Parts of SOCAL have large numbers of eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus are very oily and when they catch fire they can literally explode; embers from that is what crossed the 10 lanes of interstate.

Fires move and with the right wind and fuel, they can move very fast.

Skimmed most of the thread, but I do have a question from those who do live in wildfire prone areas (not really a concern here, although small wildfires have popped up on occasion). Does a tin roof seem to have a better chance of saving your house? Or, how would you keep a shingle roof from catching fire when embers are landing on it?

I think most asphalt shingles now contain fireproofing additives, but I'm not positive.
-Blast

Wood shingle roof would be a big no-no. But there are any number of things to keeping your home safer. Preventing embers from drifting up under overhanging eaves or into attic vents with mesh screens, clearing dry debris from inside rain gutters, keeping vegetation away from the house, clearing a defensible area around your property, making sure fire trucks can drive down your street (e.g. many hillside homes have very narrow, windy access roads, which are often further constricted with street parking), etc. can increase your odds of saving your home if a wildfire threatens.

One thing you can try with a shingle roof is wetting it down with a hose during the fire event. Particularly try and force water up under the shingles. Good luck since you may well not have sufficient water pressure in your water main due to other demands.

I bought a house here in SoCal that had a wood shingle roof. The first major project I undertook was to replace it with asphalt shingles. They are not fireproof by any means, but they are way better than wood shingles. Oddly enough, it did not change my insurance rate. A tin roof would have made a difference.

True, but one of the little things many people don't realize is that in order to allow the house/attic to breathe we have these louver vent thingies under our eaves.

Air is sucked into the attic through the louver's and exhausts though other vents. During a fire, all it takes is one ember to get sucked up through the louver and it doesn't matter what you have for roofing material. The fire starts under your roof.

I don't think the attic vents should be sucking anything in, they should be letting hot air out, via thermal convection. Of course, this isn't to say that embers couldn't be blown in by wind.

Another thing to remember is to keep your fire hydrants visible. Keep the weeds and shrubbery away from the hydrant so their location is obvious. Many places have a blue reflector embedded in the middle of the street to mark the fire hydrants, but some don't.

If you're downwind of a fire, it's pretty hot as it approaches. It will probably dry out very quickly any moisture you apply to your roof. But if everyone does it, you're probably lowering the water pressure for the fire department. Suit yourself. Keep your fire policy number with you.

You can't stop a wildfire, and you're crazy if you think you can. Get out while you can!

Sue

Sue -- As hot air leaves the attic through vents, it is replaced by air entering through those lower vents. During a wildfire there is a lot of hot air moving inside and outside. If the fire is close enough an ember can easily enter an attic. That's how some of the house fires in SOCAL got started. Nice house, tile roof, fire gets too close and a fire starts in the attic.

You need a very healthy set-back anywhere in the SW. Peeps that build their dream home "cabin-in-the-woods" will find themselves unable to get rid of that treeline fast enough.

Asphalt shingles of today do have a much better fire rating than, 10 yrs ago!The wind created by the wild fire will allow embers to fly in every direction,including under the eves,into the vents,& under the shingles themselves.Swimming pools/Water tanks have saved many homes,many times,I have also seen Full swimming pools full of debris,next to the slab that once contained a home.I wish the Blast family the Best of Luck,& All of Texas for that matter,Be Safe!

The benefit of a tin roof is that it is difficult for embers to enter. The only points of weakness are (normally) around the edges: top ridge, botton edge (near the gutters).
So it pays to seal these areas properly. When fire is possible, folk here are advided to block the down pipes and fill the gutter with water, this stops embers collecting and working under the tin.

Its embers entering the house, esp the roof space that cause many houses to burn, although strong radiant heat, or actual flames will burn it too.

Some people install smoke alarms in their roof. You should make sure that you have a ladder in place so that you can check up there for any embers, and an extinguisher at the ready.

Don't count on municipal water pressure if you are at home during a fire; all you neighbours will have their hoses on and any fire trucks will be hooked up too; and if power fails (as it often does) the pumps which keep the water pressurized will proibably fail too, so there will be no water.

Best practice is to have your own pump with plenty of fuel and a secure water supply like a pool or fireproof water tank/s.

Good luck Blast, but I hope you don't need it !