Lot clearing and brush mowing in Carson City, NV

Carson City has more raw ground inside its limits than most people expect. The Census Bureau measures about 144.5 square miles of land for about 58,400 residents, so sagebrush parcels sit between subdivisions, behind shops and along the foot of the hills on every side of town.

At a glance

• Yard at 6301 US Highway 50 East, about 4.5 miles from the town centre
• About 66% of Carson City buildings are in the indirect (ember) exposure zone
• Waterfall Fire (2004, 8,765 acres) mapped about 2.6 miles from the centre
• A certified arborist walks the lot before any machine starts

Why does a weedy lot in the middle of town matter?

Because most of Carson City's buildings sit in the indirect exposure zone. The USDA Forest Service ranks the city's wildfire risk to homes higher than 98.5% of US communities, yet it puts only 10.3% of buildings in the direct exposure zone. The largest share, 65.9%, is in the indirect zone, where the threat is embers and fire passing from one property to the next.

An unmowed parcel full of dry grass is a place for an ember to land and a path for flame to reach the fence next door. Cutting it to stubble takes that path away. That is why brush mowing an empty lot is fire work even when the nearest wildland is a mile off.

What kinds of Carson City parcels do we clear?

We clear vacant infill lots, the back of large residential lots, commercial and industrial yards, parcels at the base of the hills, and building sites that need trees, stumps and brush out before the pad is cut.

• Vacant infill lots waiting for a house, a shop or a sale
• The unbuilt back portion of a large residential lot
• Commercial and industrial yards with brush along the fence
• Parcels at the base of the hills where sagebrush runs up to the property line
• Building sites that need trees, stumps and brush out before the pad is cut

Trees and stumps go with lot clearing. Thick brush and small trees are a job for the masticating head. Open flats of sagebrush and weeds are mowed.

How does a clearing job run here?

A clearing job starts with your call, then an arborist walks the parcel and writes a free estimate, the crew brings only the machines the lot needs, and the brush and trees are mowed, masticated, removed and hauled as the estimate says.

1. You call 775.232.8243 or send the form, and tell us where the parcel is and what you want it to become.
2. An arborist walks it with you, notes the lot lines, wells, meters, fences and any trees worth keeping, and writes a free estimate.
3. The crew brings only the machines the lot needs. With the yard this close, a second machine is a short drive if the ground turns out to need it.
4. Brush is mowed or masticated, trees are removed, and logs and debris are loaded and hauled as the estimate says.

When is the right time to mow?

The Carson City weather station averages about 9.3 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991-2020 normals), and most of what grows on an open lot does its growing in spring. Annual grass and weeds are usually cut once they are up and before they dry out, which in most years means late spring into early summer. Sagebrush and other woody brush can be mowed in any month.

The fire record is the reason not to skip a year. The National Interagency Fire Center maps the Waterfall Fire of 2004 at 8,765 acres with its centre about 2.6 miles from the middle of town, and the C-Hill Fire of 1988 at 1,799 acres, centred about 1.6 miles away.

Should the lot be scraped bare?

Usually not. The University of Nevada, Reno Extension's Living With Fire guide says removing all vegetation is not good for ecosystem health and can lead to more invasive weeds and grasses such as cheatgrass. Bare dirt also blows. Mowing leaves the roots and a low stubble, and mastication leaves a layer of chips, so the ground stays covered while the fuel comes down.

Battle Born Tree Service was voted First Place, Best Tree Service, in the Nevada Appeal Best of Carson City poll, 2018 through 2025. The same crew that takes down the trees runs the clearing equipment.