In the 1.5 to 10 metre zone, break up fuel and remove debris
The intermediate zone runs from 1.5 metres out to 10 metres (roughly five to 30 feet) from your home. FireSmart and Firewise USA recommend planting...
The intermediate zone runs from 1.5 metres out to 10 metres (roughly five to 30 feet) from your home. FireSmart and Firewise USA recommend planting only fire-resistant vegetation here, removing woody debris and bark mulch, and getting rid of stored combustibles like firewood piles, scrap lumber, patio furniture cushions, and outdoor storage sheds attached to the house. Keep grass cut short and well watered, and rake up dry leaves, twigs and conifer needles whenever they accumulate. Group plants in small islands separated by gravel or short lawn rather than continuous flammable beds. Trees in this zone should be spaced so their crowns do not touch, and lower branches should be pruned up at least two metres from the ground. The aim of this band is to slow any approaching fire, lower its flame height and reduce the radiant heat reaching your walls and windows. Even modest improvements here — a cleared firewood pile, a swept deck, a thinned hedge — measurably lower the chance that a wildfire arriving at your property line ever reaches the building.
A firewood pile stacked against the house is essentially a pre-built campfire waiting for an ember — moving it just 10 metres away dramatically lowers the chance of structure ignition.
Source: FireSmart BC — Home Ignition Zone
Last reviewed 2026-05-02.
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