Limitations of WUI building codes

Current building codes contribute to improved fire resistance. However, they still fall short of addressing all known ignition vulnerabilities. Even current buildings that are built “to code” are not suitable for use as fire shelters.

The Hazard Mitigation Methodology (HMM), developed by NIST in partnership with CAL FIRE and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), presents a comprehensive approach to WUI fire mitigation. Current building codes (2022) only address a small fraction of the vulnerabilities identified in HMM.