Tree service in Washoe Valley, NV

Washoe Valley, listed as New Washoe City in our Google service area, has about 3,300 residents at about 5,103 feet. It is the nearest Washoe County community to our yard.

What does 94% direct exposure mean in Washoe Valley?

In the USDA Forest Service's Wildfire Risk to Communities data, a building in the direct exposure zone is close enough to wildland vegetation that flames, not just embers, can reach it. In Washoe Valley that describes about 94% of buildings. The other 6% are in the indirect zone. Of the towns we serve, only Glenbrook at Lake Tahoe has a higher share.

The community's overall risk to homes ranks above 97.2% of US communities and above about 66% of Nevada communities.

The fire maps agree. Twenty-three perimeters of 300 acres or more have a center point within about 10 miles since 1980. Three are centered within about 3.6 miles of the valley's center point: the Washoe Drive Fire of 2011, mapped at 3,178 acres, the Washoe Fire of 2012, at 2,676 acres, and the Davis Fire of 2024, at 5,824 acres. The Little Valley Fire of 1981 is mapped at 5,142 acres.

What defensible space work do we do here?

All three zones. UNR Extension's Living With Fire guide sets Zone 0 at 0 to 5 feet from the house, Zone 1 at 5 to 30 feet and Zone 2 at 30 to 100 feet. On a Washoe Valley lot that usually means removing dead trees and brush, limbing up live trees, thinning so crowns are separated, and mowing or masticating the open ground.

We assess the house's specific fire risks first, then remove fuel and build the zone with hand crews, the brush mower and the masticator. See defensible space in Washoe Valley and lot clearing and brush mowing. The Davis Fire is one of four covered in lessons from local wildfires.

Homes from the 1960s and 1970s

About 53% of Washoe Valley homes were built before 1980 but only about 2% before 1960, and the median year built is 1979 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Only about 11% date from 2000 or later. About 86% are single-family detached, about 14% manufactured homes, and about 93% owner-occupied. The median resident is about 59.

So trees planted with those homes are about 50 years old. For a large tree over a house, crane-assisted removal avoids dragging wood across the lot. For sound trees, pruning and dead wooding reduce both storm breakage and fuel.

Weather and wind

The nearest precipitation normal within 8 miles is the Carson City 4.4 N station, about 6 miles south, at 15.2 inches a year. There is no snowfall normal close enough to quote. The valley is in USDA zone 7a, with average extreme winter lows of 0 to 5 degrees.

Washoe Valley is known for strong downslope wind. Wind finds dead limbs, weak forks and shallow-rooted trees. Preparing your trees for the Washoe Zephyr explains what to have checked before the windy season.

Firewood

About 4% of Washoe Valley households heat mainly with wood, more than three times the Washoe County share. We sell firewood and wood chips; call the office for availability and pricing. See firewood in Washoe Valley.

Services in Washoe Valley

• Defensible space and fire mitigation
• Lot clearing and brush mowing
• Tree removal and crane-assisted removal
• Trimming and pruning and stump grinding
• Certified arborist consultations
• 24-hour emergency tree service and firewood