Storm and tree debris cleanup

What storm cleanup usually involves

Storm cleanups on the mountain are usually a mix. Tell us what came down so we can plan the dumpster or the haul around it. Ask first about anything on this list marked heavy or treated.

• Broken limbs and branches (ask first about logs and big rounds, which are heavy)
• Broken fencing, gates and lattice (old posts and boards are often pressure-treated)
• Carports, sheds, decks and railings crushed by a heavy snow load
• Torn-off gutters, siding and roofing debris
• Water-damaged furniture, carpet and drywall after a roof leak
• Patio furniture and yard items the wind scattered

Before cleanup starts

Stay clear of downed power lines and anything touching them, and report them to the utility or 911. Leave hanging limbs and leaning trees to a tree service.

If you plan to file an insurance claim, photograph the damage before anything is moved and ask your insurer what they need from you.

Older buildings need one more check. San Bernardino County requires an asbestos certification before it accepts demolition debris from structures built before 1984 or from any burned structure, and much of the mountain's housing is that old. If snow brought down part of an older cabin, get the debris tested before it goes in the dumpster.

Mountain storms leave a lot behind

Heavy snow does real damage up here. In late February and early March 2023, the National Weather Service recorded about 100 inches of snow at Crestline over ten days, with 42 inches at Lake Arrowhead in the February 24 to 25 storm alone. It reported caved-in roofs and other tree and structure damage. San Bernardino County declared a local emergency on February 27, 2023.

The County's Lake Arrowhead community plan notes that snow can come 3 to 4 feet at one time. Storms can slow disposal too: in 2017, storms limited access to the Heaps Peak Transfer Station enough that the state granted a 120-day emergency waiver.

Cut, sort and stack for an easier haul

A little prep before the dumpster or trailer arrives saves time and keeps materials that need different handling apart.

• Cut limbs and branches to 4 feet or less. That is the County's length limit at its transfer stations, and shorter pieces pack tighter.
• Keep green waste (branches, brush and needles) apart from trash. It is recyclable organic material under California's SB 1383 rules, and the mountain's high-elevation waivers cover food waste only, not yard trimmings.
• Keep broken fencing and deck boards in their own pile. Pressure-treated wood can't go to the mountain transfer stations. Only the County's Mid-Valley and Victorville landfills take it.
• Stack everything on your property where a trailer can reach it, out of the road and clear of drainage ditches.
• Ask before loading logs, stumps or big rounds. They are heavy, and disposal is billed by weight after dumping.

Snow, roads and getting a trailer in

Robert brings the dumpster on a gooseneck trailer behind his pickup, so the road has to be passable first. Under Caltrans chain controls, any vehicle towing a trailer must chain a drive axle, and trailers with brakes must chain at least one axle too.

Private roads are not plowed by the County or Caltrans; people who live on them hire their own snow removal. Plow berms also build up across driveways. Clear a path to the drop spot before delivery or pickup day.

Snow can move delivery and pickup days, and Robert confirms the date by call or text. In the City of Big Bear Lake, no vehicle may be left parked on a City street from October 15 to April 15, so the dumpster goes on the driveway or property.

Tree rules around Lake Arrowhead

Check before a damaged tree comes down. In Arrowhead Woods, properties under the Arrowhead Woods Architectural Committee's CC&Rs need AWAC approval before removing, pruning or altering any tree 6 inches or more in diameter. Some tracts' CC&Rs expired at the end of 2025, so confirm whether yours still applies.

On the Lake Arrowhead shoreline and reserve strip, the Arrowhead Lake Association requires its approval before trees or vegetation are removed or trimmed. Its policy sets assessed damages of $10,000 to $30,000 per tree, by trunk diameter, for unapproved removal.

For bark-beetle-killed conifers, AWAC's guidance is to spray the logs or remove the logs and branches to an appropriate dump site. Other HOAs on the mountain have their own rules, so ask yours.

Storm debris and fire season

Winter debris left on the ground becomes next summer's fire fuel. San Bernardino County's mountain fire-hazard code lists dead branches and leaf litter within 100 feet of a structure, downed branches and trunks under 4 inches thick (stacked firewood excepted), needles or leaves on roofs, and pine needles more than 2 inches deep.

The County's annual defensible-space inspections start in June in mountain communities including Lake Arrowhead, Crestline, Twin Peaks, Green Valley Lake, Arrowbear and Fawnskin. In the rest of Big Bear Valley, the Big Bear Fire Department handles inspections. Clearing storm debris in spring gets you ahead of both.

For smaller piles, look at the free options first. Free chipping programs on the mountain ran from mid-May through September in 2026, and the Mountain Rim Fire Safe Council's green-waste pickup won't reopen registration until spring 2027. A dumpster or a haul-away is for the piles too big for those programs.