Building Resiliency Through Energy Efficiency

The fire came fast, leaving Randall Higa and his family no time to pack. They evacuated with only the essentials, unsure if they'd ever see their home again. When they returned days later, their house was still standing - but not every neighbor was as fortunate.

"We were lucky on three counts," said Higa, an engineer on Southern California Edison's Codes and Standards team. "The house didn't burn, we had a place to stay and insurance covered most of the costs."

But that luck wasn't random. It was the result of intentional home hardening - including ember-resistant attic screens, tree maintenance and gas safety. The Code and Standards team's research helps inform the California Energy Commission's building and energy codes to make homes more energy-efficient and resilient to disasters like wildfires.

"I really believe the ember screens are what saved our home," he said. "The screens keep embers from entering the attic, which is how most homes ignite. When I talked to my neighbors with more damage, they didn't have them."

Higa's experience is an example of how the right building choices can make all the difference - the kind of outcomes SCE explores through its wildfire resiliency research. To better understand which building materials and designs can withstand wildfire conditions, SCE's Codes and Standards team completed a home hardening study, which included a live burn test.

During the test, a firefighter set one of two makeshift houses ablaze - sitting just feet apart - and only one went up in flames. The surviving structure went unscathed, even under simulated winds and fire conditions, thanks to fire-resistant building materials and design strategies.

"We built a conventional burn structure and a hardened burn structure," said Charles Kim, SCE senior engineer of Codes and Standards. "The conventional structure was exposed to 1,600°F of radiant heat and direct flame for 60 minutes, and although the hardened burn structure only sat 10 feet away, it remained completely intact."

The study tested materials like fire-resistant stucco, fire-rated windows and doors, mineral wool insulation and fiber cement board, which all proved highly effective in preventing ignition and heat transfer. Design features like closed eaves and unvented attics provided additional protection against wind-driven embers and radiant heat.

"Our thought was, while we are educating customers on energy-efficient homes, can we introduce certain materials and design practices to also stop the spread of wildfires?" Kim said. "What we found was that energy-efficient homes can also be fire-resistant."

Findings from the study are being shared with builders, architects, city officials and code developers to help create safer, more resilient, energy-efficient building codes. SCE also offers this information to the public at its Energy Education Center with free home hardening classes.

As for Higa, his experience has reshaped how he thinks about resiliency. Despite his home surviving, the family faced costly repairs due to smoke and soot infiltration. In the cleanup process, they took the opportunity to replace their furnace and ductwork, install a heat pump and reinforce the importance of preparedness.

"Looking back, I wish we would have been more ready for something like this - specifically with a go bag prepared," said Higa.

Still, he remains hopeful that sharing his story will help others take action before it's too late.

"If our experience can help even one family protect their home, it's worth it," said Higa. "Because ember screens might seem small, but they made a big difference for us."

For more information on SCE's wildfire mitigation efforts, visit sce.com/wildfire.