---
title: Home Ignition Zone: The Area Around a House That Burns
url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/home-ignition-zone/
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/)
- [Arborist glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/)
- Home ignition zone

# What is home ignition zone?

The home ignition zone is the home and its surroundings out to about 100 feet, the area where embers and flames are most likely to ignite a house. Research on wildfire losses points to what is inside this zone, more than the forest beyond it, as the main factor in whether a house survives.

## What is inside it

The zone includes the roof, gutters, siding, vents, decks and fences, plus plants, woodpiles, mulch, patio furniture and stored materials near them. In Nevada, the University of Nevada, Reno Extension's Living With Fire guide splits the zone into three bands: Zone 0 at 0 to 5 feet, Zone 1 at 5 to 30 feet and Zone 2 at 30 to 100 feet. See [what is defensible space](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/what-is-defensible-space/).

The idea behind it is that fire reaches a house by flames, radiant heat or [embers](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/embers-and-firebrands/), and the owner controls what is there to catch.

## Why it matters in Northern Nevada

Much of the Truckee Meadows, Carson Valley and the Tahoe Basin sits at the edge of wildland fuels (see [wildland-urban interface](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/wildland-urban-interface/)). The USDA Forest Service's Wildfire Risk to Communities data puts many local places higher than most US communities. Trees close to the house, limbs over the roof and shrubs against the siding are things an owner can change. See [wildfire risk to homes in Northern Nevada](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/wildfire-risk-to-homes-northern-nevada/).

## What an arborist does about it

Battle Born's defensible space and fire mitigation work is tree and brush work inside this zone: removing dead trees and limbs, limbing up, thinning crowns and clearing brush. The arborist walks the property, explains which trees and shrubs raise the risk, and writes up the work. See [defensible space and fire mitigation](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/defensible-space-fire-mitigation/).

A simple test from the guide: stand at the house and look at what touches it or hangs over it. A branch on the roof, a shrub under a window and a woodpile on the deck are the first things to change.

### Sources

- [University of Nevada, Reno Extension: Living With Fire (SP-23-07)](https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=5522) (read October 17, 2026)
- [USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities](https://wildfirerisk.org/download/) (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

- [Arborist glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/)
- [What is defensible space? Zones 0, 1 and 2](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/what-is-defensible-space/)
- [Defensible space and fire mitigation](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/defensible-space-fire-mitigation/)

## See also

[Fire-resistant plants](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/fire-resistant-plants/) [Fire adapted community](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/fire-adapted-community/) [Embers and firebrands](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/embers-and-firebrands/) [Fuel break](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/fuel-break/)