Does Nevada law require 100 feet of defensible space?

What the statute says

NRS 472.500 says an owner of land within the State Forester Firewarden's jurisdiction must eliminate and remove a fire hazard on the property when directed to do so. If the owner does not comply in the time given, the Firewarden may do the work and recover the cost, including as a special assessment against the property. That is the whole duty. There is no distance in it.

Whether your parcel sits inside that jurisdiction depends on its location, so a call to your fire district or the Nevada Division of Forestry is the way to find out.

Where 100 feet comes from

The number most people remember is the outer edge of Zone 2 in the Living With Fire guide from University of Nevada, Reno Extension: Zone 0 is 0 to 5 feet, Zone 1 is 5 to 30 feet and Zone 2 runs 30 to 100 feet or more. That is guidance for homeowners, not a statute.

The same guide gives a table that moves the number with the fuel and the slope. For trees on flat to gently sloping ground it lists 100 feet, and for trees on very steep ground, over 40 percent, it lists 200 feet. Shrub and woodland fuels such as sagebrush, pinyon and juniper reach 200 feet once the slope passes 20 percent.

Local rules can be bigger

Fire districts adopt their own wildland urban interface codes and run their own inspections. The North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District says most properties there need 100 to 200 feet. If your zone reaches past your property line, the guide suggests asking the neighbor to work together.

Our two ISA Certified Arborists can walk the lot and mark what to thin, limb up or remove, but the district decides what counts for your address. For the full zone picture, read what is defensible space. Call 775.232.8243 or use the free estimate form to book a visit.