Tree Service in Virginia City Highlands, NV

Virginia City Highlands is not a town center so much as a scatter of homes across the Virginia Range, north of Virginia City, straddling the line between Storey and Washoe counties at about 5,984 feet. By 1999 the subdivision had 506 ten-acre lots and 1,069 one-acre lots. Tree Service in Virginia City Highlands usually involves a few trees around the house and a lot of open, brushy ground beyond them, and the main questions are fuel and access.

The Davis Fire warning

When the Davis Fire started in Washoe Valley on September 7, 2024, evacuation orders went out for southwest Reno and New Washoe City, and a warning was issued for Virginia City Highlands. The fire was eventually held to the west, but on September 11 winds gusting to 75 mph showed how fast conditions in this region can turn. For an isolated home on acreage, the work done before a fire is often the only protection there is.

Start at the house and work out

The defensible space zones published by Reno Fire for the region are a good guide here. Keep the first five feet around the house free of dead plants and combustible mulch, and keep branches 10 feet from the roof and chimney. Out to 30 feet, raise tree limbs at least 6 feet off the ground and keep grass short. From 30 to at least 100 feet, keep dead material on the ground shallow and separate shrubs and tree crowns. On a ten-acre lot you do not need to clear everything, but those first hundred feet matter most.

Access on long drives

Many Highlands properties are reached by long dirt roads and driveways. Reno Fire's guidance calls for driveways longer than 150 feet to have a turnaround large enough for fire equipment, and for gates to open inward and be wide enough for emergency vehicles. Those same features decide whether a chipper truck can reach your trees. Tell us about your road, grade and gate when you call, and we will plan the equipment to match.

Wild horses and open range

In 1980, 37,440 acres in the area were designated a wild horse reserve and wildlife sanctuary, and the Virginia Range Wildlife Protection Association was formed with support from local homeowners associations. Horses and wildlife move through the open land. We keep cut material contained, chip it rather than leave loose piles, and close every gate behind us.

Wells and aquifers

The lot sizes here were set after a court fight in the early 1970s that cited aquifer problems as the core issue, and homes rely on wells. Before grinding a stump or bringing equipment near a well head or a buried line, we ask you to mark them. It takes a few minutes and avoids a very expensive mistake.

Typical Highlands work

• Defensible space limbing and brush thinning near the house
• Removing dead trees close to structures
• Clearing branches along driveways for emergency access
• Chipping material on site instead of leaving burn piles
• Stump grinding with wells and lines marked first

Call (775) 600-6504 with your road and gate details, or use the form. Get a free estimate