Using Berkeley resources to firescape your yard efficiently

The city of Berkeley does a great job at making it easier for us all to firescape our yards at lessor cost.

  • The Berkeley Fire Department provides you with a handy self-inspection checklist to help figure out what to do for wildfire mitigation. Be aware that the present checklist does not include 2026 regulations yet.
  • Every year, in the Wildland Urban Interface, the fire department inspects your yard to point out wildfire-related weaknesses.
  • You can book a chipper pickup to get rid of all of your chippable plant debris for free. The city provides 14 pickup weeks per year, unheard of in the Bay Area.
  • Your neighborhood can schedule a work “Prepare for Fire Season” weekend and get a (mostly) free 20-cubic-yard bin from the city.
  • If you have too much vegetation debris to fit in your green bin, you may buy Berkeley plant debris bags to multiply your green bin volume by 5.
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