Rare Earth Hardwoods supplies dense, naturally ignition-resistant Brazilian hardwood species — several independently tested to a Class A fire rating — for decking, siding, fencing, and structural rebuilding in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) and Fire Hazard Severity Zone communities, including current rebuilds in Los Angeles County and across fire-prone regions of the West.
Density is the mechanism behind ignition resistance in solid hardwood: a tightly packed, low-resin species like Ipê, Cumaru, or Massaranduba conducts heat away from a flame source and chars rather than flaring, slowing ignition and flame spread compared to softwoods and less dense domestic species. Several Brazilian hardwoods, Ipê among them, have been independently tested to a Class A rating under ASTM E84 (Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials) — the same flame-spread and smoke-developed classification used for roofing and interior finish materials industry-wide.
It's important to be precise about what that does and doesn't mean for a wildfire rebuild. California's Chapter 7A of the California Building Code (“Materials and Construction Methods for Exterior Wildfire Exposure”) governs construction in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas and designated Fire Hazard Severity Zones, and decking specifically is evaluated under SFM 12-7A-4, the State Fire Marshal's full-assembly ignition-resistance burn test — a different, more specific test than ASTM E84. A general Class A surface-burning rating is a genuine, useful data point about a species' fire behavior, but it is not the same as a product being tested to SFM 12-7A-4 and listed on the State Fire Marshal's Building Materials Listing (BML) as WUI-compliant decking. We haven't sought that specific listing for our lumber, and we tell every wildfire-rebuild customer the same thing: confirm your project's exact Chapter 7A, WUI, or local Fire Hazard Severity Zone material requirements with your building department, fire marshal, or architect before finalizing a spec, especially for decking and other elements attached to the structure.
That code landscape also includes California's evolving Zone 0 rule (the ember-resistant zone within 0–5 feet of a structure, per Senate Bill 63), Zone 1 and Zone 2 defensible space requirements, and home-hardening guidance from CAL FIRE's Ready for Wildfire program covering ignition-resistant siding, boxed eaves, ember-resistant vents, and noncombustible fencing where it connects to the house. Dense hardwood is a strong fit for many of these elements — decking beyond the strictest ember-resistant zone, fencing runs away from the structure, structural framing, and siding — and we regularly supply rebuild projects in Malibu, Pacific Palisades, and Altadena alongside other fire-prone Western markets.
Tight, low-resin grain slows ignition and flame spread compared to softwoods and less dense domestic species.
Several species, including Ipê, have been independently tested to a Class A rating under ASTM E84.
Decking, siding, fencing, and structural lumber for Chapter 7A and Wildland-Urban Interface projects.
Species and test data you can hand to your architect, fire marshal, or building department for review.
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Every species on this page is sourced through our own Zero Impact Brazil facility, harvested sustainably and ethically, in compliance with all applicable regulatory agencies. We supply wildfire-rebuild projects across Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and other fire-prone Western markets, and we'd rather tell you exactly what a species can and can't claim than oversell it on a page like this one.
It describes how readily a material catches fire and how fast flame spreads across its surface once ignited. Dense hardwoods resist ignition better than softwoods because their tight, low-resin grain conducts heat away from a flame source and chars rather than flaring. It's a real, measurable property (tested under standards like ASTM E84), but it's a different concept from a specific code listing such as California's SFM 12-7A-4 decking standard — see the next question.
Not automatically, and we want to be direct about that. California's Chapter 7A evaluates decking under SFM 12-7A-4, a full-assembly ignition-resistance burn test administered by the State Fire Marshal, and a product generally needs to be tested to that standard and appear on the State Fire Marshal's Building Materials Listing (BML) to be specified as compliant decking in a designated WUI or Fire Hazard Severity Zone. A species-level Class A ASTM E84 rating is a genuine fire-performance data point, but it isn't the same test or listing. We haven't sought SFM 12-7A-4 listing for our lumber, so confirm your project's exact requirements with your local building department, fire marshal, or architect before finalizing a decking spec in a regulated zone.
Chapter 7A, “Materials and Construction Methods for Exterior Wildfire Exposure,” sets material and construction requirements for new construction and many remodels within Wildland-Urban Interface areas and designated Fire Hazard Severity Zones — covering decking, siding, eaves, soffits, vents, windows, and more. Requirements can vary by jurisdiction and by county amendment, which is why current Altadena and Pacific Palisades rebuild guidance both point homeowners back to their local building department for the specifics that apply to their parcel.
Ipê is the species most commonly independently tested to a Class A rating under ASTM E84 (surface burning characteristics), and other dense species in our catalog share the same density-driven fire behavior even where a formal test hasn't been published. Ask us for available test documentation on a given species if you need it for your architect or building department.
Zone 0 is the ember-resistant zone within roughly 0 to 5 feet of a structure, defined under California's evolving Senate Bill 63 rulemaking, and it calls for nearly nonflammable materials immediately adjacent to the house. Requirements are still being finalized at the state level as of this writing, with some counties and insurers already enforcing stricter standards ahead of the formal deadline — if your deck or its ledger attaches within that zone, confirm current Zone 0 rules with your local jurisdiction before specifying decking material.
Often, yes, particularly for fencing runs away from the structure, structural framing, and siding, where dense hardwood's natural ignition resistance is a genuine asset — though siding and any fencing segment connecting to the house typically has its own ignition-resistant or noncombustible material requirements under Chapter 7A. As with decking, confirm the specific requirement for your zone and application with your building department or architect.
Tell us your location, Fire Hazard Severity Zone designation if known, and which elements you're specifying — decking, siding, fencing, or structural — and we'll recommend species and share available test documentation.
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