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Burned Tree Removal in Pollock Pines

Fire-scorched trees on your lot? Ring (530) 454-8845. We'll match you with a tree company who knows burn damage, then book a time for a look.

Tell us how many trees, how tall, and what's under them. A scorched pine over a driveway is a different job than a row of snags out back.

Call (530) 454-8845or use the short estimate form

The subject of this page is burned tree removal in Pollock Pines. Next, a tree removal company in Pollock Pines comes out to size up burned tree removal.

What a burned tree looks like around Pollock Pines

A fire doesn't always leave a black stick. Some trees come through with a scorched trunk and a green top. A few months later the green is gone.

Look for these signs:

• Charred bark all the way around the trunk.
• Needles that turned brown or orange and stayed on the branches.
• Roots that burned underground. You may see a hollow, ashy hole at the base.
• A trunk with deep cracks or a lean that wasn't there before.
• Big limbs that already dropped, or ones hanging by a thread.

If you aren't sure, don't guess. Ask a tree removal company to look. A tree can seem fine and still be dead on the inside.

Burned trees are a real issue in this part of El Dorado County. The Caldor Fire got its start on August 14, 2021, close to Little Mountain, south of Pollock Pines. It was fully contained on October 21, 2021, after burning 221,835 acres. It destroyed 1,005 structures and damaged 81 more, mostly in Grizzly Flats and along the Highway 50 corridor.

The King Fire came earlier, in 2014. It burned 97,717 acres and destroyed 80 structures near Pollock Pines.

Fires like these can leave dead and weak trees standing for years.

Why burned trees are risky around Pollock Pines

A burned tree is weaker than it looks. The roots can be gone or cooked. The wood can be hollow. It can fall without much wind.

Here's what that means on a lot:

• A burned tree near the house can hit the roof.
• A leaning one can block the driveway, and a blocked driveway is a problem for fire trucks.
• Dropped limbs hurt people. Don't park or play under them.
• Snow adds weight. A year here can bring from half a foot to 6 feet, so a weak trunk has a lot to hold up.

Honestly, the safest time to deal with a burned tree is before winter. Snow and ice make steep lots hard to work on.

What the work involves around Pollock Pines

Burned and dead trees are brittle. Tree companies take them down in pieces, not in one drop. Here's the usual job:

1. The tree removal company walks the lot and checks the lean, the roots, the roof and the lines.
2. They pick a plan. Small trees may be dropped whole. Big ones get cut in sections from the top.
3. Heavy pieces are lowered on ropes, or lifted out by a crane when there's no safe way in.
4. The branches go through a chipper, or get stacked for the Fire Safe Council's free chipping.
5. The logs get cut into rounds, left on site, or hauled off. You decide that up front.
6. The stump gets ground if you ask. See our stump grinding page.

Charred wood is dirty work. Expect soot on everything. Ask the crew you hire how they'll protect the roof, the deck and the yard.

What burned tree removal costs

Price follows size and risk. A short scorched tree out in the open is cheap. A tall, dead one over a roof is not.

Prices above come from This Old House (March 2026) and Fixr (January 2025). They are national numbers, not quotes.

Fixr puts a diseased tree at $400 to $900. A burned one may land in that range or above it. It depends on how bad the damage is and how hard it is to reach.

Chipping the branches runs $50 to $100, says Fixr. Free county chipping through the Fire Safe Council can wipe that out for a primary home. See below.

Help paying for it

One local program is worth a look. The Fire Safe Council's Hazardous Tree Removal Program is a cost share for removing dead and dying trees.

The program pays as much as $4,000 for the work. Your part is 25% of the total. An ISA Certified TRAQ arborist checks your trees first, at no charge. The arborist looks for beetle-infested, dead, dying or diseased trees that could fall on your home, driveway or access road.

Right now the application portal is closed, since grant money is nearly used up. Keep an eye on it. We don't run that program, so call the council with questions.

The state rules, in plain words

California has forest rules for people who cut timber, and the rules have exemptions. One exempts dead, dying or diseased trees, as long as the cut stays under a tenth of the average timber volume per acre. Another covers fire-safety cutting within 150 feet of a legal structure.

These rules are written for timber work. A homeowner taking down a few burned trees usually isn't running a timber operation. Still, ask your tree company if any state paperwork applies. We don't give legal advice.

See our permits page for more.

Why call us

• We know the area. We look for local crews who work in big timber on steep lots.
• We tell the tree removal company the height and what's under the tree. That way they bring the right gear.
• Calling us is free. You get a price before work starts.
• Want a second price? Ask. We'll set it up.

Step by step

1. Count the trees. Walk the lot. Note the ones near the house, the driveway and the lines.
2. Take photos. Wide shots and close shots of the trunk. They help the crew you hire give a better price.
3. Call (530) 454-8845. Tell us what you found.
4. Meet the tree company. Try to be there for the visit.
5. Get it in writing. The price, the cleanup and the stump, all on paper.
6. Pick a date. Book before the first snow if you can.

Have a question on burned tree removal in Pollock Pines? Phone (530) 454-8845. We book a tree removal company for burned tree removal at your Pollock Pines place.

More help nearby

See beetle-killed tree removal, defensible space or every service. Near Grizzly Flats? See Grizzly Flats.