Mountain View News Saturday, April 18, 2026 


CHRISTOPHER Nyerges 

[Nyerges is an educator, author, and ethnobotanist who has authored “Nuts and Berries 
of California,” and nearly 20 other books. You can find more information at www.

SCHOOLOFSELF-RELIANCE.COM.] 

HARDENING A HOUSE TO FIRE 

Considerations of the Eaton Fire 


Why do some houses survive 
when the whole neighborhood 
burned to the ground? 
Sometimes, there seems to be 
no rhyme or reason that a particular 
house survived. Maybe 
the wind changed directions, 
or maybe something about the 
house protected it. Here are 
some of the obvious things that 
can be built into a house and 
property that would help it be a 
bit more fire-resistant. 

Metal roofs! Definitely don’t 
have a wood shingle roof. Metal 
roofs are more expensive, and it 
can make it very loud indoors 
during a rainstorm. However, 
there are some manufacturers 
who produce roofing panels 
from metal with a layer of insulation. 
The insulation is a good 
thing, and it muffles the noise 
from rainstorms just a bit. 

Tile roofs don’t burn, and the 
Eaton Canyon Nature Center 
had been rebuilt (after the 1993 
fire) with un-burnable roof 
tiles. However, when that roof 
was leaking in around 2011, the 
County decided to replace it 
with a conventional roof, which 
possibly contributed to its destruction 
in the Eaton Fire. 

Adobe or stucco walls. Some 
walls are nearly impossible 
to burn, and so they would 
be worth considering for fire 
protection. 

In the case of Altadena resi-Daniel MacPherson in front of the wreckage of his dent Chip Johnson, why did hishome after the Eaton Fire. Only one house on his home and handful of his neigh-street survived, possibly due to covered eave bors’ homes survive, when the 

overwhelming majority of the 

surrounding houses burned to 
the ground? Johnson really doesn’t know, but speculated that the coating of Tex-Cote on his house might have 
been part of the reason. (Tex-Cote is a product that is sprayed on the exterior walls, like stucco, and it is designed 
to reflect the sun’s heat and reduce the exterior wall surface temperatures by as much as 40° F.) “When 
the workers sprayed it on, they were a little sloppy around some the attic vents and somewhat covered the 
openings. But that might have actually helped to keep embers out of the attic.” He also had recently installed 
a new roof. Additionally, his home sits in a small valley with a small ridge line to the north and east. It’s possible 
that the lay of the land in that little cul de sac kept the fire away from his house. “Still,” he exclaims, “my 
neighbor’s homes to my south, and north, and west, all burned to the ground!” 

On Las Flores Avenue in Altadena, I visited my friend Daniel MacPherson at the burned-out wreckage of what 
had been his home. As far as you could see in all directions, there was no neighborhood left—it all burned 
down. However, Daniel took me to see the one surviving house about a half-block east of his former home. We 
looked at the stucco house, and wondered why it survived. There were a lot of succulents growing around the 
place, but otherwise we could not define anything that set it apart, except the eaves under the roof overhangs.
Daniel pointed out to me that they had covered the openings that you often see in the eaves—a place where 
embers can blow into the attic. We did not disturb the tenants, and only looked from a distance, but it appeared 
the eaves were covered in something that could have been flat pieces of metal or even something like drywall. 

Outdoor sprinklers are useful in protecting yourself from a wildfire—though not from a kitchen fire. Indoor 
sprinklers might be good for a kitchen fire, but have proven ineffective for something like the Eaton fire, where 
the threat is outside, not inside. 

Plants, pro and con. The fire department inspection personnel will tell you to clear all vegetation from around 
your house. The distance of clearance varies with each jurisdiction, but sometimes residents are told to clear up 
to 200 feet, which means they want you to cut down everything in small lots. It is not a settled fact that clearing 
all plant life around your house will automatically protect your house from fire, though certain dead vegetation 
which ignites easily should be removed (such as pines, eucalyptus, and palms). There were cases where 
houses burned and the lots were absolutely cleared of vegetation. One theory is that, rather than thinking of 
the vegetation as a hazard, it could actually block burning embers from getting to your house. In fact, there are 
several stories out of the Altadena Eaton fire where the tall deodar cedar “Christmas trees” of Christmas tree 
lane (Santa Rosa Avenue) appeared to have provided some protection against the burning, blowing embers. 

I once watched a spreading grass fire in an open acreage in northeast Los Angeles. It was set by two boys playing 
with matches, and there was little wind that day. The grass fire moved westward and burned an acre in 
about three minutes. It met a literal wall of prickly pear cactus and, as I was standing not far away with shovel 
in hand, I could hear the cactus sizzle as the fire died. 

The ability to repel fire largely depends on the variety of vegetation you have growing. And other significant 
factors include such things as the time of year and relative dryness and humidity, direction of the wind, the lay 
of the land, and more. 

Trying to make a science of this is tricky at best. Those whose homes have survived a fire where all other homes 
were burned may have employed one or more of these factors. Some survivors seem to have employed none at 
all, and yet, the house survived. 

Why? Some say it’s just luck. Others say it’s “the will of god.” While there may be something to both of these 
ideas, it seems to me that if you do as many of these fire-protecting measures as possible, both “luck” and 
“God” are more likely to be on your side. 


SUPERDUPER 
SWEETEST 
PAIR! 

It doesn’t get anybetter than this pair!
Gonzo and Enzo 
are the sweetest 
kittens we have ever 
fostered! 

Born on the streets, they were found under a car after

the rest of their litter mates had died. Getting to know

these two has been an absolute delight. From day

one they’ve been the cuddliest duo! They are both lap


cats and absolutely love people! So much so they are

always looking to spend time with you or be near you or follow you around! They are also 
very playful and will run around together chasing after 
their fuzzy toys. Then they will settle in for some lightgrooming together and fall asleep preferably as close toyou as possible. Gonzo is a little bigger than Enzo and isjust a floppy cat! As soon as you carry him he melts into 
your arms and wants to be held like a baby. Enzo is more 
compact and such a curious little guy. He is very lovingand so funny with a heart-shaped mark on his side, and atail that curls over his back almost like a pug. 


These boys are as close to Purr-fection as can be! Theybring so much joy and will be the perfect addition to their 
people. See their adorable pictures and apply to meetthem at https://www.lifelineforpets.org/enzo--gonzo.
html. 

Pet of the Week

 Meet Chili — a sweet girl at PasadenaHumane with just the right amount of spice!
This 3-year-old Pointer/Pit Bull mix is equalparts playful and easygoing, happiest whenshe’s lounging by your side or soaking upaffection.

 Chili loves exploring on walks (withplenty of sniff stops!) and enjoys getting 
out and about, but she’s just as content 
relaxing, curled up on the couch. She’sdone great while out on foster field trips —
calm in public, quiet at restaurants, and aperfect passenger who naps in the car.Hersuperpower? Loving people. Chili is gentle,
affectionate, and ready to add a little warmth

— and spice — to your life. 
Adopt Chili today!The adoption fee for dogsis $150. All dog adoptions include spay or 
neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate 
vaccines. 
Walk-in adoptions are available every day from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. View photos ofadoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org.New adopters will receive a complimentaryhealth-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filledwith information about how to care for your pet. 


Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters byphone calls or email. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com