I lost my house in the Eaton fire, and in the aftermath, I am in the daunting task of rebuilding. The experience opened my eyes to a significant oversight in current rebuilding legislation. While I was required to install interior fire sprinklers at a staggering cost of $6,800 for my accessory dwelling unit (ADU), and a projected $68,000 just for trenching for my main house, I realized these measures did little to protect homes from the real threats of wildfires.

The architects and builders of Altadena and the Palisades are voicing legitimate and urgent concerns. Current legislation mandates the installation of interior fire sprinklers for all new homes in High fire zones, yet fails to address the necessity of exterior wildfire protection. In communities prone to wildfires, like ours, most homes are destroyed due to embers, radiant heat, and external ignition sources rather than interior fires. This existing requirement gives us, as homeowners, a false sense of security. Homes that are damaged by interior water sprinklers are not covered by insurance but homes that have exterior water sprinklers are most likely to survive and can even have better insurance rates for taking preventative precautions. 

For a more effective approach to fire safety, lawmakers need to revise rebuilding legislation to adopt the following essential measures in High Fire zones:

1. **Exterior Sprinkler Systems:** These systems can prevent homes from igniting when surrounded by flames and embers, a common occurrence in fast-moving wildfires in addition to home hardening.

2. **Ember-Resistant Vents:** Homes should be equipped with vents that prevent embers from entering and igniting a structure internally, thereby enhancing existing safety measures.


The urgent need for these changes cannot be overstated. Every year, countless homes in wildfire-prone areas are lost, and lives are disrupted because of inadequate legislation. Revising these requirements not only makes sense but is necessary to protect our communities now while we rebuild. 

Let us come together to urge our lawmakers to prioritize and integrate these protective measures into existing fire safety regulations. Sign this petition to demand the legislative changes that truly address the root cause of home destruction during wildfires in California.

 UPDATE:

Recently at a LAWC shareholders meeting residents asked if there would be enough water to support the new interior sprinkler requirements and LAWC said "think so" but no amount of water could have prevented the devastation. Later two separate residents commented that insurance would not cover their personal property damaged by the interior fire sprinklers and that their home had survived the wildfire because of exterior water sprinklers on 1/7/2026. You can follow for more updates at @neighborhood_first_responders