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Tree Removal in Georgetown

Yes, we help in Georgetown and up on the Divide. Call (530) 316-5144 and we'll find a tree pro who covers your area, then get a visit set.

Georgetown, the "Pride of the Mountains"

Georgetown is a census-designated place, and the northeasternmost town in the California Mother Lode. The 2020 census counted 2,255 people.

It was founded on August 7, 1849, and miners called it Growlersburg. The story goes that heavy, gold-loaded quartz rocks "growled" in their pants pockets.

A bad fire hit in 1852, and the old town moved out of the canyon to where it sits now. In the new spot, they laid out Main Street 100 feet wide, with side streets 60 feet wide. That was unusual planning for a gold camp. After that, people called the town the "Pride of the Mountains."

Lots of rain, then lots of dry

Georgetown gets about four times the rain of the valley towns to the west, Wikipedia says. That's from air getting pushed up the slopes. It snows a little, but not more than four inches a year, and it melts fast.

All that water grows a lot of brush and trees. Then the summers turn hot and dry. Wikipedia puts it plainly: when much of that growth dries out, wildfire becomes a big risk.

For you, that means brush grows back fast here. A lot cleared three summers ago may need work again.

The Mosquito Fire, 2022

The Mosquito Fire started on September 6, 2022, near Mosquito Ridge Road, above Oxbow Reservoir. It jumped the American River into El Dorado County and burned toward Volcanoville. By September 11, at least 11,260 people were under evacuation orders, including people in Georgetown.

The fire hurt more than trees. The Georgetown Divide Public Utility District declared a local emergency after the fire damaged its canals and flumes.

If your trees took heat that fall, some may still be on the way out. Check them each spring.

Photo spot: a wide old main street in Georgetown with tall pines on the hills behind, plain drawing

Clearing a Divide lot

Georgetown answers to county Chapter 8.09 for clearing. That's a 100-foot minimum around buildings. With growth this quick, treat it like a chore you do every year.

A good yearly routine:

• Spring: walk the lot and flag dead or dying trees.
• Late spring: cut grass and weeds before they dry out.
• Early summer: clear needles off the roof and out of gutters.
• Any time: limb up the trees you keep, so fire can't climb in.
• Fall or winter: schedule pine pruning, after beetle season.

Need to burn piles? Do it outside fire season, with a permit, on a permissive burn day.

What tree work costs on the Divide

For a ballpark, Fixr lists $450 to $700 when a tree stands 30 to 60 feet. Giants over 100 feet climb to $1,300 to $2,000.

Distance can add a bit. Fixr notes some pros charge travel when they work on a flat rate. Ask if travel is built into the price.

Before the visit

• Count the trees and note which ones look stressed or scorched.
• Mark what each one could hit.
• Check for a canal, ditch or creek nearby.
• Tell us about the driveway and any gate.
• Decide what happens to the wood.

Nearby

See tree removal in Garden Valley, tree removal in Coloma and tree removal in Placerville. After a fire, read burned tree removal. Or back to the town list.