Emergency Tree Removal in Escondido, CA

Emergency tree removal around Escondido usually follows one of two kinds of weather. The first is the Santa Ana: dry, hot wind from the northeast, most common in autumn, which hits trees when the ground is driest and their wood is most brittle. In October 2007 those winds gusted to 112 mph and drove the Witch Creek Fire toward Rancho Bernardo, with evacuations reaching into Escondido. The second is the winter storm: most of the city's rain falls between November and March, and a heavy storm after a dry stretch soaks the soil around shallow roots just as gusts arrive. Eucalyptus, pines and large ornamental trees are the usual casualties, along with dead tops and long limbs that should have come off months earlier.

First, stay safe

If a tree or limb is touching a power line, or a line is down in the yard, stay well away and call SDG&E or 911. No tree company should work near an energized line until the utility has made it safe. If the tree has broken through the roof, keep people out of that part of the house. Take photos of the damage from a safe spot before anything is moved; your insurer will want them.

How we handle an emergency call

You can call any time and leave details. We work calls in order of danger: trees on occupied houses, trees blocking the only way in or out, and limbs hanging over walkways come first, then trees on fences, cars and yards. On site, the goal is to take weight off the structure without letting it shift and do more damage. That usually means cutting the tree back in controlled sections, supporting or lowering the pieces that rest on the roof, and only then dealing with the trunk. Once the hazard is off the house, the rest of the cleanup, including the stump, can be scheduled as a normal job.

Insurance and paperwork

Homeowner policies often help pay to remove a tree that has fallen on a covered structure, and many do not pay to remove a tree that fell in the yard without hitting anything. Policies differ, so check yours. We give a written, itemized quote that separates the emergency work from the later cleanup, which is the kind of document adjusters ask for.