Firewood in Topaz Ranch Estates, NV

Topaz Ranch Estates sits at 5,186 feet in the hills east of Topaz Lake, a community of about 1,600 people where nearly 60% of homes are manufactured. It has the highest wood-heat share in Douglas County among our towns.

At a glance

• About 25.8% of households heat mainly with wood
• About 53.7% heat with bottled gas
• Weather station in the community: 5.92 inches of precipitation a year
• About 63 minutes from our Carson City yard without traffic

Four households in five

Add wood (25.8%) to bottled gas (53.7%) and about 79.5% of Topaz Ranch Estates households rely on one of those two fuels as their main heat (ACS 2020-2024, table B25040). Douglas County overall is 4.5% wood and 8.1% gas. ZIP 89444 runs about 18.3% wood. Small-place figures carry wide margins, but the gap with the county is too large to be noise.

A dry station next door

The Topaz Lake weather station is half a mile from the community and at 5,292 feet, about 100 feet above it. It records a 1991-2020 normal of just 5.92 inches of precipitation a year and about 18.3 inches of snow, with a mean temperature of 51.9 F (NOAA). A stack at this elevation dries well between storms, which is a reason to buy early. A woodpile bought in the first cold week has less time to season than one bought in September.

Distance from the yard

Topaz Ranch Estates is 42.6 miles from our Carson City yard, about 63 minutes without traffic, a free-flow estimate. Winter roads and chain controls can add to it. Call 775.232.8243 for availability and pricing; the office can tell you what is on hand, how it is sold and how the wood would get to your address. We do not publish species, amounts, prices or delivery terms.

Rules on the Douglas County side

Washoe County's winter burn code does not reach Topaz Ranch Estates, and we did not find an equivalent Douglas County program. East Fork Fire Protection District is the district listed for the community. Ask the district before you burn brush or debris.

Fire exposure and where to stack

The Forest Service puts the community's wildfire risk to homes higher than about 98% of US communities, with about 54% of buildings directly exposed. Our research lists the Slinkard fire (2017, 9,096 acres) and the Gates Complex (2004, 8,905 acres) with mapped centers within about 7 miles. A wood-heating household needs a large stack, so place it with care. University of Nevada, Reno Extension asks that the first 5 feet around a building hold no woodpiles.