--- title: Does Bark Mulch Near the House Raise Fire Risk? url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/defensible-space-and-fire/does-bark-mulch-near-the-house-raise-fire-risk/ business: Battle Born Tree Service address: 6301 US Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701 phone: 775.232.8243 hours: Office Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm; phones answered seven days a week; 24-hour emergency service credentials: ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A on staff; Nevada Business License # 20131580674; fully insured type: Tree service (removal, crane work, pruning, stump grinding, defensible space, snow removal, firewood) --- - [Home](https://battleborntreeservice.com/) - [Questions and answers](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/) - [Defensible space and fire](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/defensible-space-and-fire/) - Does bark mulch near the house raise fire risk? # Does bark mulch near the house raise fire risk? Yes. A 2008 burn test in Carson City found that all eight mulches it tried were combustible, and the Extension publication does not recommend any of them within 5 feet of a house. Composted wood chips burned least, while shredded rubber, pine needles and shredded cedar burned worst. ## What the Carson City test found The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension publication The Combustibility of Landscape Mulches reports an evaluation run in Carson City in 2008 by the Carson City Fire Department, the Nevada Tahoe Conservation District and two Extension offices. Eight mulches were lit on a hot, dry afternoon with fans simulating wind, and flame height, rate of spread and temperature were measured. Shredded rubber, pine needles and shredded western red cedar showed the most hazardous fire behavior. Composted wood chips showed the least hazardous behavior overall. ## Distances to remember Because every mulch tested was combustible, the publication does not recommend any of them within 5 feet of a house or other structure. It suggests rock or other noncombustible material there. The Living With Fire guide agrees: Zone 0 should hold no wood mulch. From 5 to 30 feet the Living With Fire guide allows mulch in a limited way. It says to limit wood mulch to 1 inch in depth and to make distinct islands surrounded by green, irrigated plants or hardscape, so the mulch cannot carry fire to the house. The publication puts the most hazardous mulches at more than 30 feet from the house, if used at all. ## Mulch is not the villain The same publication lists real benefits: less water use, cooler soil, fewer weeds and less erosion. Mulch also helps trees, and a small ring around a trunk away from the house is a different matter from a bed against the wall. We chip wood and brush, and wood chips are on our service list, but we would not spread them against your siding. For where chips do and do not belong, read [free wood chips: uses and limits](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/free-wood-chips-uses-limits/). The arborist can check your beds at an estimate visit; call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243). ### Sources - [University of Nevada Cooperative Extension: The Combustibility of Landscape Mulches (SP-11-04, PDF)](https://naes.agnt.unr.edu/PMS/Pubs/1510_2011_95.pdf) (read October 17, 2026) - [University of Nevada, Reno Extension: Living With Fire Defensible Space Guide (SP-23-07, PDF)](https://naes.agnt.unr.edu/PMS/Pubs/2023-5522.pdf) (read October 17, 2026) ### Talk to the office [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) | Monday to Friday | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm | |---|---| | Saturday and Sunday | Office closed, phones answered | Phones answered seven days a week. 24-hour emergency service. [Free estimate](#quote) ### Keep reading - [Free wood chips: uses and limits in a fire-prone yard](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/free-wood-chips-uses-limits/) - [What is defensible space? Zones 0, 1 and 2](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/what-is-defensible-space/) - [Defensible space and fire questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/defensible-space-and-fire/) - [Defensible space and fire mitigation](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/defensible-space-fire-mitigation/) - [Firewood and wood chips questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/firewood-and-wood-chips/) ### Terms on this page [Arborist](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/arborist/) [The full glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/) ### All defensible space and fire questions - [Defensible space and fire questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/defensible-space-and-fire/) ## Next defensible space and fire questions people ask [Is cheatgrass part of defensible space?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/defensible-space-and-fire/is-cheatgrass-part-of-defensible-space/) [What should I do with the branches and slash after clearing?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/defensible-space-and-fire/what-to-do-with-branches-after-clearing/) [Does Nevada law require 100 feet of defensible space?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/defensible-space-and-fire/does-nevada-law-require-100-feet-of-defensible-space/) [Do all my trees have to come out for defensible space?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/defensible-space-and-fire/do-all-my-trees-have-to-come-out/) [How far apart should trees be for defensible space?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/defensible-space-and-fire/how-far-apart-should-trees-be/) [Can I keep a woodpile next to the house?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/defensible-space-and-fire/can-i-keep-a-woodpile-next-to-the-house/) [Previous question: Is cheatgrass part of defensible space?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/defensible-space-and-fire/is-cheatgrass-part-of-defensible-space/) [Next question: What should I do with the branches and slash after clearing?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/defensible-space-and-fire/what-to-do-with-branches-after-clearing/)