--- title: Lessons From the Davis, Caldor, Tamarack and Waterfall Fires url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/lessons-from-local-wildfires/ 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/) - Lessons for homeowners from the Davis, Caldor, Tamarack and Waterfall fires # Lessons for homeowners from the Davis, Caldor, Tamarack and Waterfall fires Federal perimeter data records the Waterfall fire (2004) at about 8,765 acres, Tamarack (2021) at about 67,054, Caldor (2021) at about 221,784 and Davis (2024) at about 5,824. The practical lesson is the same each time: embers and nearby fuel decide what burns, so the 5 feet around the house matter most. Key takeaways - Waterfall (2004): about 8,765 acres, Carson City west side. - Davis (2024): about 5,824 acres, Washoe Valley and south Reno area. - Tamarack (2021): about 67,054 mapped acres. Caldor (2021): about 221,784 mapped acres. - After the Angora fire, TRPA reports that 75 percent of surviving homes in the burn area had some form of defensible space. We state only what the mapped records show: name, year and size. We were not on these fires and tell no stories about them. ## The four fires | Fire | Year | Mapped acres | |---|---|---| | Waterfall | 2004 | 8,765 | | Tamarack | 2021 | 67,054 | | Caldor | 2021 | 221,784 | | Davis | 2024 | 5,824 | Acres are the GIS perimeter figure from the National Interagency Fire Center and may differ from final incident reports. ## Why do embers matter as much as flames? Wildfires throw embers ahead of the main fire, which is why University of Nevada, Reno Extension's Zone 0 is the first 5 feet: no woodpiles, combustible mulch, leaves or needles, and no junipers or sage against the wall. Clean gutters and the roof edge too. ## Lesson 2: the fuel near the house is the part you control You cannot change a forest that is miles away. You can change Zone 1 (5 to 30 feet) and Zone 2 (30 to 100 feet). TRPA reports that after the Angora fire at Lake Tahoe, 75 percent of surviving homes in the burn area had some form of defensible space. That is not a guarantee, but it points the same direction. ## Lesson 3: large fires are regional, not personal Carson City has 17 mapped fires of 300 acres or more since 1980 with a perimeter centroid within about 10 miles of the city point. That is a statement about the region over 46 years, not a prediction for your street. Our wildfire-risk guide has the USFS numbers by community. ## Is fire season longer than summer? The Living With Fire guide notes that plants are dormant in fall and winter, hold less moisture and can burn easily. Do pine-needle cleanup in the spring, and walk the property again before summer. ## What this page does not say We do not describe how these fires started, how they behaved, or what they destroyed, because the perimeter data does not tell us and we have not confirmed those details with a second source. If you want incident reports, the agencies that managed each fire publish them. What the mapped record does show is that big fires have been part of this region for decades, and that is enough reason to work the zones around your home. ## Using the record Look up the fires closest to your street on our data page, note the year and size, and use them as a reminder to schedule your spring cleanup. If you live near Washoe Valley or the Carson City foothills, ask your fire district what it recommends for your lot. If you live in Douglas County, the Tamarack and Caldor perimeters are nearby history for the Carson Valley and the Tahoe Basin. ## What we can do We do defensible space and fire mitigation, brush mowing, masticating, lot clearing and tree work, and a certified arborist assesses each job. Call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) for a free estimate. ### Sources - [National Interagency Fire Center: Interagency Fire Perimeter History and WFIGS Interagency Fire Perimeters](https://services3.arcgis.com/T4QMspbfLg3qTGWY/arcgis/rest/services/InterAgencyFirePerimeterHistory_All_Years_View/FeatureServer/0/query) (data pulled October 1, 2026) - [University of Nevada, Reno Extension: Living With Fire (SP-23-07)](https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=5522) (read October 17, 2026) - [Tahoe Regional Planning Agency: Trees and Defensible Space](https://www.trpa.gov/trees-and-defensible-space/) (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 - [Large wildfires near Carson City, Reno and Lake Tahoe since 1980](https://battleborntreeservice.com/data/large-wildfires-since-1980/) - [Wildfire risk to homes in Northern Nevada: what the numbers say](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/wildfire-risk-to-homes-northern-nevada/) - [What is defensible space? Zones 0, 1 and 2](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/what-is-defensible-space/) - [Defensible space checklist for Carson City's west side](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/defensible-space-checklist-carson-city/) - [Washoe Valley](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/washoe-valley/) - [Lake Tahoe, Nevada side](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/lake-tahoe-nevada/) ### Terms on this page [TRPA (Tahoe Regional Planning Agency)](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/trpa/) [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. ### Did the Davis fire burn into Reno? The record shows a mapped perimeter in the Washoe Valley and south Reno area. We do not make claims about individual properties. ### Why are the Caldor and Tamarack fires on this list? Both are 2021 fires in the National Interagency Fire Center perimeter record for the region, at about 67,054 (Tamarack) and 221,784 (Caldor) mapped acres. ### Where can I see all the fires? Our large wildfires since 1980 data page lists them with year and mapped acres. ### Does defensible space work? It improves the odds. TRPA reports that 75 percent of surviving homes in the Angora burn area had some form of defensible space.