Fire district free wood chipping program reduces fire risk

Get on the list! The fire district will come get properly stacked wood and chip it at no charge. Photo: Courtesy Park City Fire District

PARK CITY, Utah. — Each spring, the Park City Fire District helps homeowners cut wildfire risk with its door-to-door chipping service. Residents schedule a pickup time, then gather dead or downed wood and stack it near the street, and fire district employees do the rest.

Removing dead and downed wood from property is an important step in reducing “fuel” – material that would burn in the event of any fire, whether a wildfire or house fire.

Chipping has begun for 2021. Crews work one neighborhood at a time. To qualify for the free service, residents must follow these rules in preparing piles for chipping:

• The maximum size of pile to be chipped is 8 feet long by 6 feet tall by 8 feet wide.
• The log butts must be facing out and in the same direction.
• The pile must be less than five feet from the curb of a city or county street, not blocked by gates or fences, and not on a shared driveway.
• No building material is allowed.
• Wire of any kind is not allowed.
• Garbage, dirt or debris of any kind is not allowed.

The 2021 fire season is expected to be longer and more severe than past years due to Utah’s current drought occurring after last year left Utah’s soils the driest they’ve been since officials that metric about 15 years ago. Officials urge residents to follow burn rules and take every precaution to reduce risks.

Register or contact the fire district with any questions at www.pcfd.org.