Fire doesn’t just arrive as a wall of flames. It often shows up as embers. In this episode of Unseen Impact, Rory welcomes Captain Robert Johnson of CAL FIRE (San Diego Unit) to explain what most people don’t realize about wildfire behavior and preparedness. In high wind events, embers can travel two to three miles, settling into mulch, gutters, hedges, or vents smoldering unnoticed until a home ignites hours long after the main fire front has moved on.

Captain Johnson breaks down the essentials: maintaining defensible space (starting right at the structure and working outward), focusing on removing dead and dying vegetation, and understanding the “ember-resistant” zone closest to your home. He also dives into home hardening. This is the addressing of weak points like vent mesh, garage door gaps, gutters packed with leaves, and windows vulnerable to radiant heat.

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