Emergency tree service in Northwest Reno and Somersett

This is ridge and hillside country at about 5,400 feet, built almost entirely since 1980. Only about 5% of homes in the ZIP are older than that. The trees are young, the lots are exposed, and the wind arrives with nothing in front of it.

At a glance

• About 5,432 feet at our reference point for ZIP 89523
• About 5% of homes built before 1980; nearly half since 2000
• About 54 minutes from the yard without traffic: call early
• Debris chipped and hauled, driveways and streets cleared

How far away are you, really?

About 41.7 miles and 54 minutes with a clear road, through Reno and out the west side. Of the Reno ZIP codes we serve, this is the longest drive. We tell you so you can make good decisions: call as soon as you see the problem, and do not wait beside a damaged tree.

The line is answered seven days a week and emergency service runs around the clock. After a severe storm our existing clients come first, and then we take every call we can.

What usually fails up here?

Young trees with full crowns. On a ridge, a tree in leaf or loaded with snow catches wind like a sail. The common results are a trunk snapped a few feet up, a leader torn out at a fork, or a whole tree laid over with its roots in the air.

A tree like that rarely crushes a house. It blocks a driveway, breaks a fence, or leans on a car or a porch. The work is quick once a crew and chipper are on site, and the more useful conversation is about the trees still standing. Structural pruning in Northwest Reno is the prevention.

Local weather on record

The volunteer gauge Reno 3.9 W, about a third of a mile from our reference point, averages about 10.9 inches of precipitation a year, and the gauge Reno 1.4 NNE, under 5 miles away, averages about 33 inches of snow (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). That is more snow than the airport's 20.9 inches. Stations above the valley floor tend to record more.

Hillsides that have burned

The 2006 Verdi Fire, mapped at 5,662 acres, and the 1996 Belli Ranch Fire, mapped at 6,724 acres, both have their mapped centers within about 4 miles. The slopes that carry fire toward houses carry wind toward them too. A dead tree at the edge of open land should come down on a calm day of your choosing.

Before the crew arrives

1. Count heads. If someone is hurt, call 911.
2. Look up and around for wires. A sagging or broken line means stay away and call NV Energy.
3. Keep children and pets indoors and away from the side of the house the tree is on.
4. Leave the tree alone. Wood bent under load can spring.
5. Send or save photos for your insurer.