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[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

This is the reply from my friend the retired So. Cal forest fire chief:

Regarding your question about home protection in a wildfire there are  
two parts which include the home itself and the vegetation around it.  
Suggest you look at this website http://www.firesafecouncil.org/  the  
focus mostly on the vegetation but have some good home exterior stuff  
too. Permanent water storage with a pipe preconnected to the water  
and threads that the FD can connect to or drive up to and draft.

I also like the idea of permanent hydrants charged and ready to go  
with hose that will reach around buildings. In Arkansas [where they  
just bought a place] we have a community water system plus we have a  
traditional water system with three wells, pressure tank and that  
stuff. I'll put in either a generator to run the well system when the  
power goes out or a gas run motor for a fire pump. You can also lay  
pipe around the perimeter and use a temperature switch to start up  
the system while your away from home.

From my Ozark experience I would say that eliminated the grass and  
leaves around structures, metal roof enclosed eaves and the water  
source mentioned above. I was on quite a few fires in the Ozarks and  
don't remember any with structures that were burned down from  
vegetation fires. However the climate is changing and So Cal fire  
types might eventually move to other areas.