Home ignition zone
The home itself plus the 200 feet around it — the area whose condition determines whether your house survives a wildfire.
The home ignition zone (HIZ) is a concept developed by fire scientist Jack Cohen: post-fire studies show a house ignites because of the condition of the structure and everything within roughly 200 feet of it — not the wall of flame on the horizon. Most homes that burn are lost to wind-blown embers and small surface flames, not direct contact with the fire front. The HIZ is divided into the immediate zone (0–5 ft), intermediate zone (5–30 ft), and extended zone (30–100/200 ft). Hardening the structure and clearing the immediate zone are the highest-leverage actions. See [wildfire home preparation](/guides/wildfire-home-preparation).