Bark and wood mulch in the first five feet fail IBHS Essential Zone 0

does-not-meet-named-test

IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home requires a 0–5 foot noncombustible zone. The technical standard requires removal of combustible groundcover, including wood and rubber mulch, to bare mineral soil. Bark, wood chips, and rubber mulch in that band fail Essential.

Side-by-side groundcover swatches of bark mulch, rubber mulch, rock, and decomposed granite, labeled for use inside versus outside the first five feet. — **FA Exhibit ZON-020.** Mulch comparison at true scale. After UNR SP-11-04 mulch combustibility study and IBHS Wildfire Prepared groundcover language. Illustrative — not a construction document. Verify with your building official. CC BY 4.0.

As of 2026-08-23. JSON (CC BY 4.0)

Sources

2025 Wildfire Prepared Home Technical Standard — IBHS (standard-body). Accessed 2026-08-23.
0–5 Foot Noncombustible Zone. Remove combustible groundcover such as wood and rubber mulch.
About Wildfire Prepared Home — IBHS (standard-body). Accessed 2026-08-23.
Combustible items including wood mulch must be removed from the 0–5 foot zone.

Bark and wood mulch in the first five feet fail IBHS Essential Zone 0. FireApproved. https://fireapproved.com/findings/bark-mulch-fails-ibhs-zone-0/. As of 2026-08-23.