--- title: Hazard Trees After a Wildfire: Check Before You Go Back url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/hazard-trees-after-a-wildfire/ business: Battle Born Tree Service address: 6301 US Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701 phone: 775.232.8243 hours: Office Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm; phones answered seven days a week; 24-hour emergency service credentials: ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A on staff; Nevada Business License # 20131580674; fully insured type: Tree service (removal, crane work, pruning, stump grinding, defensible space, snow removal, firewood) --- - [Home](https://battleborntreeservice.com/) - [The Field Guide](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/) - Hazard trees after a wildfire: what to check before you go back # Hazard trees after a wildfire: what to check before you go back After a wildfire, treat every burned or scorched tree as a possible hazard until an arborist has looked at it. The Forest Service advises assuming a dead or damaged tree could fall and affect an area up to two times its height, and even green trees in heavily burned areas are at high risk of breaking or uprooting. Key takeaways - Only return when the agency in charge says it is allowed, and follow closures and signs. - Stay out of the area two tree heights around dead or damaged trees until they are assessed. - Roots can burn out, leaving voids and unstable ground under and around a stump. - Rain and wind raise the risk of a burned tree failing. Call an arborist and, if a line is involved, NV Energy. Our region knows this scene. The mapped fires near Carson City, Reno and Tahoe include Waterfall (2004), Washoe Drive (2011) and Davis (2024). When you are allowed back, the fire may be out, but the trees are not done moving. ## What is a hazard tree after a fire? The Forest Service defines a hazard tree as one with a structural defect that makes it likely to fail in whole or in part. Fire adds new defects to the usual ones from age and disease. The agency says it is often hard to judge the long-term survival of scorched trees, since some will die and others recover, so you cannot tell by looking from the driveway. That is why the safe rule is distance first and judgment second. ## How far away should I stay? The Forest Service says to assume that a dead or damaged tree could fall and affect an area up to two times its height, and to give yourself extra room. A 60-foot pine can reach 120 feet in the wrong direction. Think about where branches or the whole tree could land before you choose where to walk, park or stand. The agency also advises extra caution after rain and in high winds. Fire-weakened trees can fail days or weeks after the flames are out. ## What is dangerous under the ground? Burned stumps may leave large holes, and the holes may be bigger than they look. The Forest Service says fire can burn through root chambers and consume the woody roots, leaving empty tunnels where solid wood used to be. The weight of a person or vehicle on a root chamber can make it collapse. Large trees have particularly big and deep root chambers. Stay out of burned stump areas, and keep children and pets away. Do not dig around burned stumps by hand to check. ## When do I call an arborist and who else? The ISA recommends that trees with defects be examined by an ISA Certified Arborist, and for a burned yard that means before you rake, rebuild or sit under the canopy. If a tree is on a house, a car or a road, or a limb is hanging in a line, keep back. Call 911 if anyone is hurt, call NV Energy about any line, then call us on the 24-hour line at [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243). Our [emergency tree service](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/emergency-tree-service/) page explains what we do for storm and fire-damaged trees. Our crew includes two ISA Certified Arborists, and a certified arborist assesses every job before work begins. ## What comes after the hazard trees are down? Hazard trees are only the first step. Slopes and burn scars bring runoff and erosion, and the Forest Service warns that plant roots that decompose stop holding soil. Read [removing trees on slopes without starting erosion](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-removal-on-slopes-erosion-control/) before you plan big removals on a hillside. For rebuilding your defensible space, see [what is defensible space](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/what-is-defensible-space/) and [lessons from local wildfires](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/lessons-from-local-wildfires/). ### Sources - [USDA Forest Service: Burned Area, Travel and Recreating (fact sheet, April 2025)](https://www.fs.usda.gov/media/253456) (read October 17, 2026) - [International Society of Arboriculture, Trees Are Good: Recognizing Tree Risk (brochure)](https://www.treesaregood.org/Portals/0/TreesAreGood_Recognizing%20Tree%20Risk_0721.pdf) (read October 17, 2026) ### Talk to the office [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) | Monday to Friday | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm | |---|---| | Saturday and Sunday | Office closed, phones answered | Phones answered seven days a week. 24-hour emergency service. [Free estimate](#quote) ### Keep reading - [Emergency tree service and storm clean-up](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/emergency-tree-service/) - [Warning signs before a tree fails](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/warning-signs-tree-failure/) - [Widow-makers and hanging limbs after a wind storm](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/widow-makers-hanging-limbs/) - [Trees and power lines in NV Energy territory](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/trees-and-power-lines-nv-energy/) - [Large wildfires near Carson City, Reno and Lake Tahoe since 1980](https://battleborntreeservice.com/data/large-wildfires-since-1980/) - [Storm damage and insurance claims](https://battleborntreeservice.com/who-we-serve/storm-damage-insurance-claims/) ### Terms on this page [Arborist](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/arborist/) [The full glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/) ## More from the blog Pruning and care October 17, 2026 5 min read ### What should you do with your trees in October in Carson City and Reno? In October, finish watering while the ground is open, look over your trees for dead or hanging limbs, and clear leaves and needles away from the house. Save most live-wood pruning for the dormant seas Pruning and care October 17, 2026 6 min read ### Young trees in new subdivisions: the first ten years A young tree in a new subdivision needs very little pruning in its first two or three years, then steady structural pruning to build one strong central trunk and well-spaced branches. The ISA says tre Removal and equipment October 17, 2026 6 min read ### Where tree debris and green waste go in Reno and Carson City Green waste has a few legitimate homes in our area: the landfill or transfer station if the load is only wood and green waste, a fire district drop-off day or curbside chipping program if you qualify, [All posts](https://battleborntreeservice.com/blog/) ## Questions people ask Still have a question? Call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243). Phones are answered seven days a week. ### Is a tree that still has green needles safe? Not necessarily. The Forest Service says even green trees surrounded by heavily burned areas are at high risk of breaking and uprooting. ### Can I cut up a burned tree myself? We do not recommend it. Burned trees can be unpredictable, and the ground around them may be hollow. Have a certified arborist look first. ### Will my tree come back? The Forest Service says survival of scorched trees is often hard to judge. An arborist can say what to watch and when. ### Is it safe to return right after the fire is out? Follow what the fire agency and county tell you. Do not enter closed areas.