As fall cleanup begins across the Truckee Meadows, many Reno homeowners are already thinking about next year's yard projects. Local landscaping company Grand Design Landscape is encouraging residents to make wildfire readiness part of that planning, starting with the ground closest to the house. This matters because, as wildfire seasons grow longer and more intense across the West, the steps taken in a residential yard can mean the difference between a home surviving a wildfire or being lost.
According to the University of Nevada, Reno Extension's Living With Fire program, research suggests embers cause up to 90% of home ignitions during wildfires. That statistic shifts the focus from the flames of a fast-moving wildfire to the tiny, wind-borne embers that can slip through vents, land on roofs, and accumulate in mulch and vegetation. The program describes defensible space as vegetation around a home that has been managed to reduce the threat of wildfire, and notes there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, the guidance divides the yard into zones.
In the ember-resistant zone, 0 to 5 feet from the home, the program says it is critical to routinely remove all dead and flammable vegetation. Living With Fire also recommends removing woodpiles, wood mulch, dead leaves, pine needles, and flammable shrubs such as junipers and sagebrush from that closest zone. Farther out, the lean, clean and green zone, 5 to 30 feet from the home, aims to prevent fire from spreading from vegetation to the house.
Ben Benesch founded Grand Design Landscape, which provides landscaping reno homeowners use for full yard installations, hardscape, and irrigation. He said the closest strip around the house is often the most overlooked. "A lot of yards around here have bark mulch and junipers right up against the siding because that's what was installed years ago," Benesch said. "That first few feet is exactly where you want to rethink what's on the ground."
Hard surfaces are one way to rework that space. The company's reno hardscaping projects include patios and walkways that can replace planting beds near the home. By swapping flammable mulch and shrubs for concrete, pavers, or gravel, homeowners can create a noncombustible buffer that reduces the chance embers will find fuel. Grade changes add another layer. On sloped lots, retaining wall reno nv projects can create level areas that are easier to keep clear and maintain. A flat, hardscape terrace is simpler to sweep clean of pine needles and leaves than a steep, planted slope.
"My advice to a neighbor is to walk the house this fall and look at the first five feet," Benesch said. "If it's dry, woody, or full of mulch, that's the place to start, and winter is a good time to plan the fix."
Larger changes start on paper. Through its landscape design reno process, the company plans layouts that place plants, irrigation, and hard surfaces with each zone in mind. That approach allows homeowners to address wildfire risk while still achieving a functional and attractive yard.
Grand Design Landscape is a Reno-area landscaping and hardscaping company founded by Ben Benesch and run with his wife, Allison. The company provides landscape design, patios and pavers, retaining walls, artificial turf, irrigation, xeriscape, and drainage solutions. It serves Reno, Sparks, Spanish Springs, Carson City, and surrounding Northern Nevada communities.
The broader implication is that wildfire preparedness is becoming a routine part of home maintenance and landscaping in Northern Nevada, not just a seasonal emergency measure. As more homeowners consider the first five feet, demand for hardscaping, retaining walls, and zone-based landscape design is likely to grow, reshaping how yards in fire-prone communities are built and maintained.
