North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District: defensible space and trees

What the district offers residents

Defensible space inspections

The district offers online scheduling for defensible space inspections (DSI). Evaluations follow its defensible space checklist, and a home vulnerability checklist may also be used. The district says an inspection is typically required for projects that need a Washoe County permit, such as short-term rentals or building permits, and other inspections can be requested because of a fire district notice, for insurance or by the homeowner.

What it asks for

The district says distance varies by property based on vegetation and terrain, and most properties need 100 to 200 feet. It asks for a 5-foot non-combustible zone around the home and for fallen needles and leaves to be removed within 30 feet of the house each spring.

Curbside chipping

Hand crews chip branches curbside, by online reservation, spring through fall. The district says requests are typically completed within one week and can take up to three weeks because of fire assignments. Piles can be up to 20 feet long, 6 feet high and 6 feet wide, branches up to 6 inches in diameter, with no stumps, roots, garbage, nails, lumber or pine cones. Commercial piles are not chipped.

Tree removal

The district pages we read do not describe a tree-removal permit process. TRPA says defensible-space tree removal can be permitted by your local fire protection agency, so ask the district before any live tree comes down.

Towns in this district

Sources: USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (April 2026); NIFC fire perimeters of 300+ acres since 1980, centers within about 10 miles of the town point.

Incline Village and Crystal Bay sit at about 6,400 feet on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. Two agencies shape tree work there: TRPA for the basin's tree rules and the fire district for defensible space. Here is how the district describes its own program.

How does a tree come down legally at Incline Village?

TRPA requires a permit to remove live trees over 14 inches diameter at breast height, or over 6 inches between a lakeshore house and the lake. A dead tree that could fall on a house does not need a TRPA permit. Work in a Stream Environment Zone or the lake's backshore needs TRPA review. For fire-safety removals, TRPA says to contact your fire protection agency for permitting and a defensible space evaluation.

Who handles defensible-space tree permits at Tahoe answers the common question, and our permit guide shows how to measure DBH. The agency decides.

What do the numbers say for Incline Village and Crystal Bay?

The USFS Wildfire Risk to Communities data rates Incline Village's risk to homes higher than 97.7 percent of US communities, with 61.0 percent of its 4,749 buildings in the direct-exposure zone. Crystal Bay is higher than 92.9 percent, with 26.6 percent of its 256 buildings directly exposed. Median year built is about 1981 in Incline Village and 1972 in Crystal Bay.

Mapped fires of 300 acres or more with centers within about 10 miles include Martis (2001, 14,429 acres), Little Valley (1981, 5,142 acres) and, for Incline Village, Davis (2024, 5,824 acres). Those are mapped acres only.

What does Battle Born do here?

We do defensible space and fire mitigation, removal of dead and hazardous trees, trimming and limbing up, and haul-off. A certified arborist assesses every job before work begins, and we have two ISA Certified Arborists on staff. We serve the Nevada side only. Incline Village is about 48 minutes from our Carson City yard without traffic; Crystal Bay is about 53.

Many lots here call for hand work, ropes or a crane. Call 775.232.8243 for a free estimate.