Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District: defensible space and trees

What the district offers residents

Defensible space code

For property in designated wildland-urban interface areas, the district's table lists fuel-modification distances of 30 feet (moderate hazard), 50 feet (high) and 100 feet (extreme). Depending on the water supply available when the building was built, the distance may be 1.5 times the table figure, and it can be increased by site-specific analysis. Tree crowns within 10 feet of a structure must be pruned to keep 10 feet of horizontal clearance, and limbs less than 6 feet above the ground within the defensible space must be removed.

Owner responsibility

The district says the owner is responsible for modifying, removing and disposing of non-fire-resistive vegetation, that defensible space must be maintained for the life of the building, and that failing to maintain it may affect an insurance claim.

Curbside chipping

The fall 2026 program was free to Washoe County residents who have disabilities, low incomes or are elderly and cannot take green waste to a collection site. Requests closed October 1, chipping was scheduled October 10 to 17, and material had to be 8 inches or less in diameter. It is not a year-round program.

Green waste

Twice a year, in spring and fall, residents can drop off woody fuels from around their homes at designated north and south locations. The district also says green waste can go to Waste Management drop-off locations year-round.

Fuels crews and restrictions

The district lists a Fuels Module crew that is generally available for hire. On the day we read it, Stage 1 fire restrictions were in effect from October 1, 2026 and pile burning was prohibited.

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.

Of the districts in our service area, Truckee Meadows Fire publishes the most. Here is what its pages say, as read on the day we wrote this.

How does tree work fit in Washoe County?

We found no City of Reno-style tree permit for private property in unincorporated Washoe County, but the district's code does govern what has to be pruned and cleared around structures in designated areas. A defensible space inspection is also required for some county permits. Ask the district which hazard level and distance apply to your parcel.

Galena and the Mt. Rose Highway corridor (ZIP 89511) and Palomino Valley (ZIP 89510) have no USFS record of their own, so the Washoe County figures apply. See permits in Northern Nevada.

What do the numbers say for the district's towns?

USFS Wildfire Risk to Communities rates risk to homes higher than 97.2 percent of US communities in Washoe Valley (93.7 percent of its 2,268 buildings in the direct-exposure zone) and Washoe County overall. Lemmon Valley is higher than 99.2 percent (45.3 percent directly exposed), Verdi 98.8 percent, Spanish Springs 98.6 percent, Cold Springs 98.4 percent, Sun Valley 97.7 percent and Golden Valley 96.7 percent (64.7 percent directly exposed).

Mapped fires of 300 acres or more with centers within about 10 miles include Hawk (2026, 15,083 acres) near Verdi and Lemmon Valley, Bug (2026, 93,733 acres) near Cold Springs, Davis (2024, 5,824 acres) near Washoe Valley and Galena, and Sparks (1983, 25,541 acres) near Sun Valley and Spanish Springs. Those are mapped acres only.

What does Battle Born do in the district?

We do defensible space and fire mitigation, lot clearing, brush mowing and masticating, trimming and limbing up, and removal of dead and hazardous trees, with a certified arborist assessing each job. Washoe Valley is about 25 minutes from our Carson City yard without traffic; Spanish Springs about 53 and Cold Springs about 59. Call 775.232.8243 for a free estimate.