether the property has been classified as wildland-urban interface. That checkbox is not R327. BCD’s 5 August 2025 filing says the 2025 legislature repealed the statewide wildfire hazard map as a regulatory overlay. Local R327, where adopted, is still construction. This is not California AB 38. ›
- Party walls, townhouse roofs, and R327 A party wall is a fire-resistance-rated townhouse separation under ORSC R302. Oregon R327 is a wildfire covering menu for exterior walls and roofs, where adopted. The 2023 R327 amendment adds R302.2.12 townhouse roof classes, and points wildfire-hazard-zone townhouse roofs at R327. Those are stacked jobs, not one listing. ›
- R327 remodels when the answer is no Oregon BCD’s FAQ says R327 applies to new construction of new ORSC buildings, not typical additions or a roofing or siding swap on an older house. If the dwelling was built to R327, later work stays under it. ›
- The 12-foot rule Oregon R327 uses 12 feet as a height threshold for eave vents and for protecting eaves and many projections. It is not one exception for the whole house. Elevated-deck undersides have no 12-foot out. ›
- When R327 hits an ADU, garage, or shop Oregon BCD’s local-adoption FAQ treats a new detached ADU as a new dwelling. Shops and garages follow the accessory-structure size and distance rules. ›
Site access and water · 7
- Address signs firefighters can find Oregon fire-access guides reprint OFC 505.1. Numbers contrast with their background, sit where they are visible from the road fronting the property, and are at least 4 inches high with a 1/2-inch stroke. If the house cannot be seen from the public way, a monument or pole at the driveway is the usual extra. Redmond Fire & Rescue sells a 6-by-12-inch two-sided reflective street sign. That program is not the code section. ›
- Bridges on a fire apparatus road Oregon fire-access guides treat a private bridge as part of the fire apparatus road. Yamhill’s 2025 guide wants AASHTO LRFD design, 20 feet of drivable width, posted load limits, and a registered engineer’s written acceptance. Portland’s 2021 guide still cites AASHTO HB-17. A culvert table is not in those pages. Confirm with the official and the building official. ›
- Fire apparatus access on the lot Oregon fire-access guides name width, vertical clearance, grade, turnaround, and a 75,000-pound live load. Those numbers are not one statewide driveway. ORS 368.039 lets adopted county road standards supersede the fire code. Deschutes ADU option 2 is a 12-foot surface, not the Oregon Fire Code 20-foot access road. ›
- Gates across fire apparatus access Oregon fire-access guides treat a locked gate as an obstruction of the fire apparatus road. Yamhill’s 2025 guide wants 20 feet unobstructed, one-person operation, and listed electric operators. Portland allows a 12-foot gate on one- or two-family dwellings and a 30-foot setback. OFC 506 lets the official require a key box. Knox is the product those districts name, not a statewide statute. ›
- ISO Public Protection Classification Verisk’s ISO PPC program grades a community from 1 to 10 for structure-fire suppression. Class 1 is superior property fire protection. Class 10 means the area’s fire-suppression program does not meet ISO’s minimum criteria. Most home insurers use PPC in pricing. ISO does not give the class to policyholders. PPC is not a wildfire score and not Oregon R327. ›
- One road out California’s State Minimum Fire Safe Regulations say roads and driveways shall provide emergency-vehicle access and civilian evacuation at the same time. Oregon fire-access guides require a second fire-apparatus road when one- and two-family dwellings on a single access exceed 30, with a sprinkler exception. Dead-end length is a different object. This is not a 50-state evacuation table. ›
- Rural firefighting water when there is no hydrant Oregon fire-access guides still require an approved water supply under OFC 507.1. Yamhill’s 2025 guide and Portland’s 2021 guide both use 3,600 square feet as the residential split. Below that, Portland wants 1,000 gpm at 20 psi for one hour on a hydrant system. Without a competent water system, those same guides point at NFPA 1142 or a tank. This page does not print 1142 tank gallons. ›
Existing houses · 7
- Home-hardening ladder An order of operations for existing houses, mapped to CAL FIRE’s low-cost retrofit list and FEMA P-737. The dollar bands are illustrative sequence, not prices. They are not Oregon R327. ›
- Ready.gov wildfire and the house Ready.gov’s wildfire page, last updated 11 August 2026, tells households to use fire-resistant materials, keep a hose that reaches the property, and keep a fire-resistant zone free of leaves, debris, or flammable materials for at least 30 feet from the home. That 30-foot sentence is not Zone 0, not Oregon R327, and not an IBHS designation. Designate a closable room with a portable air cleaner for smoke. ›
- Rebuild after wildfire A rebuild is new construction under the WUI book in force when you pull the permit. It is not like-kind replacement of the house that burned. Building-code upgrade coverage is the insurance rider for that extra cost. Ready.gov says use fire-resistant materials when you build or repair. This page is process, not a rubble gallery. ›
- Retrofit the house you already have Most Oregon houses will never see a new-dwelling R327 permit. This page is a chooser for the existing house. Roof, vents, Zone 0, windows, and deck each have a guide already on this site. UNR’s Wildfire Home Retrofit Guide (SP-20-11) and FEMA P-737 (September 2008) are the opened federal and extension sources. They are not Oregon R327. ›
- Smoke-ready home Wildfire smoke indoors is an air-filtration problem, not an R327 vent path. EPA prefers a commercial portable cleaner with a known CADR, or a MERV 13 HVAC filter if the system can take it. A DIY box-fan cleaner is a backup. Use a 2012-or-newer fan with a UL or ETL mark. Hardening attic vents does not filter smoke. ›
- What Headwaters says hardening costs Headwaters Economics and IBHS (Fall 2025 PDF): for a one-story 1,750-square-foot model in Altadena at a $500,000 construction value, CWUIC Part 7 adds about $13,000 in wildfire-resistant materials over traditional; IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home Base is more than $4,000 less than that Part 7 increment; Plus is about $2,000 more than Part 7. Yard work beyond five feet was out of scope. A January 2026 update says Altadena rebuilds are running $450–$650 per square foot because of labor, not the wildfire materials. The 2024 retrofit paper, with Stephen Quarles, puts simple actions at $2,000–$15,000 and a full highest-level retrofit near $100,000. ›
- What you can touch on a rental or HOA lot California Civil Code 4205(a): if the governing documents conflict with the law, the law prevails. PRC 4291 still names a lessee in the state responsibility area and still says you are not required to manage fuels without the legal right. An HOA cannot use CC&Rs to make you keep a wood fence or bark bed that 4291 requires you to change, and a tenant still cannot drop the landlord’s tree without consent. IBHS’s applicant is the homeowner. Oregon OSFM’s model code only binds a lessee where a city has adopted it. ›
Insurance designations · 10
- Building code upgrade coverage Building code upgrade coverage, also called ordinance or law, pays extra cost to meet codes in force at rebuild, not just like-kind replacement. California Insurance Code 10103 requires open replacement-cost residential policies to include at least 10 percent of dwelling limits as additional coverage. Oregon DFR pages opened here do not publish that floor. ›
- California FAIR Plan The California FAIR Plan is last-resort basic fire coverage when the standard market will not write the property. CDI says shop first, then apply through a registered broker. Hardening credits apply to the wildfire portion of that premium, not the whole bill. This is not Oregon’s FAIR Plan and not R327. ›
- Firewise and premiums California wildfire-rating insurers must reflect a Firewise USA site in good standing in the rating plan. That is a community-level credit, not a product listing and not a guaranteed percent. Oregon does not have that regulation. A plaque is not IBHS and not R327. ›
- IBHS does not replace adopted code Wildfire Prepared Home is an insurer designation, not adopted code. Essential and Enhanced do not replace ORSC R327, California CWUIC, or the building official. Do both if both apply. ›
- Mitigation documentation for insurers California wildfire-rating insurers must credit listed mitigation. CDI says you may have to prove the work or sit for an inspection. How they verify is the carrier’s filed underwriting, not one statewide photo list. IBHS is a separate photo-then-visit designation. Oregon DFR does not publish a credit packet. ›
- Oregon has a FAIR Plan The Oregon FAIR Plan is the insurer of last resort when a property owner cannot find coverage in the standard market. DFR says you must have been declined by two standard companies. Premiums are often higher and coverage less comprehensive. Surplus lines is a different market. This is not California’s FAIR Plan and not R327. ›
- Parametric insurance Parametric insurance pays a set amount when an event parameter is met, not when your house is measured. NAIC’s example is an earthquake magnitude trigger. Basis risk is the named downside. This is not replacement cost, not ordinance or law, and not a wildfire product listed on this site. ›
- Percentage deductibles A percentage deductible is a percent of Coverage A, the dwelling limit, not a percent of the loss. Oregon DFR explains that math on its earthquake page. The wildfire page does not publish a wildfire-specific percent. Read the declarations. This site does not quote a California wildfire-deductible schedule. ›
- Premiums with no nearby fire Oregon law does not require a nearby fire before a wildfire-related premium increase. ORS 742.277 requires a property-specific notice when cancellation, nonrenewal, or a premium increase is materially related to wildfire risk, including any wildfire risk score. California 10 CCR 2644.9 is a different score-disclosure rule. This site does not quote a reinsurance percent. ›
- Safer from Wildfires is not Oregon law California Safer from Wildfires is a CDI insurance-credit list. It is not Oregon building code, not IBHS, and not a reason to paste FAIR Plan percentages onto an Oregon job. ›
How it works · 11
- ASTM E119 versus a WUI wall test ASTM E119 is a furnace fire-resistance method for building elements. Intertek’s public scope page says it measures how long an assembly contains a fire, keeps load, and limits heat, often followed by a hose stream. SFM 12-7A-1 is a 10-minute 150 kW flame on a siding and sheathing assembly. A 20-minute fire door is a different object. Do not swap them on a WUI wall. ›
- Char rate AWC’s 2024 Fire Design Specification uses a nominal char rate of 1.5 inches per hour on an ASTM E119 furnace exposure. That is why a remaining heavy-timber section can still carry load after the outer wood chars. It is not Oregon R327’s 4-inch definition and not a wildfire ember test. ›
- Ember versus flame versus radiant heat Embers ignite most homes. Direct flame and radiant heat are different exposures. IBHS Essential is the ember checklist. Enhanced adds flame and radiant-heat measures. Mesh, listings, and Zone 0 do not answer the same question. ›
- Home ignitability Cohen (2000) found that whether a house ignites in a wildland-urban fire depends on the house and its immediate surroundings, about 40 meters. Firebrands can travel kilometers and still only matter if they land on something ignitable. A FHSZ map is not that 40-meter site. This is not R327 and not Zone 0. ›
- How an intumescent vent closes Some listed ember- and flame-resistant vents include an intumescent strip or coated matrix that swells when heated. That core is not the Oregon R327 mesh path, even when the same unit also contains 1/16 inch wire. Read the listing. Paint-on coatings are not this product. ›
- How the WUI is mapped Radeloff (2005) maps the wildland-urban interface as census housing plus wildland vegetation from the Federal Register definition. Intermix is houses in the vegetation. Interface is developed land within 2.4 km of a large vegetated block. That map is not a CAL FIRE FHSZ overlay, not Cohen’s 40 meters, and not Oregon R327. ›
- When the lab disagrees with the lists Direct fire evidence is never silently outvoted by a planting list. White, Weise, Mackes, and Dibble 2002 tested Juniperus monosperma (as Utah juniper) in a cone calorimeter. Table 4 reports 76% foliage moisture, green-sample peak heat release 228 kW/m², and dry-sample effective heat of combustion 18.7 MJ/kg. That row keeps the species in avoid. ›
- Why glass breaks in a wildfire Glass cracks when the exposed face heats and expands faster than the edge hidden in the frame. Dual-pane buys a second lite after the outer pane fails. Tempered resists longer than annealed. That mechanism is not Oregon’s R327 glazing menu and not a 20-minute fire door. ›
- Why rosemary is disputed Rosemary is a conflict, not a compromise grade. California now exposes the 1997 UCFPL statewide compilation at exact state grain and Fire Safe Marin at county grain; both retain their dates and conflicting source language. Butte County’s separate North State article remains regional. ›
- Why Type X gypsum works Gypsum’s core is calcium sulfate dihydrate. About 21 percent of its weight is chemically combined water. Heat drives that water off as steam. Type X adds glass fibers so the calcined core holds together. That chemistry is not a permit and not a sixth numbered eave item. ›
- Wind-driven versus plume-dominated fire USFS PNW-GTR-891 says wind-driven fires generally spread with the wind and are more predictable. A plume-dominated fire has a nearly vertical smoke column and little visible influence of horizontal wind. Spread direction can change unexpectedly. That chapter does not give a hours-versus-minutes clock. This is not R327 and not a FHSZ overlay. ›
Programs and recognition · 4
- Community wildfire protection plan A Community Wildfire Protection Plan is a Healthy Forests Restoration Act planning document for an at-risk community. It is agreed by local government, the local fire department, and the state forestry agency. It is not adopted building code, not Firewise USA recognition, and not a lot-by-lot mandate. ›
- Firewise USA site recognition NFPA recognizes a Firewise USA site when a defined neighborhood of 8 to 2,500 dwelling units meets voluntary annual criteria. Those criteria are a resident committee, a community wildfire risk assessment updated at least every five years, a three-year action plan, and the equivalent of one volunteer hour per dwelling unit. Recognition is not a product listing and not Oregon R327. ›
- Home-hardening grants As of 23 August 2026, most Oregon wildfire-risk grants go to fire agencies, local governments, and nonprofits, not to a homeowner coupon. The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Community Wildfire Risk Reduction rounds were agency programs. ODF’s Small Forestland Grant’s next window is July/August 2027. FEMA HMGP does not take homeowner applications. ›
- Who can do a defensible-space assessment Oregon’s State Fire Marshal and partner fire agencies offer a free, education-focused defensible-space visit. You can also walk the Version 1 checklist yourself. Firewise USA’s assessment is community-wide, with a local wildfire expert, updated at least every five years. IBHS Wildfire Prepared uses a paid, qualified third-party evaluator who documents the lot and does not give mitigation advice; IBHS decides the designation. Those walks are not an R327 inspection, not California AB 38 sale documentation, and not a carrier underwrite. ›
Written from the sources, not about them
A guide quotes the document it explains, names the edition and date it verified, and states its place differences inline — a claim that differs in your state says so next to the claim, never on a separate page. Guides link the directory's records; they never replace them. Methodology · Data CC BY 4.0