El Dorado County – Free Voluntary Defensible-Space and Home-Hardening Assessment

How it works

El Dorado County’s Home Hardening page is an educational resource that explains how homeowners can reduce wildfire vulnerability. The county pairs this guidance with a free voluntary defensible-space and home-hardening assessment referenced in its wildfire-preparedness materials. The page focuses on helping residents understand which retrofits can make a home less likely to ignite from embers.

What the money covers

No money, reimbursement, rebate, or grant is described on the page. Instead, the page gives practical retrofit guidance for new construction or for upgrading an existing home.

What upgrades the page highlights

The county specifically recommends or discusses:

• Roofs: replace wood shake or shingle roofs with a Class A roof, such as asphalt shingles, tile or cement shingles, or metal panels; keep roofs clear of debris and vegetation; fill gaps between the roof covering and sheathing.
• Gutters: remove debris regularly; install noncombustible gutter covers; replace combustible gutters like vinyl with noncombustible materials.
• Eaves: inspect open eaves for ember entry and enclose under-eave areas to create soffited eaves.
• Vents: replace old vents with flame- and ember-resistant vents or cover them with noncombustible metal mesh between 1/16-inch and 1/8-inch; keep vents clear and sealed.
• Siding: replace combustible siding with noncombustible materials such as stucco, steel, or fiber cement; repair gaps and holes; if full replacement is not possible, use noncombustible siding on the bottom 2 feet.
• Windows and skylights: upgrade to double-pane tempered-glass windows; use noncombustible metal framing; install screens on operable windows; remove nearby vegetation; use glass skylights on sloped roofs; cover operable skylights with noncombustible metal mesh.
• Decks: remove leaves and pine needles; upgrade combustible deck boards with noncombustible options; create defensible space downslope if the deck is on a slope.
• Fences: replace attached combustible fencing or gates with noncombustible materials for the first five feet; remove vegetation growing on fences.

Why it matters

The page states that wind-blown embers often pose the greatest threat to homes and that about 60-90% of homes lost during wildfire events are ignited by embers rather than direct flames.

How to use it

Homeowners can use the page as a planning guide to identify retrofit opportunities and prioritize improvements. It is not presented as a financing program page.

Timing and deadlines

No application deadline, funding deadline, or program close date is stated.