Firewood in Gardnerville Ranchos, NV

The Ranchos is a community of about 12,100 residents south of Minden and a median home built in 1987. Almost nobody here uses bottled gas, so heating comes down to utility gas and electricity on one side and a stove on the other.

At a glance

• About 222 households heat mainly with wood
• About 4.6%, in line with Douglas County at 4.5%
• January lows average about 19 F at the Minden station
• About 36 minutes from our Carson City yard without traffic

Count the stoves, not the percent

Percentages hide scale. In Gardnerville Ranchos, 4.6% means about 222 households heating mainly with wood, a bigger group than the whole of Verdi or Golden Valley. ZIP 89460 runs higher, about 6.6% or 382 households (ACS 2020-2024, table B25040). Only about 1.0% of Ranchos households use bottled gas, so wood is the one alternative to a utility-fed system.

A cold floor

The Minden station, 5.0 miles away at 4,709 feet, records a January mean temperature of 32.8 F and an average January low near 19 F, against 24 F at the Carson City station (NOAA 1991-2020). It also averages about 21.8 inches of snow a year. The Ranchos sit on the same valley floor, so the pattern applies: nights are colder here than in the capital, and January is when a stove earns its keep.

Burn rules in Douglas County

Washoe County's burn code stops at the Washoe line. We did not find a Douglas County program with the same green, yellow and red days. East Fork Fire Protection District is the district listed for the area. Ask East Fork Fire Protection District whether a burn permit is needed before you burn brush, and check any HOA covenants about stoves and fire pits.

Fire history on the valley floor

The Forest Service puts Gardnerville Ranchos's wildfire risk to homes higher than about 93% of US communities, with about 18% of buildings directly exposed. Our research lists the Numbers fire (2020, 18,380 acres), with its mapped center within about 9 miles. In that setting a stack against a wall is a poor idea. Keep it clear of Zone 0, the first 5 feet around a building, as University of Nevada, Reno Extension recommends.

Distance from the yard

Our Carson City yard is 25.6 miles from the Ranchos, about 36 minutes without traffic. Call 775.232.8243 for availability and pricing, and ask what is available, how it is sold, whether it is ready to burn and what delivery, if any, is possible. We do not publish prices, species, amounts or delivery terms.