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Pillar 02 · The Structure
Harden your home, working outward from the walls
The Home Ignition Zone is the 30 metres around your home, divided into three priority areas. Start with the most vulnerable band — the 1.5 metres touching your walls — and move outward. Then close the openings on the structure itself.
The Home Ignition Zone
Tap a zone — or a tab — to see exactly what to do there.
Three zones, one rule: start closest
Each zone has its own job. The immediate zone stops embers from finding fuel against your walls; the intermediate zone breaks the path of surface fire; the extended zone lowers the intensity of fire before it ever gets close.
The structure itself
Close the openings, top to bottom
Zone work removes the fuel around your home. Hardening the structure removes the ways embers get into or onto it. These are the components that decide whether an ember shower finds a way in — listed roughly in order of how vulnerable they are.
Roof
Your roof is the largest target for falling embers. A Class-A fire-rated assembly offers the best protection — metal, asphalt, clay, and composite rubber tiles all qualify. Untreated wood shakes are the worst case: combustible, with crevices that trap embers. Keep the surface and valleys clear of needles and leaves.
Vents & soffits
Attic, eave, and soffit vents pull embers straight into the roof space. Cover every vent with non-combustible metal mesh of 1.5 mm (1/8 inch) openings or smaller to block ember intrusion while still allowing airflow.
Gutters
Gutters collect exactly the fine, dry debris embers love. Clean them every season, and consider non-combustible gutter guards. A roof and perimeter sprinkler can keep gutter debris and roof surfaces wet during an active event.
Siding
Vinyl siding melts under high temperatures, opening a path for fire into the wall cavity. Favour non-combustible or fire-resistant cladding such as fibre-cement, stucco, brick, or metal, and seal cracks, gaps, and holes where embers could lodge.
Windows
Radiant heat can crack single-pane glass, letting fire inside. Tempered or multi-pane glass resists heat far better. Repair or replace broken windows and damaged screens before the season.
Decks & attachments
An attached deck can carry fire straight to the home. Keep the area underneath clear of stored combustibles, screen the gaps, and treat the deck — and any attached fence — as part of the structure when you plan the immediate zone.
A burning shed or detached garage close to your home becomes a radiant-heat and flame source of its own. Apply the same roof, vent, and clearance thinking to outbuildings within the Home Ignition Zone.
Next: Defensible Space & Landscaping → Get the HIZ self-assessment PDF
Zone guidance adapted from FireSmart Canada and FireSmart Alberta's Home Ignition Zone resources. FireSmart® is a trademark of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. See About & Sources for full citations.