FireSmart Community Chipping Program
Thanks for helping make our community FireSmart, Kelowna!
All Chipping Program pickup dates have now been reserved.
The Kelowna FireSmartTM Community Chipping program returns this spring, with pickups scheduled from May 1 - 31, 2024.
This program is now full for the spring 2024 season, including the waitlist, as the program is offered on a first come, first served basis.
Acceptable material must be placed curbside according to instructions (below) by 7 a.m. on the first day of your pickup week (e.g., for pick up dates of May 6-10, material must be placed curbside by the morning of May 6).
The Community Chipping Program offers free curbside removal and chipping of highly flammable plant and shrub materials to reduce wildfire fuel levels on private properties in Kelowna. For homeowners and residents, FireSmartTM landscaping is the most significant and immediate step that you can take to protect your property.
Since 2022, the FireSmart Community Chipping program has removed nearly 150 metric tonnes of hazardous debris from across the city.
What materials are eligible for curbside pickup?
The following materials are considered highly flammable and are eligible for pickup through this program:
Cedar |  |
Juniper |  |
Mugo Pine |  |
Conifer branches |  |
What materials are NOT accepted through this program?
Deciduous (leafy) trees and shrubs are not eligible for pickup. Grasses, flowers, bulk pine needles, and other small plant materials can go in your yard waste (green bin) and are also not eligible for pickup through this program. All acceptable material put out for pickup should never contain roots, dirt, rocks, gravel or non-organic material as they can damage the chipper. Material that deemed unacceptable will be left on site.
Did you know: highly flammable plants provide fuel and can increase fire intensity. They often contain fine, dry, dead material such as twigs, needles, leaves and loose, papery bark. The stems, branches and/or leaves can also contain volatile waxes or oils, which ignite easily.
For more information and tips on fire-resistant plants and shrubs, visit the FireSmartTM BC Landscaping Guide.
Community Chipping Program - Frequently asked questions
Neighbourhoods included in the 2022 pilot program schedule were: Dilworth, Magic Estates, McKinley, Quail Ridge, Black Mountain, Gallagher’s Canyon and some surrounding areas, Mission Ridge and portions of Kettle Valley.
The Community Chipping program started as a pilot to prioritize areas of the city where homes and properties are more likely to have landscaping that contains highly flammable plants and shrubs. Many newer neighbourhoods in Kelowna have already incorporated landscaping that is designed to reduce wildfire risks.
Due to the success of the pilot program, the program was made available to all neighbourhoods beginning in 2023.
This Community Chipping program is designed to help reduce the risk of impacts from wildfires. It is funded by a provincial wildfire risk reduction grant through the Union of BC Municipalities. We will only be offering free removal of specific flammable vegetation (juniper, cedar hedges, mugo pine and pruned branches from pine, fir or spruce) to assist with making your property and home FireSmartTM.
The FireSmartTM BC Landscaping Guide is a comprehensive resource for homeowners and includes recommended plants and vegetation. Printed copies of the guide are available at the City of Kelowna Parks Office on KLO Road.
You can also visit FireSmart BC’s Fire-resistant plants for your climate page, enter your postal code and browse through trees, shrubs, vines and groundcovers, grasses, perennials and biennials, annuals and bulbs that are best suited in your area.
Please email firesmart@kelowna.ca with questions or to access more information about FireSmart.
