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Wildfire-ready building in Ashland and the Rogue Valley

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The Almeda fire started on September 8, 2020, and burned through the Rogue Valley in a matter of hours. Jefferson Public Radio reported that it destroyed more than 2,600 homes across Ashland, Talent, Phoenix and Medford. It was the most destructive wildfire in Oregon’s recorded history.

After the fire, Ben The Builder rebuilt several homes in Talent for families who lost theirs. Ben lived in Talent, and his own house was still standing with burned houses on three sides. Those homes were finished in 2023. This guide covers what the rules are now, and what you can do to your own house.

The state wildfire map was repealed in 2025

Oregon passed Senate Bill 83 in 2025. It repealed the contested statewide wildfire hazard map. It took effect right away as an emergency measure. Sources differ on whether the governor signed it on July 24 or July 28, 2025. Either way, it is law.

According to the legislature’s staff summary, SB 83 also removed the map’s link to defensible space rules, its link to the building code’s wildfire standards, and the wildfire question on the seller’s disclosure form.

What this means for you: no state map now decides whether wildfire building rules apply to your lot. Your city or county decides.

ORSC R327, the state’s wildfire building code

The wildfire section of Oregon’s house code is R327, Wildfire Hazard Mitigation. After SB 83, it is optional. Each city or county chooses whether to adopt it. The current version took effect August 5, 2025, and became permanent January 1, 2026.

As of October 7, 2026, the state Building Codes Division lists five places that have adopted it: Ashland, Bend, Deschutes County, Grants Pass and Sisters. Medford, Talent and Jackson County were not on that list.

Where it applies, R327 covers new houses and their accessory buildings, new additions, and replacing a whole exterior part of a house, such as the entire roof or all the siding. Partial repairs are exempt, and so are some small detached sheds of 400 square feet or less that sit at least 50 feet from living space.

Ashland’s rules cover the whole city

Ashland expanded its Wildfire Hazard Zone to the entire city in 2018, and it has adopted R327 into its building code (AMC 15.04.010). For a new home, addition, ADU or whole-roof replacement in Ashland, plan on building to R327.

The city’s Building Safety Division asks for a Wildfire Mitigation Plan Submittal Form. It shows how the project meets R327 for the roof, gutters, vents, siding, eaves, decks and windows. We have not seen in writing exactly which Ashland projects need the form, so ask the city or ask us. Building Safety is at 541-488-5305.

In Ashland’s Wildfire Lands, replacing half or more of a roof within five years requires a Class B roof covering or better.

Hardening the house: what R327 asks for

Here is the plain version. Your building department has the final word.

  • Roofs: asphalt, metal, slate, tile, clay or concrete, rated at least Class B as an assembly. No wood shakes or wood shingles. Valleys get metal flashing.
  • Gutters and downspouts: noncombustible, with guards to keep leaves out.
  • Vents: ember- and flame-resistant vents, or metal mesh with openings between 1/16 and 1/8 inch. Vents under the eaves are not allowed unless they are made to resist embers and flame, or sit 12 feet or more above the ground. Ashland’s form asks for eave vents tested to ASTM E2886.
  • Siding: noncombustible or ignition-resistant materials, or a layer of 5/8 inch Type X exterior gypsum behind the siding, from the foundation to the roof.
  • Eaves, porch ceilings and underfloors less than 12 feet above the ground: fire-resistant protection.
  • Decks: walking surfaces between 30 inches and 12 feet above the ground need fire-tested, ignition-resistant or noncombustible decking. Decks of 200 square feet or less built with 2 inch lumber are exempt.
  • Windows, glass doors and skylights: tempered glass, multilayer glazing, glass block, or a 20-minute fire rating.

Where R327 does not apply, the same list is still a good guide for anyone replacing a roof, siding, vents or a deck.

Defensible space around the house

Defensible space means clearing or thinning what can burn near the house. It does not mean stripping the yard bare.

Oregon no longer has a statewide defensible space requirement. SB 83 replaced it with a model code, the 2026 Oregon Defensible Space Model Code, which took effect April 29, 2026. Cities, counties and fire agencies may adopt it. We did not find a list of places that have.

The State Fire Marshal describes three zones:

  • 0 to 5 feet from the house: rock, gravel or pavers. Remove flammable plants.
  • 5 to 30 feet: keep grass under 4 inches, and space tree crowns 10 feet apart.
  • 30 to 100 feet and beyond: remove ladder fuels, the low branches and brush that carry fire up into trees.

The Fire Marshal also does free defensible space assessments. They are advice only.

Ashland’s landscaping rules

Ashland’s land use code (AMC 18.3.10.100) sets rules for Wildfire Lands. A new house, or a deck, addition or detached building that adds 200 square feet or more, needs a fuel modification area. For an addition or deck, that area runs 30 feet out, or to the property line if closer. It has to be in place before combustible building materials arrive on site.

  • No bark mulch, stored wood or dry leaves and needles within 5 feet of a new building, addition or deck.
  • No plants from the city’s Prohibited Flammable Plant List within 30 feet of a building or deck.
  • Keep listed flammable trees 10 feet from chimneys, roofs and walls.
  • Fencing attached to the house or deck must be noncombustible within 5 feet of the house.

The city’s Fire Adapted Ashland page names juniper, arborvitae, cypress, coniferous shrubs, bamboo and overgrown rosemary as plants to keep away from buildings.

What the Almeda fire showed

OPB reported the fire was driven by winds near 40 miles per hour, and firefighters could not stop it. Afterward, Ashland Fire and Rescue’s wildfire division chief told OPB that new construction needs fire-resistant building codes, and existing homes need basic defensible space. He pointed to bark mulch near the house and leaves in gutters as things that catch.

That matches what the codes now ask for. Some of it is small work: metal mesh on the vents, gravel in the first five feet, clean gutters. Siding, roofing and windows are bigger jobs, and the sensible time to do them is when they are due for replacement anyway.

Insurance

A companion bill, SB 85, asked state agencies to study insurance discounts for fire hardening and defensible space. A report was due February 2, 2026. We have not reviewed it. Ask your insurer what they give credit for.

Questions about your house?

If you would like to talk through hardening your house, or building new to R327, I’m glad to help. Fill out the contact form; it reaches us right away and we respond within a day. If you’d rather call, the office is 541-300-8118. The chat on this site can answer questions, pull up costs, code and similar projects, and send your request to the office too.

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