Fire Resistant Siding for Rebuilding the Grizzly Flats Community

A home is more than its four walls. It’s a place in a community where you can feel a sense of belonging. It’s a place where you create memories, establish new traditions, and find peace at the end of a long day. It’s almost inconceivable that a wildfire could rip all that away in a matter of minutes. But that was the experience of homeowners in the Grizzly Flats community when the Caldor Fire destroyed two-thirds of their homes. “It came so fast. We had just enough time to get out and save ourselves,” said one resident.

The wildfire began on August 14, 2021 near Little Mountain in northeastern California. By the time the Caldor Fire was finally contained two months later, it had completely destroyed more than 1,000 structures. Now, some Grizzly Flats residents are still living in tents or RVs, but they’re determined to rebuild their homes and reclaim their community.

Fire eats through wood and melts vinyl. However, Hardie® siding is fire-resistant and won’t ignite or warp when exposed to a flame, nor will it fuel a fire. There’s a reason why the product is recognized by fire departments nationwide*. For some residents of Grizzly Flats, Hardie® siding helped keep their homes intact and protected their irreplaceable contents.

The Caldor Fire raised awareness about the importance of building materials in helping protect structures against wildfires. It wasn’t the first California wildfire, and it won’t be the last. So as homeowners in Grizzly Flats rebuild, Hardie® fiber cement siding have become a trusted choice of siding material. They have a long way to go before their homes are restored. Fortunately, in a community like Grizzly Flats, people come together in times of hardship.


*Hardie® siding complies with ASTM E136 as a noncombustible cladding and is recognized by fire departments across the U.S. including Marietta, GA, Flagstaff, AZ and Orange County, CA. Fiber cement fire resistance does not extend to applied paints or coatings, which may be damaged or char when exposed to flames.

Duration: 02:17

Video tags: Featured Vendor: James Hardie