California’s fire season is technically thought to stretch from late spring through the fall, but if we have learned anything from the last few fires, it’s that absolutely nothing can be predicted.
The entire state is at risk of fires, and that risk can intensify at any time.
As a rental property owner, there are a unique set of challenges when it comes to maintenance, insurance, and preparation. Fires can rage through heavily wooded and forested areas and as we learned early in 2025 during the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, they can ravage cities and densely populated areas, too.
With hotter temperatures, prolonged droughts, and strong winds becoming the norm for communities across California, wildfires are an increasing threat to both urban and rural areas. For landlords and
property managers, this means taking proactive steps to protect their investments, ensure tenant safety, and remain compliant with state and local regulations.
How to handle maintenance during these perilous times of fire risk? We’re taking a closer look at that and providing some tips and advice that will hopefully help property owners across the state protect their investments.
Before you can prepare adequately for fires and maintain a property in a way that makes them less likely to be destroyed by a fire, it helps to understand them.
Here’s an admittedly over-simplified way to think about fires and how they start and why they spread:
When a wildfire takes hold in an area, homes and structures are ignited by embers and the radiant heat that is caused by the fire and flames. Those embers pose the greatest threat as wind can carry them ahead of a fire front, igniting spot fires in and around residential areas.
When we see footage of homes lost and entire neighborhoods destroyed, it’s because certain factors in those areas make the homes more vulnerable.
This is important information when you’re making a plan to protect your own rental property and to contribute to creating a fire-safe community.
Having a plan in place won’t necessarily stop a wildfire, but if you take a few important actions, you might find yourself able to avoid the very worst in wildfire damage. These are some of the things you’ll need to prepare your California investment property and yourself for the quick action that’s needed.
Your emergency plan should include:
Enable Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) on your cell phone. This registration will ensure you receive wildfire emergency alerts on your cell phone in California. Most phones have WEAs enabled by default, but it's good to verify. You may also need to register your phone number with a local emergency notification system for more specific wildfire alerts.
Stuck on trying to enable these alerts? We have some quick instructions
| For Android Phones | For iPhones |
|---|---|
| 1. Open Settings: Navigate to your Android device's Settings app. | 1. Open Settings: Go to your iPhone's Settings app. |
| 2. Find "Safety & Emergency": Scroll down and find the "Safety & emergency" or a similar option. | 2. Tap "Notifications": Select the "Notifications" option. |
| 3. Select "Wireless emergency alerts": Tap on this option. | 3. Toggle "Test Alerts": Ensure that "Test Alerts" are turned on |
| 4. Enable "Allow alerts": Ensure the "Allow alerts" toggle is switched to the "on" position. | |
| 5. Choose Alert Types: You may be able to choose which types of alerts you want to receive (e.g., "Extreme threats," "Severe threats," "Public safety messages"). |
You’ll need to coordinate your emergency plan with your tenants, too. Know how they are going to get out of the property, if necessary, and make sure they know how to safely evacuate. Communicate emergency plans and evacuation routes to tenants and make sure all of their contact information is up to date so you can reach them. Let them know about WEAs if they don’t know already.
As
property managers in California, we’re always talking about the importance of preventative maintenance. It protects your property. It reduces the risk of emergencies. It keeps the value of your investment increasing, and it ensures the condition of your rental property remains
attractive to prospective and existing tenants.
Good preventative maintenance can also help you out during fire season.
Do everything you can to prepare and protect your property while there’s not an immediate threat.
| Start with a complete inspection and ongoing maintenance of the roof and gutters in your rental property. Make any necessary replacements. For example, replace a wood shake or wood shingle roof with a Class A fire-resistant-rated roof cover, which includes asphalt shingles, tile, slate, and metal roofs. Replace any domed, plastic skylights with flat, multi-paned, tempered glass skylights. Make sure you have metal or aluminum gutters in place. | Think about how air flows throughout your property and whether it would be easy for fire to get inside through vents and other openings. Install ember-resistant vents. Clean vent screens and make sure there are mesh or metal screens to prevent any ember entry through vents. |
| Keep a safe vertical clearance on exterior walls. Experts recommend a minimum of 6 vertical inches (measured from the ground up and from any attached horizontal surface like a deck) of noncombustible siding material. This might be fiber-cement, brick, stone, stucco, or exposed concrete foundation. | Clear vegetative debris from decks and porches. Remove anything that’s stored under decks or stairs, and make sure there’s no way for embers to get into that space. |
We work with a lot of California rental property owners who have recently upgraded doors and windows in order to fight off potential fire threats. Tempered, multi-paned, and fire-resistant glass blocks are all good options.
Creating a noncombustible buffer is an important part of any maintenance plan that addresses fire threat.
Embers travel ahead of a fire, and that’s where the trouble starts.
Maintain your investment property in a way that would keep those dangerous embers away from your property. One good way to do that is by creating a hardscape barrier that’s at least five feet from your property. Replace combustible fencing. Experts recommend that property owners maintain a five-foot ignition zone.
This zone needs to be free of anything that could be combustible.
In this zone, you don’t want tenants to keep any plants and furniture or even cars. Firewood and lawn tools should be in a shed or a garage, and at least five feet from the property.
To effectively protect your property:
Proactive landscaping and hardscaping are the first lines of defense when it comes to maintaining your property in a way that protects it from high fire risk. Follow the state’s defensible space regulations, which mandate those specific clearance zones around structures:
Hiring a certified landscaping company with fire mitigation experience can be a worthwhile investment, especially in high-risk zones. And if you’re confused about the zones and the buffers and all the logistics that come with maintaining your property in this way, reach out to us. We can get the right team in place to help.
During fire season, regular inspection and maintenance of critical property systems become even more important. If you don’t already have a checklist of seasonal maintenance to-do items in place, this is a good reason to put one together.
| HVAC Systems | Electrical Wiring | Roof and Gutters |
|---|---|---|
| Clean or replace air filters to prevent smoke infiltration and keep indoor air breathable. Even if a fire is many miles away, the smoke can drift into communities that are nowhere near the flames. There’s still a danger of air pollution and environmental degradation. Keeping the ventilation clean and safe in your rental property is a good way to protect your tenants. | Hire a licensed electrician to check for frayed or exposed wires that could become fire hazards. It’s important to always keep your electrical system safe and updated, and that importance takes on a new sense of urgency when we think about what a faulty wire or a simple spark can do during an already high-risk fire season. | Clear debris from roofs and gutters, as dry leaves can act as tinder. You don’t want to invite the fires to find your property by leaving the things that will attract them. Work with a roofer and other professionals to make sure the exterior of your property is not working against the rest of your maintenance plans. |
Also, consider fire-resistant upgrades such as the ember-resistant vents that we talked about, as well as Class A fire-rated roofing materials, and dual-pane tempered glass windows. We keep recommending these things because we know that they can make a significant difference in how you protect your property.
If a wildfire feels imminent or is even potentially going to impact your properties, expect your tenants to be emotional and worried. You’ll want to remain professional and resourceful. Be direct, be kind, and be ready to help. Human life is always going to be more important than property, and you want to make sure your tenants know how to stay safe.
Keep tenants informed of fire risks, evacuation procedures, and maintenance schedules. Share expectations around what you need from them. Good communication builds trust and helps ensure everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency.
Provide tenants with:
It's also wise to send text or email updates during red flag warnings or nearby wildfire events. This is a situation in which over-communicating is more than acceptable.
We’re focusing on maintenance in this blog, so make sure you’re clear about how tenants can help you maintain your property, especially during fire season. Explain why flammable plants right up against the house are not allowed. Talk about ember prevention and ventilation. The more information tenants have, the more they can help you protect your investment from fire damage and destruction.
| Worst Case Scenarios: When It’s Time to Evacuate |
|---|
| Evacuating from a fire is a stressful and difficult experience. If you live close to your rental property, you’re likely to be impacted by a local fire, too. Have a go-bag ready. It should include food, water, medications, and important documents. This go-bag needs to be easily accessible. Make sure your tenants are advised to do the same. Let’s say an evacuation is ordered. Before your tenants leave your home, confirm that they’ve been able to shut off the gas, shut windows and doors, and remove any flammable items. You want to make your property less attractive to a raging wildfire. Ask tenants to make plans for their pets. Make it easy for firefighters and rescue operations to reach your rental property. Improve access with a wide driveway clearance. Make sure address numbers are visible from the street. |
Under
California law, landlords are required to keep rental units habitable, which includes protection from foreseeable hazards like fire. When thinking about your maintenance plans, remember that some of the most relevant obligations include:
Failure to meet these standards could lead to liability if a fire damages the property or harms tenants.
For wildfire maintenance, always look for state, local, and federal resources that minimize the cost of work for you. If there is a fire that impacts your rental, there are likely going to be nonprofit organizations available to help your tenants access new housing as well as any basic supplies that they need.
Recent victims of California wildfires have worked with Red Cross, FEMA and other government and private organizations to access assistance. Local providers also put together shared housing and resource exchange programs.
A post-fire plan will include immediate maintenance and long-term planning. Having a contingency plan can make recovery faster and less stressful:
Make sure you know what’s available to you and your tenants. Gather all of the information you’ll need for insurance claims, and reach out to your property manager for help in rebuilding once the immediate danger has passed and it’s time to assess the damage and move forward.
Review your insurance policies, too. Make sure your
landlord insurance includes adequate fire coverage, including coverage for structure replacement costs, loss of
rental income, and smoke damage restoration.
Encourage (or even require) tenants to carry renter’s insurance with fire coverage. This protects their belongings and can reduce disputes over liability after a fire.
It’s important to be vigilant as wildfires continue to threaten California. While it’s nearly impossible to predict when and where they will take hold, the more prepared you can be, the better off you’ll be if and when they arrive on our doorstep. Prioritize fire safety for yourself, your tenants, and your property.
We’d love to help you maintain your property better, especially as the risk of fire grows. Please contact us at Niguel Point Properties to talk about it.
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Corp license: #01987260
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