--- title: Designing Communities to Withstand Fire description: Rancho Mission Viejo shows how science-driven design can build wildfire-resilient communities, protecting homes, insurers, and neighboring cities. image: https://www.xyloplan.com/hubfs/The%20Fire%20Moat.png --- [Skip to the main content.](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/designing-communities-to-withstand-fire#main-content) [![Xyloplan logo](https://www.xyloplan.com/hubfs/Xyloplan%20logos-13.svg "Xyloplan logo")](https://www.xyloplan.com/) [![Xyloplan logo](https://www.xyloplan.com/hubfs/Xyloplan%20logos-13.svg "Xyloplan logo")](https://www.xyloplan.com/) - [FIRE AGENCIES](https://www.xyloplan.com/fire-agencies) - [INSURERS](https://www.xyloplan.com/insurers) - [COMMUNITIES](https://www.xyloplan.com/communities) - WHY XYLOPLAN - [PLATFORM](https://www.xyloplan.com/platform) - [ABOUT](https://www.xyloplan.com/about) - [NEWS & INSIGHTS](https://www.xyloplan.com/news-insights) [Book a demo](https://www.xyloplan.com/book-a-demo) Toggle Menu Toggle Menu [Book a demo](https://www.xyloplan.com/book-a-demo) - [FIRE AGENCIES](https://www.xyloplan.com/fire-agencies) - [INSURERS](https://www.xyloplan.com/insurers) - [COMMUNITIES](https://www.xyloplan.com/communities) - WHY XYLOPLAN - [PLATFORM](https://www.xyloplan.com/platform) - [ABOUT](https://www.xyloplan.com/about) - [NEWS & INSIGHTS](https://www.xyloplan.com/news-insights) [Facebook](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/designing-communities-to-withstand-fire#0) [Instagram](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/designing-communities-to-withstand-fire#0) [Linkedin](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/designing-communities-to-withstand-fire#0) [X](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/designing-communities-to-withstand-fire#0) [YouTube](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/designing-communities-to-withstand-fire#0) [Medium](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/designing-communities-to-withstand-fire#0) 1 min read # Designing Communities to Withstand Fire [![Picture of XyloPlan Team](https://www.xyloplan.com/hubfs/XyloPlan%20Logo_Favicon-2.png) XyloPlan Team](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/author/xyloplan-team) : Updated on August 18, 2026 [XyloPlan News](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/tag/xyloplan-news) [Mitigation](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/tag/mitigation) [Partner Highlights](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/tag/partner-highlights) ![Designing Communities to Withstand Fire](https://www.xyloplan.com/hubfs/The%20Fire%20Moat.png) **Designing for Fire from the Ground Up** In a state grappling with record-breaking wildfire losses and skyrocketing insurance costs, Rancho Mission Viejo offers a story of optimism, and strategic planning. This 23,000-acre development in Orange County, California, has been lauded by insurers and wildfire experts alike for its proactive, layered approach to fire prevention. Rather than avoiding the fire-prone landscape, Rancho Mission Viejo is meeting the challenge head-on, designing its villages to reduce ignition risk, slow fire spread, and protect surrounding communities.   **Built-In Resilience, Backed by Science** From wide, looping roads that double as firebreaks, to underground utilities, ember-resistant construction, and 25 miles of fuel modification zones, the community integrates fire resilience into every layer of its design. It’s also one of the first large-scale developments to be spotlighted in a Milliman report focused on risk reduction and insurance eligibility, supported by XyloPlan’s modeling. XyloPlan co-founder and former Fire Chief Dave Winnacker, who contributed to the study, calls Rancho Mission Viejo a “top-shelf example” of how science-informed development can help inoculate neighborhoods against wildfire. “There’s no silver bullet,” he says. “But when taken in aggregate, these measures create a durable defense.”   **Beyond the Buildings: A Layered Defense Strategy** Rancho Mission Viejo’s approach doesn’t stop at building codes. Open space buffers, grazing programs, a trained fire watch volunteer network, and dedicated on-site emergency infrastructure all contribute to a comprehensive wildfire strategy. With 75% of the land preserved as open space and a wildfire management plan in place, the development even acts as a protective buffer for downwind cities like San Juan Capistrano and Aliso Viejo.   **A Model for Wildfire-Safe Housing** Rancho Mission Viejo’s story demonstrates that new housing and wildfire resilience don’t have to be at odds. In fact, when guided by science and community-scale modeling, they can go hand in hand.   **Read the full article in the *Orange County Business Journal***: [The Fire Moat: Rancho Mission Viejo on High Alert for Prevention](https://www.ocbj.com/real-estate/the-fire-moat-rancho-mission-viejo-on-high-alert-for-prevention/)   **Ready to Turn Risk Into Resilience?** Whether you’re a developer, insurer, or community planner, XyloPlan helps you understand wildfire risk through the lens of relative fire speed, so you can design, build, and invest with confidence. Our science-based modeling tools translate complex fire dynamics into actionable strategies for smarter development and stronger protection. Let’s talk about how we can support your next project. Contact us at [info@xyloplan.com](mailto:info@xyloplan.com).   [![Smart Planning Can Break the Wildfire–Housing Deadlock](https://www.xyloplan.com/hubfs/Opinion%20California%20Can%20Build%20New%20Housing%20That%20Is%20Resistant%20to%20Wildfires.png)](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/smart-planning-can-break-the-wildfire-housing-deadlock) #### [Smart Planning Can Break the Wildfire–Housing Deadlock](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/smart-planning-can-break-the-wildfire-housing-deadlock) ![Picture of XyloPlan Team](https://www.xyloplan.com/hs-fs/hubfs/XyloPlan%20Logo_Favicon-2.png?width=30&name=XyloPlan%20Logo_Favicon-2.png) [XyloPlan Team](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/author/xyloplan-team) : Feb 10, 2025, 12:00:00 AM As California continues to face the dual pressures of a housing crisis and increasingly destructive wildfires, local leaders are grappling with how... [XyloPlan News](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/tag/xyloplan-news) [Mitigation](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/tag/mitigation) [Read More](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/smart-planning-can-break-the-wildfire-housing-deadlock) [![Eagle Valley’s Wildfire Risk Transformation](https://www.xyloplan.com/hubfs/Copy%20of%20Mercury%20Insurance%20Adopts%20XyloPlan%20Wildfire%20Risk%20Scores%20(Facebook%20Ad)%20(4).png)](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/eagle-valleys-wildfire-risk-transformation) #### [Eagle Valley’s Wildfire Risk Transformation](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/eagle-valleys-wildfire-risk-transformation) ![Picture of XyloPlan Team](https://www.xyloplan.com/hs-fs/hubfs/XyloPlan%20Logo_Favicon-2.png?width=30&name=XyloPlan%20Logo_Favicon-2.png) [XyloPlan Team](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/author/xyloplan-team) : Sep 3, 2025, 12:58:27 PM When Hugh Fairfield-Smith helped launch the Eagle Valley Wildland Program in 2019, the idea of coordinated, county-wide wildfire mitigation was still... [Mitigation](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/tag/mitigation) [Partner Highlights](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/tag/partner-highlights) [Read More](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/eagle-valleys-wildfire-risk-transformation) [![3,701 Acres, Not 35,000: How Fire Pathways Turns Wildfire Risk Into Action](https://www.xyloplan.com/hubfs/Paradise%20Report%20Blog%20Thumbnail%20(1).png)](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/3701-acres-not-35000-how-fire-pathways-turns-wildfire-risk-into-action) 1 min read #### [3,701 Acres, Not 35,000: How Fire Pathways Turns Wildfire Risk Into Action](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/3701-acres-not-35000-how-fire-pathways-turns-wildfire-risk-into-action) ![Picture of XyloPlan Team](https://www.xyloplan.com/hs-fs/hubfs/XyloPlan%20Logo_Favicon-2.png?width=30&name=XyloPlan%20Logo_Favicon-2.png) [XyloPlan Team](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/author/xyloplan-team) : Aug 13, 2026, 1:52:07 PM In Paradise, California, speed-based Fire Pathways™ modeling turned a 35,000-acre buffer concept that was too large to implement into a prioritized... [Mitigation](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/tag/mitigation) [Partner Highlights](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/tag/partner-highlights) [Building Resilient Communities](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/tag/building-resilient-communities) [Read More](https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/3701-acres-not-35000-how-fire-pathways-turns-wildfire-risk-into-action) WHO WE SERVE WHO WE SERVE - [Fire Agencies](https://www.xyloplan.com/fire-agencies) - [Insurers](https://www.xyloplan.com/insurers) - [Communities](https://www.xyloplan.com/communities) PLATFORM PLATFORM - [The XyloPlan platform](https://www.xyloplan.com/platform) - [Book a Demo](https://www.xyloplan.com/book-a-demo) ABOUT XYLOPLAN ABOUT XYLOPLAN - [Our Story](https://www.xyloplan.com/about) - [Leadership](https://www.xyloplan.com/about) [![Xyloplan logos-13](https://www.xyloplan.com/hubfs/Xyloplan%20logos-13.svg)](https://www.xyloplan.com) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.xyloplan.com/hubfs/XyloPlan%20Website%20Privacy%20Policy.pdf) © 2026 Xylo Risk, Inc. All rights reserved. [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/xyloplan/) Return to top ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "XyloPlan Team", "url" : "https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/author/xyloplan-team" }, "dateModified" : "2026-08-18T20:36:31.884Z", "datePublished" : "2025-04-28T04:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Designing Communities to Withstand Fire", "image" : [ "https://www.xyloplan.com/hubfs/The%20Fire%20Moat.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.xyloplan.com/blog/designing-communities-to-withstand-fire", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.xyloplan.com/hubfs/Xyloplan%20logos-13.svg" } } } ```