Tree Service in Homeland, CA

Homeland sits right against open hill country, so fire clearance is often the first tree service we talk about there. The Lakeview Mountains rise directly north of the community, and Highway 74 runs along their southern edge through Homeland and Green Acres. Unincorporated and home to about 6,772 people in 2020, Homeland has open, brushy ground close to many of its homes.

Defensible space, in plain terms

State law, Public Resources Code 4291, requires 100 feet of defensible space around homes in fire-prone areas, or out to the property line. CAL FIRE splits that into rings. The first five feet next to the house should hold nothing that burns easily. Within 30 feet, dead plants, dry leaves and weeds come out and shrubs get spaced apart. Out to 100 feet, grass stays at four inches or lower and plants get both horizontal and vertical gaps.

What we do in each ring

• Cut and remove dry grass, tumbleweeds and brush
• Raise tree limbs so the lowest branches are at least six feet off the ground
• Remove branches within 10 feet of a chimney
• Thin shrubs that sit under trees so fire cannot climb into the canopy
• Take out dead and dying trees close to the house

We chip or haul what we cut. Leaving piles of cut brush on site defeats the purpose.

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County rules for vacant parcels

Homeland is outside any city, so Riverside County's hazard reduction program applies. Ordinance 695 lets the fire chief require a 100-foot strip cleared at the road edge of a vacant parcel and around neighboring buildings, and a notice usually allows 30 days. If you own an empty lot here, plan the cut each year rather than waiting for the letter.

Selling a home in a hazard zone

Since July 1, 2021, a seller in a high or very high fire hazard severity zone needs documentation of a compliant defensible space inspection, according to Riverside County Fire. Riverside County Fire's online map shows whether your parcel falls in a zone. Getting the clearing done before the inspection saves time during escrow.

Trees you want to keep

Clearance does not mean bare dirt. Healthy trees can stay when they are limbed up, separated from other canopies and kept away from the roof. We will show you which ones we would keep and how we would shape them.