Can I keep a woodpile next to the house?

Why the first five feet matter

Embers from a wildfire land on whatever is nearest the wall, and a stack of dry wood catches readily. Living With Fire calls the first 5 feet Zone 0, the ember-resistant zone, and lists woodpiles first among what to remove, along with wood mulch, junipers and dead leaves and needles. The Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District makes the same point: preventing embers from igniting a home is done mostly in that non-combustible zone.

The area under and around an attached deck counts too, so a stack tucked under the deck is a stack in Zone 0.

The 30-foot rule

For the wider Zone 1, the guide's checklist says to keep firewood at least 30 feet from any structure. The North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District puts firewood on its list of things to remove from the first 30 feet, with dead shrubs, dried grass and pine needles.

Thirty feet is more than many city lots allow. When it cannot be met, move the stack as far as the lot permits, keep it away from fences and sheds as well, and ask your fire district what it will accept. An inspector decides what passes for your address.

What to do about it

Stack seasoned wood away from the house on bare ground or gravel, and keep clear ground around it. Our guide on how to season and stack firewood covers the drying side.

If you plan to keep wood from a tree we remove, tell the arborist at the estimate and ask where the crew can leave it; the same 30-foot logic applies to where it lands. Call 775.232.8243 to talk it through.

If your lot is small and 30 feet is impossible, say so to the inspector. A stack that is small and as far out as the lot allows is a better answer than a stack against the wall. Never store wood under a deck or in a shed attached to the house.