Emergency tree service in Washoe Valley, NV

Washoe Valley is the gap between Carson City and Reno, with Washoe Lake in the middle and the Carson Range rising straight up on the west side. Houses here stand among the trees and brush instead of beside them, and that is what makes a windstorm or a heavy snow a tree problem.

At a glance

• About 15 miles and 25 minutes from the yard, without traffic
• About 94% of buildings are in the direct wildfire exposure zone, meaning they stand in or beside wildland vegetation
• A little over half of the homes were built before 1980
• 24-hour emergency line: 775.232.8243

Why do trees and houses meet so often in Washoe Valley?

The USDA Forest Service places about 94% of Washoe Valley's buildings in what it calls the direct exposure zone. In plain terms, nearly every house, barn and shop in the valley sits in or right next to wildland vegetation. That number was built to describe fire, but it also describes storm damage: where the trees are that close, a top that snaps or a trunk that uproots has something to land on.

The houses have been there long enough for the planted trees to get big, too. A little over half of the valley's homes were built before 1980, and the median home dates from 1979 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). A windbreak planted when one of those homes was new has had more than forty years to grow.

West side and east side are different jobs

On the west side, along Franktown Road and old US 395, the forest of the Carson Range comes down the slope to the houses, and tall conifers stand over roofs and driveways. A tree on a house there is often work for the crane, which lifts the trunk off in pieces instead of dragging it across the roof. See crane-assisted tree removal for how that works.

On the east side, along Eastlake Boulevard, the lots are open and the trees are mostly planted ones, set out in rows for shade and wind shelter. The usual emergency there is a broken top or a split fork lying across a fence, a driveway or a horse shelter. About 14% of the valley's homes are manufactured homes, so tell the office what the tree is resting on.

What should you do before the crew gets there?

Before the crew arrives, call 911 if anyone is hurt, keep back from any line and call NV Energy, move people and animals away from the tree, stay off the roof, and photograph the damage before calling 775.232.8243.

1. Call 911 if anyone is hurt or trapped.
2. If a line is down or the tree is touching one, keep everyone well back and call NV Energy. Treat the line as live.
3. Move people, pets and livestock away from the tree and out of the rooms beneath it.
4. Stay off the roof and leave the saw in the shed. A trunk under tension can shift without warning.
5. Photograph the damage from a distance, then call 775.232.8243.

The longer version is in a tree fell on the house: first hour checklist.

What does the emergency visit cover?

Our emergency work is removing trees from houses, clearing roads and driveways, and pruning or removing trees that could cause injury or more property damage. The crew collects and disposes of the storm debris. After severe storms our existing clients come first, but we are equipped to serve anyone in need.

Once the property is clear, ask the arborist to look at the trees that stayed up. Preparing your trees for downslope wind explains what dead wooding and thinning can and cannot do before the next blow.