There is some hope among the smouldering ruins in many parts of Los Angeles. Entire neighbourhoods were ravaged by the recent wildfires, but, among the devastation, the odd house stands whole, completely untouched by the flames that burned those around it to the ground.
Houses like these "are heralded as miracles", said National Geographic, and images of their solitary survival have been shared thousands of times by astonished social media users. Although luck may have played a part, what saved these houses from destruction was almost certainly a combination of fire prevention measures that their owners had carefully put in place.
It all starts with "home-hardening". Building – or retrofitting – a house with specific fire-resistant materials is "absolutely critical", Daniel Berlant, a Californian fire officer, told the Los Angeles Times. Ditching wooden decks and shingle roofs, and installing cement stucco walls, a metal roof and gutters, tempered window glass and mesh screening on chimneys, eaves and vents can mean a "double-digit increase" in a house's chances of surviving a fire.
But no matter how "hardened" your home is, constant vigilance is required. That means clearing debris off the roof and leaves out of gutters, plugging gaps in rafters, and never leaving recycling piling up by your door.
Local fire prevention laws in LA already require homeowners to cut grass and brush within 200 feet of a house. But proposals for stricter rules, including limiting greenery on windowsills, have so far met with strong public resistance. And there's the problem: the defensible space around your house can only do so much; you need all your neighbours to have one, too. | 
