Defensible Space Brush Chipping & Debris Removal Program

In the interest of fire prevention, life safety, and property protection, the Los Altos Hills County Fire District (Fire District or LAHCFD) contracted with Santa Clara County FireSafe Council (FSC) to deliver the Defensible Space Brush Chipping & Debris Removal (DSBC) Program to Fire District residents. The Fire District encourages residents to make their homes more defensible against wildland fire by removing hazardous brush and tree limbs. Upon pruning these hazardous materials, Fire District residents may sign up for the DSBC Program, which provides brush chipping and disposal services at no cost. Currently, the Fire District is accepting requests for brush chipping and disposal services in Area 1 of the Fire District, which will take place in July 2021, or during the following months, as conditions allow. (See Area Map.)

Registration for Area 1 brush chipping and disposal services

When Will My Area Be Chipped?

View the tentative 2021 Brush Chipping schedule at the bottom of the page, or click here to learn when your Area will be chipped.

How Does the Chipping Program Work?

The DSBC Program is available twice a year to residents of the Fire District. Residents may register to have their brush chipped during their respective Program Area’s two-week chipping window (see Program Area map and Tentative Chipping Schedule). Brush piles must be cut and stacked within 10-feet of residents’ driveways’ entrance to the roadway on a level area by the date specified during registration. Residents also indicate whether they would like their brush chips left on their property or hauled away. To comply with safety measures, residents may only retain debris chipped on their property.

A representative from the FSC will attempt to contact residents the week before the two-week chipping window begins, to notify them as to when contractors will be on-site to conduct the chipping. Piles will be measured and photographed on the same day as the chipping. Name, phone number, and email must be provided at the time of registration to ensure that the FSC can contact the resident with this information.

All dates provided during registration are dependent on weather, red flag, and other safety conditions, such as COVID-19 quarantine measures. The Fire District, Santa Clara County FireSafe Council, and DSBC Program service providers will make every effort to adhere to the dates provided during registration; however, they must comply with all required safety measures, thus services may be delayed from time to time.

How To Register For This Program

• Approximately one month before each chipping program, residents receive a letter with a card to return to request service (See table below for approximate dates)
• To participate, return the request card per the instructions in the letter or sign up online- Request for Area 1 Defensible Space Brush Chipping & Debris Removal Services
• Arrange to have your brush piled and ready to be chipped by the deadline specific to your brush chipping window
• A representative from the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council will contact you in advance of visiting your property to notify you when contractors will be on-site for the chipping

We encourage all Fire District residents to participate in this very successful program, which helps you keep your home safer by reducing potentially dangerous fuel from brush and tree branches.

How Residents can help the District, FSC, and Contractors who Provide Chipping Service

• Please cooperate, be respectful, and maintain appropriate interactions at all times with personnel and contractors acting on behalf of the Fire District and FireSafe Council
• We appreciate service personnel receiving thanks and courteous treatment from residents
• If contacted by an FSC representative, please return calls or emails
• If gates are locked, please have gates unlocked or a person available to allow the contractor access to the brush pile for chipping on the day of service
• If you have any questions or comments about the services provided, please contact us at www.lahcfd.org or call the Los Altos Hills County Fire District at 650-949-1044
• We look forward to providing you with these no-cost Defensible Space Brush Chipping and Debris Removal Program Services to make your home and property more defensible against a wildland fire by removing hazardous brush and small tree limbs.

Illustrations of Defensible Space Zones and Shelter in Yard Zero to 5 foot Zone

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

Tentative 2021 Defensible Space Brush Chipping & Debris Removal Schedule