Neighborhood Chipping Program

The Montecito Fire Department is sponsoring critical fire prevention clean-up projects in your neighborhood.

In preparation for wildfire, the Montecito Fire Department works in collaboration with identified neighborhoods to assist residents in improving community defensible space. You do the cutting and our contractor will chip the vegetation on-site and take it away.

Interactive Neighborhood Chipping Map

The Montecito Fire Department now has an Interactive Neighborhood Chipping Map. Type in your address for your neighborhood's chipping date details. 

2023 Chipping Schedule For the weeks beginning:

How to participate in the annual program:

• START CUTTING YOUR VEGETATION in advance of your scheduled neighborhood clean-up date. Focus your efforts within 100’ of structures and roadways, in the area known as your “Defensible Space Zone”. Visit MontecitoFire.com/fire-prevention for more information.

• CHIPPING SERVICES FOR SHRUB AND TREE LIMB MATERIAL WILL BE PROVIDED BY OUR CONTRACTOR. This material should be stacked at the edge of a passable road with the cut ends pointing to the center of the road. Leaves, succulents, agave, pine needles, palm fronds and other small trimmings cannot be chipped. It is the property owner’s responsibility to properly dispose of these items or they can be placed in the provided MarBorg roll-off containers.

• ROLL OFF CONTAINERS will be strategically placed in certain neighborhoods. The containers will arrive the Wednesday prior to the scheduled chipping start date and will remain in place for 7 days. The containers are only for the vegetation that cannot be chipped and are not to be used for trash disposal. For exact locations, please reference the table below with Neighborhood Chipping Roll-Off Container Locations or visit the Interactive Neighborhood Chipping Map. 

• TAGGING AND TRIMMING Roadside tree branches extending beyond the minimum clearance requirements set in the Montecito Fire Code will be identified by Fire District personnel. These branches will be removed by a professional tree service during the scheduled neighborhood project. This service provides adequate roadside clearance for emergency vehicles and safer evacuation routes for residents.

• CHIPPING SCHEDULE: Crews will start chipping on the Monday of your neighborhood’s scheduled week. To participate in the program, all material needs to be in place by 8:00 am Monday morning. If the vegetation is not easily seen from the street, please call Montecito Fire so they can ensure it is marked for removal. The identified schedule must be followed so all participants can be included in the annual program.

Please follow the above instructions to ensure the continued success of the Neighborhood Chipping Program.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a complimentary property survey, please contact our Wildland Fire Specialists: Maeve Juarez or Nic Elmquist at (805) 969-7762 or email [email protected].

2023 Neighborhood Chipping Roll-Off Container Locations

Click here to view an overview of map locations.