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Wildfire Mitigation Contractors in Alpine County, CA
Alpine County in 30 secondsContractors, local rules, where to get help
3 wildfire mitigation contractors are listed for Alpine County, 2 with a clear CSLB license.
- Fire hazard zones
- Look up your address
County Code Section 8.20.025, added in 2024, adopts the State Fire Marshal's 2023 Fire Hazard Severity Zone map, which rates parts of Alpine County Moderate, High and Very High. The county's Wildfire Risk Mitigation page links to CAL FIRE's FHSZ site, where you can search your address in the state viewer.
- Defensible space rules
- Source
County Code Chapter 8.20 (Ordinance 727, 2018) declares fuels that build up in violation of the chapter a public nuisance the owner must clear at their own expense, and requires anyone who owns or occupies a building on or next to forest, brush or grass land to maintain defensible space under Public Resources Code 4291. Where a home cannot get 100 feet of clearance within its own lot, the owner can file a complaint and the fire inspection official can order the owner of an adjacent lot in a High or Very High zone to create a reduced fuel zone within 100 feet of the structure; those orders must be met by May 1 each year below 6,200 feet and by June 1 elsewhere, or within the order's deadline. Unresolved cases go to the Sheriff after 45 days and then to the District Attorney. Violations are a misdemeanor or infraction with a fine up to $1,000 and/or up to 90 days in county jail.
- Chipping
- Source
The Alpine Fire Safe Council and Alpine County run a grant-funded curbside chipping program (CAL FIRE Wildfire Prevention and Title III funds): stack limbs and brush under 3 inches in diameter at the curb, call 530-694-1879, and a crew chips it on scheduled Thursdays, leaving the chips for you. When the county burn/biomass pile is closed, the Council also hands out free green-waste vouchers for the Douglas Disposal transfer station in Gardnerville.
- Fire Safe Council
- Alpine Fire Safe Council
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Alpine County's Fire Restrictions and Fuels Reduction chapter (County Code 8.20) declares excess fuels a public nuisance, requires every owner of a building near forest, brush or grass to keep state-standard defensible space, and can even require neighbors in High or Very High zones to thin fuels within 100 feet of your home. The Sheriff's Office enforces it, with fines up to $1,000 and/or 90 days in jail. Yearly fuel-reduction deadlines under that rule are May 1 below 6,200 feet and June 1 higher up. Contractors below are ranked by public Google rating.
Services in Alpine County
Serving all of California 8
Also on record 1
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Jefferson Resource Company
Defensible space rules in Alpine County
Fire hazard zones in Alpine County
Wildfire has shaped Alpine County, from the 1987 Acorn Fire that destroyed 26 homes to the 2021 Tamarack Fire, as the county’s Wildfire Risk Mitigation page notes. County Code Section 8.20.025, added in 2024, adopts the State Fire Marshal’s 2023 map rating parts of the county Moderate, High and Very High. Look up your parcel on the State Fire Marshal’s FHSZ viewer.
Local rules and deadlines
Chapter 8.20 requires anyone with a building on or next to forest, brush or grass land to keep defensible space under Public Resources Code 4291, and treats built-up fuels as a public nuisance. It also closes a gap in state law: if your home can’t get 100 feet of clearance inside its own lot, the fire inspection official can order the owner of an adjacent lot in a High or Very High zone to thin fuels within 100 feet of your structure. Those orders must be met by May 1 below 6,200 feet and June 1 elsewhere, and unresolved cases go to the Sheriff and District Attorney. Penalties reach $1,000 and/or 90 days in jail.
Free chipping and fire-safe programs
The Alpine Fire Safe Council and county run an ongoing curbside chipping program: stack limbs under 3 inches with cut ends facing the street and call 530-694-1879. The Council also offers free green-waste vouchers for the Gardnerville transfer station when the county burn pile is closed.
County resources
Alpine County has five recognized Firewise communities: Kirkwood, Bear Valley, Woodfords, Markleevillage/Carson Ridge and Mesa Vista. The county’s Wildfire Risk Mitigation page links burn permit guidelines, the Community Wildfire Protection Plan and a wildfire project coordinator. The contractors listed below serve Alpine County.
Frequently asked questions 5
Who enforces defensible space rules in Alpine County?
County Code Chapter 8.20 is enforced by the Sheriff's Office through authorized peace officers. The Sheriff and the appointed fire chief, or their designees, act as inspection officials; in Bear Valley the public safety officer is the fire inspection official.
What happens if I don't comply?
Fuels that violate the chapter are a public nuisance the owner must clear at their own cost. Violations are a misdemeanor or infraction with a fine of up to $1,000 and/or up to 90 days in county jail.
My neighbor's overgrown lot is within 100 feet of my house. Can the county help?
Yes, if the lot is in a High or Very High hazard zone. After documenting written attempts to cooperate, you can file a complaint; the fire inspection official inspects both properties and can order the neighbor to create a reduced fuel zone within 100 feet of your structure. If the order is ignored for 45 days, the matter goes to the Sheriff and can be forwarded to the District Attorney.
Is chipping free in Alpine County?
The curbside chipping program run by the Alpine Fire Safe Council and the county is grant-funded: stack brush and limbs under 3 inches at the curb and call 530-694-1879 to be scheduled. The Council also offers free green-waste vouchers for the Gardnerville transfer station when the county burn pile is closed.
Am I in a fire hazard zone?
County Code Section 8.20.025 adopts the State Fire Marshal's 2023 map, which puts parts of the county in Moderate, High and Very High zones. Search your address on the State Fire Marshal's FHSZ viewer.