Tree Removal in Larkfield-Wikiup, CA

Tree Removal in Larkfield-Wikiup often comes back to the night of October 8, 2017. The Tubbs Fire came in through the Mark West Springs area and destroyed roughly 500 homes here. Many of those houses have since been rebuilt. Plenty of the trees around them are another story. Oaks, pines and redwoods that looked scorched but alive in 2018 have kept declining, and some owners are only now learning that the big tree next to their new house is hollow at the base.

How fire damage shows up years later

Heat that kills the cambium at the base of a tree can girdle it slowly. The crown may leaf out for a few seasons on stored energy, then thin from the top down. Fungal decay gets into fire wounds. Roots damaged by heat lose their grip. The things we look for are dead bark that sounds hollow when tapped, cracks or cavities at the root flare, a canopy that is thinner every spring, and new mushrooms or conks at the base. A tree with those signs next to a rebuilt home is often a removal, not a wait-and-see.

County rules, with exemptions that fit this area

Larkfield-Wikiup is an unincorporated census-designated place, so the county's Tree Protection Ordinance governs. Native oaks, redwoods and other listed species need a zoning permit once they reach 6 inches in diameter. But the county also exempts dead, dying, diseased or hazardous trees within a structure's defensible space zone, and removals needed to meet state or county defensible-space requirements. Many fire-damaged trees near homes fit those exemptions. The county recommends documenting exempt work with photos, and we can give you notes on the tree's condition for your records.

Mark West Creek and the valley floor

Mark West Creek's seasonal flows pass through the community, and the mix of land here includes housing tracts, vineyards, farms and light industry. Trees along the creek are often willows, alders and bays, all of which the county lists or treats under its riparian corridor rules. Creekside work deserves a permit check before anything is scheduled.

Burned stumps and regrowth

Many lots here still have stumps from trees cut in the cleanup after 2017, and some have sent up thickets of sprouts. Oaks, bays and redwoods all resprout from the base, so a stump that was left untouched can turn into a multi-stem tangle within a few years. Grinding the stump below grade ends that, and it also clears the ground for new planting. When a fire-damaged tree is removed now, we can grind its stump in the same visit and quote any older stumps on the property at the same time.

Practical notes

• Many rebuilt lots now have new landscaping, irrigation and fences that need protecting during a removal
• Chips can be left for mulch on bare post-fire soil if you want them
• Stump grinding is quoted separately so you can plan around new planting

Call (707) 385-5238 to set up a visit, or send photos through the form first. Get a free estimate