Originally Posted By: speedemon
Or, how would you keep a shingle roof from catching fire when embers are landing on it?

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.