As California continues to face intensifying wildfire seasons, one homebuilder has decided to rethink what residential development should look like in fire-prone regions. In a bold move that may signal the future of suburban construction, KB Home has launched a pioneering new community in Escondido, California called Dixon Trail, where every single home is designed with wildfire resilience built into its very foundation.
A new model for fire-safe housing
The 64-home Dixon Trail neighbourhood isn’t just a collection of homes with a few safety upgrades—it represents a complete rethink of how residential design can work alongside nature without putting lives or property at unnecessary risk. The development includes a wide range of fire-mitigation strategies, from the layout of the lots to the very materials used to build the structures. Every home features Class A fire-rated roofs, ember-resistant vents, noncombustible gutters, and siding materials designed to withstand extreme heat. The landscaping doesn’t just aim to look good; it uses native, fire-resistant plants and is laid out to create defensible space—key to preventing fires from jumping from one property to the next.
This isn’t just about smart design. It’s also about setting a new benchmark. Dixon Trail is the first residential project in the country to be certified under the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety’s (IBHS) “Wildfire Prepared Home” standard. This relatively new designation is awarded only to homes that meet the strictest criteria for fire resilience. It includes requirements that go beyond California’s already robust building codes, such as specific spacing between homes and rigorous attention to ember protection.
Wildfires are getting worse, and insurance is getting harder to get
California has seen more than 7,000 wildfires each year over the past decade, many of them devastating. Entire towns have been wiped off the map, lives have been lost, and tens of thousands of people have been displaced. According to Cal Fire, over 1.5 million acres of land were burned in 2023 alone.
These worsening fire seasons have also created a crisis in the insurance industry. Major insurers, including State Farm and Allstate, have scaled back their presence in California or stopped issuing new homeowner policies altogether in certain high-risk areas (Los Angeles Times). Many Californians now struggle to find affordable coverage, or any coverage at all. In this context, building communities that insurers actually want to cover is becoming just as important as keeping residents safe.
That’s part of what makes Dixon Trail so relevant. By designing homes that drastically reduce the risk of ignition, KB Home has created a development that appeals not just to residents but to insurers as well. It’s a move that could open the door for other fire-safe neighbourhoods, especially as state regulators look for ways to keep people insured while encouraging smarter development.
The role of design in disaster resilience
One of the key insights behind Dixon Trail is that the way we design communities can dramatically affect how they fare in the face of natural disasters. For decades, suburban growth in the Western U.S. has pushed further into the wildland-urban interface—the zone where homes meet forests, brush, and grasslands. This zone is especially vulnerable to wildfires, but often the homes built there are not.
The IBHS standards used at Dixon Trail require a combination of defensible space, ember-resistant materials, and layout strategies that make it harder for fire to spread. For example, homes are spaced far enough apart that flames are less likely to jump from roof to roof. Landscaping is kept clear of wood mulch and includes a buffer of gravel and non-flammable groundcover around the structures. Attic vents are designed to block embers while still allowing airflow. Even the fencing around the homes avoids combustible materials.
“We’re not just building homes, we’re building resilience,” said Jeffrey Mezger, CEO of KB Home, in a company press release. “Dixon Trail reflects our commitment to innovation, safety, and sustainability.”
Making wildfire-ready homes the new normal
While Dixon Trail is the first of its kind, it may not be the last. Interest in fire-resilient design is growing among developers, especially as state governments begin offering incentives or fast-tracking approvals for projects that incorporate these kinds of safety features. There’s also increasing public demand. Homebuyers are becoming more aware of fire risks, and many are seeking out homes that come with built-in protections.
A recent report from CoreLogic found that nearly 1.2 million homes in California are at extreme or high risk of wildfire damage. At the same time, a growing number of cities and counties are beginning to update building codes to reflect the new realities of climate change. Dixon Trail is seen by some experts as a prototype for how the building industry can respond.
Environmental groups also see this type of development as a positive step—if it’s done carefully. Some have raised concerns that wildfire-safe neighbourhoods could be used to justify more expansion into high-risk areas. But others say that if development is going to happen, and it likely will, then it should be done in the most fire-aware way possible.
A blueprint for the future
What makes Dixon Trail particularly interesting is that it’s not a luxury enclave or an isolated project. These homes are designed to be attainable for middle-class families, priced similarly to other new builds in the area. This affordability matters because it makes wildfire resilience accessible, rather than something only the wealthy can afford.
In the long run, building wildfire-ready homes could prove not just safer but more cost-effective. The cost of rebuilding after major fires often runs into the billions—costs that are borne by insurers, governments, and homeowners alike. By investing upfront in prevention, communities like Dixon Trail may help shift that equation.
The success of Dixon Trail could very well set a new standard for development in the West. If this model proves both popular with buyers and viable for developers, it might not be long before entire neighbourhoods across California and beyond begin to incorporate the kinds of design features that now define Dixon Trail.
For now, KB Home’s Escondido project stands as an early example of how forward-thinking design, strict safety standards, and climate adaptation can come together in the form of a neighbourhood that doesn’t just survive wildfire season, but is built for it.