Free chipping service begins March 3 in Napa County
Freechipping service begins March 3 in Napa County
1 March 2008
published by www.napavalleyregister.com
USA — Napa County Fire Department and the Napa Communities FirewiseFoundation announce the return of the popular free chipping program on March 3.
The program is designed for residents living in Wildland Urban Interface areas;these are high fire-risk areas of the county where fire-prone vegetation hasbecome part of the urban landscape and a danger to public safety.
Gabrielle Avina, Napa County fire marshal, said, In 2007, the Firewisechipping program responded to over 400 requests totaling nearly 60,000 cubicyards of vegetation. This is a far cry from the 10,000 cubic yards we processedin 2004. We are elated at the publics response. From an environmentalstandpoint, chipping instead of burning has eliminated over 75,000 pounds ofparticulate matter from entering the air we breathe. Everyone benefits.
Alicia Amaro, assistant Napa County fire marshal and Firewise chippingcoordinator, says the program has become a key ingredient in defensible spacepreparation. Many residents of the county dont realize state law requiresall homeowners living in wildland urban interface areas to have a 100 footperimeter around their home and structures where trees and vegetation have beenreduced or removed to provide a safe haven for firefighters and a safety zonefor residents in the event a wildfire encroaches.
Participation in the chipping program is quite easy, says Amaro.Visit our Web site at www.napafirewise.org and click on the ChippingProgram tab. Fill out the online application and your chipping request willbe processed. And dont forget, chipping is not intended for general landclearing.
