Defensible Space Clearing in Shingle Springs

Page path: Home › Tree removal in Shingle Springs › Fire clearing

Need defensible space clearing in Shingle Springs? Need the ground around your house cleared before fire season? Call (530) 479-3598. We'll hunt up a Shingle Springs tree removal company to thin trees, limb them up and clear out the brush, whether it's half an acre or ten.

Inspector left a notice? Read us the date when you call. The tree company needs it.

Call us now: (530) 479-3598or send the short form

What you're up against in Shingle Springs

Out here the danger isn't only a wall of flame. The county fire district says embers can ride the wind a mile or more ahead of a fire. They land in dry needles, brush piles and gutters.

Big flames matter too. The district says a crown fire in the treetops can put out enough heat to light wood walls up to 100 feet away. That's why the 100-foot number keeps coming up.

In Shingle Springs the usual trouble spots look like this:

• Scrub and poison oak grown up under the oaks, so a grass fire can climb right into the trees.
• Dead pines, or pines with dead tops, close to the house or the shop.
• Branches hanging over the roof and pushing up against the chimney.
• Tall dry grass from the house clear to the back fence.
• A long driveway with brush on both sides.

What the rules ask for

PRC 4291 and county Chapter 8.09 together set the 100 feet. County inspectors carry a notice that splits it into zones. Here it is in plain words.

Zone 1, the first 30 feet

• Pull out dead and dying grass, plants, shrubs, branches and needles.
• Take out dead trees and dead branches next to or over the house.
• Keep branches at least 10 feet from the chimney or stovepipe.
• Clean leaves and needles off the roof, gutters and deck.
• Move uncovered woodpiles out of this zone.

Zone 2, from 30 to 100 feet

• Cut dry grass down to 4 inches or less.
• Space out shrubs and trees so a fire can't run from one to the next.
• Give each woodpile 10 feet of bare dirt all the way around.
• Leave no more than 3 inches of loose needles, leaves and twigs on the ground.

Across the whole 100 feet

• Old logs and stumps stuck in the dirt get pulled out or cut off from other plants.
• Propane tanks and sheds get 10 feet of bare ground around them.

How the work gets done

Defensible space doesn't mean a bare dirt yard. Rescue Fire's guide says big trees don't have to come down as long as everything growing under them is cleared out. That kills the fire ladder, the chain of brush and low limbs a fire uses to climb.

So a tree pro on a clearing job usually does a mix of these:

1. Limb upCut off low branches so there's at least 6 feet of clear space under big trees. That's the county notice's minimum.
2. Open up the brushLeave space under the trees. The notice uses this rule: clearance at least 3 times the height of the shrub below.
3. Thin the crowded spotsTake out small trees and scrub packed in between the keepers.
4. Drop the dead stuffDead and dying trees within reach of the house come out, whole.
5. Clean upChip the brush, haul it, or stack it for a legal burn day.

On steep ground the spacing gets wider. The county notice sets bigger gaps once a slope tops 20%, and bigger again past 40%. A lot of Shingle Springs lots have a slope somewhere, so ask the pro to walk the steep side first.

Acreage is a different animal

On a big parcel the first 100 feet is the must-do part. Rescue Fire's guide adds that an insurance company can ask for more clearance than that.

Two things trip up acreage owners. The free Fire Safe Council chipping covers your main home only, and they say it's not for clearing acreage or empty lots. And their chipper only takes branches up to 7 inches thick.

Clearing the far end of the property is still smart. It's just usually paid work. Rescue Fire's guide also says the area to treat doesn't extend beyond your own property line.

What it costs

Clearing gets priced a few ways. Some pros bid the whole job. Some go by the acre or by the day. These are the guide numbers.

Price sources: Thumbtack brush guide, June 2026. Fixr removal guide, January 2025, for the acre lines. This Old House, March 2026. LawnStarter, October 2026.

Near the house it's mostly saws and hand work, since the big machines won't fit. Open ground goes quicker. So on a clearing job, a price for the whole thing beats a price per tree.

Thumbtack also says demand for brush clearing peaks in spring and summer. Booking in fall or winter can mean better rates and more open dates.

Selling the house?

AB 38, a state law, took effect July 1, 2021. It covers home sales in the high and very high fire hazard severity zones. Sellers must hand buyers proof the property meets defensible space rules. The county fire district inspects, and charges $205 for now. Clear before you list.

Shingle Springs tree removal: why call us first

• We ask about slope, acreage and the gate before anyone drives out.
• We find a pro who does clearing work, not only single trees.
• The call costs you nothing.
• If there's a date on your notice, we pass it along up front.

Fire clearing in Shingle Springs: the steps

1. Walk it yourselfPace off 30 feet and 100 feet from the house. Look at what's in each zone.
2. Call usRing (530) 479-3598. Tell us the acreage, the slope and any notice date.
3. Pro visitA local tree pro walks the lot with you and marks what goes.
4. Two listsAsk for a must-do price for the first 100 feet and a separate one for the rest.
5. The workYou pick what to do. The pro does it.
6. LeftoversBook the free chipping for the home zone, or plan a burn day for the rest.

Back to tree removal in Shingle Springs. Clearing a whole parcel? See land and brush clearing.