Agoura Hills Vent Mesh Campaign

Community safety

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Embers are the biggest wildfire threat to homes. Homes constructed before 2008, about 96% of the homes in Agoura Hills, were built to the old vent code of 1/4" mesh which allows for fire embers to enter attics and foundation vents. Code today is 1/8" or less. The replacement of these vents averages $4,000-$6,000 per home. We have found a solution by purchasing mesh in bulk rolls and then distributing the cut mesh to the residents. We are looking to subsidize the mesh so that we can get the homes retrofitted for less than $100 per home, resulting in a much larger effective mitigation solution.

The cost of home hardening directly affects the resident's willingness to do wildfire mitigation work on their property. Although we have done a great job of educating the community, we have found cost to be the number one barrier stopping residents from taking the steps to harden their home. We know that if we can lower the cost, the community will be safer. Education + Lower Financial Friction = Wildfire Mitigation Action. We will create awareness through education, subsidized material costs, and train residents, handymen, and contractors on how to install the mesh.

Fire knows no boundaries. What your neighbor doesn't do directly affects you. Most of the large fires in our area start in Chatsworth. The Santa Ana winds drive the fires towards us—we are a defensive line. The wildfire mitigation done in Agoura Hills not only protects our residents but also reduces the fuel and intensity of the fires for residents of Malibu, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Westlake Village, and unincorporated areas in LA County. Our line of defense will help protect over 250,000 residents in LA County.