Crews from the California Department of Forestry will use a wood
chipper to clear portions of the San Juan Canyon next month of
fallen tree limbs and branches that pose a fire hazard.
Crews from the California Department of Forestry will use a wood chipper to clear portions of the San Juan Canyon next month of fallen tree limbs and branches that pose a fire hazard.
Residents of the canyon are encouraged to take advantage of the no-cost program May 5-9, when CDF crews will work in the canyon from morning through mid-afternoon with the wood-eating machine.
“It’s a brand-new commercial chipper we bought through a grant for $18,000, which hasn’t arrived yet, but we expect it anytime,” said Capt. Vic Loftin of the California Department of Forestry.
The chipper can cut wood debris up to nine inches in diameter. Because the crews are not allowed to go onto private property, all materials must be brought to the edge of the roadway and stacked no higher than four feet.
“Basically, what we are looking for is to have the end of the limbs facing the roadway because that makes it a little easier to deal with it,” Loftin said.
For safety reasons, there are limits to what can be put into the chipper. Metal, including barbed wire, will not be accepted, nor will loose vegetation such as leaves, grass or sod, firewood chunks or anything that cannot easily be picked up. Poison oak is also not acceptable, Loftin said.
The San Benito County Fire Council, which is sponsoring the clean-up program, is a non-profit organization representing private citizens, the business community, fire fighting organizations and others concerned with fire safety.
Loftin encourages county residents to attend the council’s meetings on the third Wednesday of each month. The next meeting is scheduled for April 16 at 10 a.m. at the CDF’s Fairview Road station.
For more information about the chipper program, call 637-4475.
Fire safety tips
To keep property free of fire fuel hazards, homeowners should follow this checklist of prevention measures:
Clear flammable vegetation 10 feet from roads and 5 feet from driveways.
Cut back overhanging tree branches above roads.
Remove branches within 10 feet of chimneys and other dead branches over hanging roofs.
Remove dead leaves and needles from roof and gutters.
Create a defenseable space by removing all flammable vegetation at least 30 feet from all structures.
On slopes or in high fire hazard areas, remove flammable vegetation out 100 feet or more.
