CalChiefs and IBHS to Conduct Controlled Wildfire Resilience Demonstration

The California Fire Chiefs Association (CalChiefs) Fire Marshal Section and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) are staging a side-by-side wildfire demonstration to examine how residential landscaping affects fire propagation. The experiment focuses on the 'first five feet'—the immediate perimeter surrounding a structure—to determine how specific design choices influence whether embers ignite a property.

The demonstration aims to visualize the mechanics of wildfire ignition by subjecting test structures to controlled conditions. By contrasting different landscaping approaches, IBHS intends to provide data on how the removal of combustible materials from the immediate vicinity of a building can prevent structural loss during fire events.

This research addresses increasing concerns regarding wildfire risk in residential zones. The findings are expected to serve as a guide for property owners and local planning authorities in high-risk regions to improve structural defensibility against wildfire threats.