A new home built in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles is designed to withstand up to three hours of direct fire exposure — giving hope to Angelenos terrified of losing their homes to wildfires.
The home is slated as LA’s first Type 1 ADU — the highest fire-resistance classification — and is located just minutes away from where the Eaton Fire evacuation zone was.
“In the hills of Eagle Rock, Builtech Construction completed Los Angeles’ first known ICF (Insulated Concrete Form)-based ADU built to meet Type I standards, the highest fire-resistance classification under the International Building Code (IBC) and California Building Code (CBC),” Builtech Construction — the company behind the build — announced.
Builtech Construction is a California-based group that helps “California homeowners plan, harden, and build homes designed to better resist embers, radiant heat, and wildfire exposure,” according to their website.
The allegedly fireproof house is a two-bedroom, 1,150-square-foot home that only cost $410,000 to construct. Its windows are fire-resistant while the rooftop plumbing vent uses cast iron, which replaces the go-to plastic vent that melts and opens a fire pathway.
The ICF uses lightweight hollow foam blocks filled with concrete in order to form a solid, non-combustible wall.
The construction was allegedly completed in only 10 days by only a handful of people.
“Honestly, I was surprised by the price; it came in right around what we were quoted for a regular wood home… Knowing our family has a home that can stand up to fire and whatever else comes, that peace of mind is priceless,” the homeowner said.
After the devastating Eaton and Palisades Fire killed at least 28 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures in early 2025, the project comes at a time when many California homeowners are searching for tangible ways to protect their families from future fire disasters.