Key takeaways
- Zone 0 (0 to 5 feet) is the ember-resistant zone: no woodpiles, no combustible mulch, no dead leaves or needles.
- Zone 1 (5 to 30 feet) is lean, clean and green: minimum flammable vegetation, discontinuous islands of plants, irrigated and healthy.
- Zone 2 (30 to 100 feet) is reduced fuel: remove dead vegetation, add separation between shrubs, shrub groups and trees, and remove ladder fuels.
- Nevada law does not set a single 100-foot rule. The State Forester Firewarden can direct an owner to remove a fire hazard under NRS 472.500.
The zones are guidance, not a single statewide distance rule, and local fire districts set their own requirements. Use this guide to understand what each ring is for, then ask your fire agency what it expects at your address.
The three zones at a glance
| Zone | Distance from the building | What the guide asks for |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 0, ember-resistant | 0 to 5 feet | Clear woodpiles, combustible mulch, dead leaves and needles. Use gravel, rock or pavers. Remove junipers, sage and other high-hazard plants. |
| Zone 1, lean, clean and green | 5 to 30 feet | Keep flammable vegetation to a minimum, leave discontinuous islands of plants, keep plants healthy and irrigated, and avoid mass plantings of shrubs and trees. |
| Zone 2, reduced fuel | 30 to 100 feet | Remove dead or dried vegetation, separate shrubs, shrub groups and trees, and remove ladder fuels. |
Why do the first five feet around a house matter most?
Embers can travel ahead of a wildfire and land on a roof, in a gutter or against the wall. If something that burns sits within 5 feet of the house, an ember can become a fire at the siding. That is why Zone 0 is about what touches or sits next to the building: wood mulch, a woodpile, dry needles, a juniper under a window.
Hardscape is the simple answer here. Gravel, pavers and rock do not burn. If you keep plants in Zone 0, the guide says to choose low, nonwoody types with high moisture content. Walk the edge of your house and look at every item within arm's reach of the wall, including the doormat, the patio furniture and the bark in the planter.
Zone 1: lean, clean and green
In Zone 1 the goal is to break up the fuel so fire cannot run in a continuous line toward the house. Think islands of plants with open ground between them, not a hedge of shrubs and trees from the fence to the foundation. Mulch can be used, but not in a continuous, widespread layer, and it should be surrounded by noncombustible material such as decomposed granite or irrigated lawn.
In pine country the guide also says to remove pine needles from Zone 1 once in the spring, since they build up through fall and winter. Keep the plants you keep healthy and irrigated when you can, because a green, watered plant holds more moisture than a stressed, dry one.
Zone 2: reduced fuel and ladder fuels
Zone 2 is where most of the tree and brush work happens. Remove dead or dried vegetation, thin so shrubs and trees are separated, and remove ladder fuels, the low-growing vegetation that carries fire from the ground into tree crowns. See our guide to ladder fuels and limbing up. In pine-dominated areas the guide says not to let needles on the ground exceed 3 inches in depth.
The guide also notes that stripping out all vegetation is not good for the land and can bring in invasive weeds such as cheatgrass. The aim is reduced and separated fuel, not bare dirt.
What does Nevada law say about defensible space?
NRS 472.500 says owners of land within the State Forester Firewarden's jurisdiction must remove a fire hazard when directed to. The statute does not contain a distance figure, so you will not find a statewide "100 feet" rule in it. Local fire districts adopt their own wildland-urban interface rules, and the Tahoe Basin has its own agencies. Ask the fire agency for your address what applies, and see evaluations and chipping programs by fire district.
Where Battle Born Tree Service fits
Our crew does defensible space and fire mitigation, lot clearing, brush mowing and masticating, and a certified arborist assesses every job before work begins. We can walk a property and describe the work by zone, and we can do the cutting, chipping and haul-off. The fire agency, not a contractor, decides what your district requires. Call 775.232.8243 for a free estimate.
Sources
- University of Nevada, Reno Extension: Living With Fire (SP-23-07) (read October 17, 2026)
- Nevada Legislature: NRS Chapter 472, Forest and Watershed Lands; Fire Protection (NRS 472.500 and 472.520) (read October 17, 2026)