The Santa Barbara County Fire Safe Council (SBCFSC) will start its Neighborhood Chipping Program, beginning April 6. The initiative supports local residents in creating defensible space around their homes and neighborhoods, enhancing preparedness for the upcoming wildfire season.
The free curbside chipping program helps homeowners reduce vegetation within a 100-foot perimeter around their properties, creating safer zones for both evacuation and firefighting efforts.
Participants are encouraged to stack cut vegetation at the curb, where it will be chipped and hauled away by SBCFSC’s designated contractors.
SBCFSC staff will be available to offer guidance on trimming vegetation along driveways and roadways to improve access for emergency responders and to create safer evacuation routes for residents.
The service is available to residents in Santa Barbara County’s Very High Fire Severity Zone. By reducing flammable vegetation, the program helps create more defensible space, bolstering the community’s resilience to wildfires.
In advance of the program, residents will receive a postcard outlining the specific dates when chipping will take place in their neighborhood.
The postcard will provice detailed instructions on how to prepare vegetation for chipping, as well as a list of materials that cannot be chipped (such as vines, grass, palms, succulents, firewood, avocado branches, and other small trimmings).
These materials can be disposed of in roll-off containers that will be stationed in each community (please note that some communities may not have a roll-off container due to safety concerns regarding placement and access).
For more, visit SBCFSC’s interactive neighborhood chipping map at sbfiresafecouncil.org/communitychipping, where residents can enter their address to learn when chipping will occur in their area.
As part of the Neighborhood Chipping Program, SBCFSC staff will work with chipping vendors to facilitate the Tag & Trim portion of the program.
Low-hanging branches that may obstruct fire engine access or evacuation routes will be tagged for trimming, ensuring safer and more efficient access for both emergency responders and residents during an evacuation.
Residents can also schedule a home evaluation with an SBCFSC expert to assess their property’s wildfire preparedness. To request an evaluation, visit sbfiresafecouncil.org/evaluation.
Funding for the Community Chipping Program is provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (CAL FIRE) Wildfire Prevention Grants Program as part of the California Climate Investments Program.