Assessing Fire Risks in San Luis Obispo: The Impact of Building Construction and Landscaping on Wildfire Vulnerability

10 pages•Published: June 2, 2026

Abstract

As wildfires grow in frequency and intensity across California, understanding and mitigating residential fire risk has become a public safety priority. Communities in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), such as San Luis Obispo, face heightened exposure due to proximity to natural vegetation and the prevalence of older housing stock. While state and local agencies have introduced regulations and educational campaigns, there remains a need for accessible, scalable tools that help identify vulnerabilities at the individual home level. This project assessed wildfire vulnerability across 135 homes in San Luis Obispo using a visual grading rubric developed from peer-reviewed literature and expert input from a direct interview with Fire Chief Damon Pellegrini. The rubric evaluated ten observable factors, including roof and siding materials, window type, vent and eave protection, defensible space, vegetation contact, and overall property maintenance. Each home received a total score, where higher scores indicate lower wildfire vulnerability, and was categorized as Low, Moderate, High, or Extreme Risk. Results showed clear differences across neighborhoods. Neighborhood 5 had the highest (safest) average score and the fewest High/Extreme-risk homes, while Neighborhood 1 had the lowest average score and the highest concentration of High/Extreme-risk homes. Citywide, over one-third of homes fell into the High or Extreme categories. Common vulnerabilities included wood siding, single-pane windows, and vegetation in direct contact with the structure. These neighborhood-level patterns suggest that observed mitigation features and maintenance vary across San Luis Obispo and may relate to broader neighborhood context, although socioeconomic variables were not directly measured. Overall, the rubric proved effective as a simple, repeatable tool for identifying common structure-level vulnerabilities that can help guide homeowner action and support wildfire preparedness efforts.

Keyphrases: fire mitigation, home ignition risk, residential fire risk, san luis obispo, wildfire preparedness, wildfire vulnerability

In: Wesley Collins, Anthony Perrenoud and John Posillico (editors). Proceedings of Associated Schools of Construction 62nd Annual International Conference, vol 7, pages 525-534.

Links:	https://easychair.org/publications/paper/sxgN
	https://doi.org/10.29007/kgkq