Wildfire Chipper Program for Hawai‘i County

This chipper program will support the reduction of hazardous vegetation around homes and in communities at high risk of wildfires. It will emphasize creating a non-combustible zone within the first five feet of structures and reducing vegetation from 5 to 100 feet to limit fire intensity and potential spread. The chipper program will offered by the Hawai‘i County Fire Department in partnership with the Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO), and will be the first free chipper service of its kind in the state. The cost will be to purchase the equipment required and to provide the staffing to operate. The service will be available to at-risk communities on a bi-monthly basis (twice per month) with logistical supported provided at the community level by residents (this will be a requirement of the program). In addition to chipping services, the program will connect residents with HWMO resources that help communities become wildfire safe and resilient.