COQUITLAM, B.C, February 22 – Coquitlam Fire Rescue is offering free wood chipping to residents in the Westwood Plateau neighborhood, one of the City’s wildland-urban interface areas at a greater risk for wildfires.
Northeast Sector FireSmart™ Program
In order to help residents reduce the fuel load on their properties from hedges and other woody material, Coquitlam Fire Rescue is offering a wood chipping program free of charge to eligible residents with past participation in the City’s FireSmart Home Hazard Assessment program, as well as for Westwood Plateau residences. This free program provides residents with an important opportunity to take proactive steps to reduce wildfire risk to their home and property.
Eligible Materials and How to Participate
Residents living in the Westwood Plateau neighbourhood are asked to reach out to Coquitlam Fire Rescue via email at woodchipping@coquitlam.ca to arrange a date from these Saturday options: March 16, March 23, March 30 or April 6.
Eligible trees and materials include:
- Cedar
- Conifer branches and pruning
- Juniper
- Mugo pine.
Materials not accepted include: deciduous material (trees that lose their leaves in winter), grass clippings and pine needles. These unacceptable materials can go in your yard waste or green bin for municipal pick up. Construction type wood or pallets will not eligible for pickup through this program. Unacceptable materials will not be picked up and will be left at the curb.
Living trees may require a tree cutting permit prior to removal. To determine whether you may need a tree cutting permit, please review the Tree Management Bylaw, or contact a City arborist at trees@coquitlam.ca or 604-927-3482.
Participating residents are expected to have materials for chipping in stacks/piles.
- Debris piles should be no more than 6’ high by 6’ wide, and no longer than 20’.
- All branches should be oriented in the same direction with branches all one way, and the pruned ends facing the road.
- Diameter of any branches shall be 11” or less.
- Debris must be placed at the curbside by 9 a.m. on the assigned Saturday whereby a wood chipping contractor will process and remove the material.
The free wood-chipping opportunity may be expanded to include the North-East/Burke Mountain area.
Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan
Wildfire preparation has become a year-round activity for Coquitlam Fire/Rescue. Over the past several years, Coquitlam has been implementing high-priority actions from its Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan and participating in regional efforts and multi-agency training and planning.
Adopted in late 2021, the Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan outlines 43 actions aimed at reducing wildfire risk and improving the City’s response and recovery if fires do occur.
Activities include public education, adopting FireSmart wildfire prevention best practices, improving coordination with other municipalities, joint planning and training with other agencies, and managing forest fuels – such as dry debris –in parks and green spaces.
More information about the CWRP can be found at coquitlam.ca/cwrp.
Together, the City’s local and regional activities are providing a comprehensive wildfire protection strategy for the community.
Media Contact:
Bryan Eberle
Assistant Chief, Fire Prevention
604-927-6400