A new housing community in California's El Dorado County aims to be the safest neighborhood against wildfires that science can create, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Stone Canyon, a 24-home development near Cameron Park along Highway 50, is Northern California's first residential area built from the ground up with fire resistance as the primary goal. Every house features flame-resistant exterior materials, roofing with top fire ratings, and covered eave openings to stop embers from infiltrating the structure.
The project brings together homebuilder KB Home and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), a nonprofit dedicated to disaster-resistant construction. Their Escondido project debuted in 2025.
With one in five California homes facing fire danger, plus Los Angeles homeowners seeking to reconstruct after last year's fires, Stone Canyon provides a template for safer development.
Homes meet IBHS's top-tier certification. A five-foot clearance separates every building from plants and shrubs. Dryer vents crafted from metal, fire-resistant deck boards, and flame-blocking materials on entry points and exterior shutters come standard. A minimum gap of 10 feet between structures prevents fire from jumping house to house while creating access lanes for emergency crews.
The homeowners association will require residents to keep the protective buffer zones around their properties. Stopping fire spread within the community means neighboring areas gain protection, too.
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Construction kicked off in autumn 2025, with completion planned for spring 2027. Prices begin around $780,000. Buyers at the Escondido location all secured standard insurance policies instead of the state's FAIR Plan.
"The collective action across the entire development is what fundamentally changes the risk profile of this place," Roy Wright, CEO of IBHS, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Cal Fire Chief Frank Bigelow called the efforts "essential in California's path of moving forward and becoming a more fire resilient state."
According to Wright, Los Angeles demonstrated why neighbors must work together. Researchers there documented cases where careful preparation by one homeowner meant nothing once flames used unkempt landscaping or patio items next door as fuel.
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