The newer section of Irvine known as the ?Northern Sphere?, during the entitlement process and under the watchful eyes of OCFA, prescribed an intense fuel mod zone. Planted in this zone are fire retardant plants such as succulents, and non drying varieties. The homes should survive the inferno. Most fire ignitions occur on the roofs or at the eaves. Irvine homes are in good standing with concrete or clay tile roofs, where both are by far the most fire resistant. Stucco eaves fair better than wood rafter tails; however, thanks to the building code mandate, wood tails are heavy timber size, which takes longer to ignite. Unfortunately, the area considers the weakest fire barrier would be the vinyl windows? low resistance to heat. I hope all northern Irvine residents return to their home safely soon.
