Fire mitigation program hosts free neighborhood slash removal events
To help landowners create defensible space around their homes, Chaffee Chips will coordinate free neighborhood slash removal and chipping services in several geographic areas this year.
The countywide fire mitigation program reduces the threat of wildfire by helping homeowners remove potential fire fuels. Property owners in the service areas are asked to cut and clear brush and trees before the event and pile them at their curbs.
Since Chaffee Chips started in 2020, 750 landowners have built 2,300 piles of slash that were chipped on-site by the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) or hauled away by Chaffee County Fire Protection District firefighters. This year’s service dates are:
- April 23-24: East Game Trail
- July 30-Aug 1: Lost Creek Ranch, Pine Grove Estates & surrounds
- Oct. 22-24: Lower Chalk Creek
- Nov. 5-7: Weldon Creek, Hayden Springs Ranch, Eureka Ranch, Eagle Moon
Landowners can get detailed information about how to reduce wildfire threats on their property and protect their homes by requesting a free assessment from a CSFS forester. Call 719-539-2579 to schedule an appointment.
Property owners in lower-elevation piñon-juniper forests need to be aware of the Ips bark beetle infestation. To prevent spread, do not cut any green/live piñon branches or remove whole tree during the beetle’s active periods from April to early October.
Chaffee Chips service locations are chosen by the Envision Forest Health Council, based on Treatment Priority Areas outlined in the Chaffee County Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The program is funded by Chaffee Common Ground and CSFS grants, with a lot of support from the CSFS Salida Field Office and Chaffee Fire staff.