Effort aimed at reducing wildfire risk for homeowners to commence soon.
Registration for the 2025 FireSmart Community Chipping Program will begin on April 9 at 9 a.m., offering Kelowna homeowners a means to mitigate wildfire risks to their properties.
Dennis Craig, Assistant Fire Chief for Mitigation & Prevention, highlighted the threat posed by traveling embers during the 2023 McDougall Creek fire, urging residents to remove hazardous vegetation and woody debris, particularly within 10 meters of their homes, to reduce fuel sources.
The program is available to all single-family dwellings in the City of Kelowna, but with limited dates, residents are encouraged to register quickly.
Eligible materials for the program include cedar, juniper, mugo pine, as well as fir, pine, and spruce branches. Items with broadleaf trees, roots, dirt, rocks, grasses, or non-organic materials will not be collected.
Additional program details and resources on reducing wildfire risks can be accessed on the City of Kelowna’s FireSmart Community Chipping Program webpage, in the FireSmart BC Homeowner’s Guide, and at the FireSmart BC Landscaping Hub.
Beyond residential properties, Central Okanagan offers agricultural chipping alongside a rebate program supporting farmers and orchardists with costs up to $3,000 for chipping or flail mowing wood waste.
The Community Chipping Program is partially funded by the province and conducted in collaboration with various provincial and federal agencies, aiming to enhance public empowerment and neighborhood resilience.
For more details and to schedule chipping pickup, residents are encouraged to visit kelowna.ca/firesmart.