Fire Disaster Preparedness

Protect your home, use City services to remove vegetation

Get seasonal help disposing of vegetation such as shrubs, brush, limbs, wood, and bushes to clear your home of excess and flammable debris.

Branches sit on ground in a pile next to a metal chipper machine

Published:

May 15, 2025

Last Updated:

July 7, 2025

Prepare for wildfire season by using a free City of Berkeley program that will take away shrubs, limbs, brush, and other “hard” vegetation you gather from your property. 

Berkeleyans can sign up online for this service, known as our “Berkeley Chipper Program," to choose neighborhood chipping events or sign up to get an email when the next nearby event is scheduled.  

In addition, those in certain higher-risk areas of the Berkeley Hills that pay a fire district surcharge can request a vegetation debris bin, which can help move even larger amounts and a greater variety of cleared vegetation. 

The Berkeley Chipper program is funded by voter-approved Measure FF and is part of Fire Safe Berkeley, a broad effort led by the Berkeley Fire Department to create tools, resources, and partnerships with the community to reduce the risk of wildfire. Berkeley Fire’s comprehensive wildfire protection plan includes annual inspections of certain hillside properties to help identify fire risks, increased public education about fire prevention, and services like the chipper program.

“Each of us has a role to play in reducing the risk of wildfire,” said Fire Chief Dave Sprague, a third-generation Berkeley resident. “Thinning vegetation around our homes and removing all vegetation within five feet of structures, decks and stairs significantly reduces the risk around your home. Each of us doing our part can also build toward decreasing the wildfire risk of entire neighborhoods.” 

Make an appointment for the citywide chipper service. To see if you qualify to receive a vegetation debris bin for your neighborhood, call 3-1-1 or (510) 981-2489 outside City limits.

Berkeley Chipping Program

Use the chipper website to find upcoming chipping events in your neighborhood. Follow the instructions to make a reservation.

If you do not see an event in your neighborhood, sign up to receive emails about future appointments. 

Please be sure your pile is ready for pick up at the specified time in your confirmation email from the Berkeley Chipper online system.

Your un-bagged, curbside vegetation debris pile should not exceed 25 feet by 4 feet by 4 feet. Please be sure it does not block a roadway or driveway. Keep the pile at least 10 feet away from a utility pole or fire hydrant. Your pile must be in an accessible area not blocked off by fences, closed gates, or other similar objects.  

Hard vegetation you can put in your pile includes:  

Shrubs 
Brush 
Tree limbs 
Wood 
Bushes

Debris you cannot put in your pile include metal objects, such as nails or fencing, and the following vegetation:  

Poison Oak 
Blackberry brambles 
Regular yard waste from weekly green bin 
Leaves 
Lawn clippings 
Bamboo roots 
Roots covered with dirt, rocks, or gravel 
Limbs and firewood larger than 8” in diameter

Please review all program rules before making a reservation. Pickups are available on scheduled dates for each neighborhood. For one-time debris pick ups, consider a temporary 2–6 cubic yard dumpster rental.

The Chipper Program is event-based and fills up quickly depending on your neighborhood’s zone. Scheduling before the program ends in mid-December will help ensure you are able to use the services. 

Certain hills residents can request a vegetation debris bin 

If you live in certain higher-risk neighborhoods in the Berkeley hills, you can request a 20-cubic-yard debris bin to help remove excess vegetation. 

Check your Zero Waste statement to see if your bill includes a Fire District Surcharge fee. Those eligible can request a vegetation debris bin by Tuesday, September 30. Vacant lots and properties that do not pay the Fire Surcharge are not eligible.

Confirm eligibility and schedule an appointment by calling (510) 981-2489 or 311 on weekdays, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, not including holidays.

For smaller amounts of debris, you can also purchase pre-paid paper plant-debris bags (with a City of Berkeley logo) from Ace Hardware at 2020 Milvia Street, or the at the Berkeley Transfer Station at 1201 Second Street. These paper bags are picked up year-round during the regular weekly compost bin service.

By removing brush, branches, and trees from around your home—either on your own or through our chipper or vegetation debris programs—you help better protect your neighborhood and our city from wildfire.