fire proof

Tinder-dry forests and grasslands. Homes and communities built on the fringe of rural frontiers. When the next natural inferno makes its move, can your rural homes survive a fiery flashover? Take some of these special precautions in the building process and give your homes a fighting chance.

When wildfire swept through Bob Heath's neighborhood in Napa, Calif., a lot of other homes in the fire's path burned to the ground. Why not his?

"I had Cultured Stone all over the outside," notes Heath, (incidentally a vice president of marketing for Cultured Stone, a cementitious siding company). "The fire flashed right over it but did no harm. It caused just a slight discoloration in some places."

Which is not to say that his home--or any home--is entirely fireproof. But new research and anecdotal evidence suggests that homes built with the right materials, the right landscaping, and smart detailing have a far better chance to be left standing after a flashover event.