Chipping Day results in free mulch

FALLBROOK – The Fallbrook Fire Safe Council sponsored a "chipping day" Saturday, Aug. 13, at Fire Station 4, 4375 Pala Mesa Dr. from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event was offered to residents of Fallbrook, Bonsall, DeLuz and Rainbow. The goal of the event was to provide a centralized location for the residents to have branches, less than six inches in diameter, trimmed brush, palm branches and other cut vegetation from their properties chipped/shredded into mulch.

Support for the event came from nine volunteers from Camp Pendleton; 13 members of the Rainbow Cal Fire Station, led by Captain Jon Gerstenberg; three members of the Fallbrook Sheriff's Senior Volunteer Patrol; two employees from California Tree Services and the five members of the Fire Safe Council.

The event was supported by a grant from the San Diego Fire Foundation and SDG&E. Throughout the day, more than 20 community members brought more than 35 loads of material to the site, producing over 30 cubic yards of untreated mulch. The untreated mulch is now available to the public for pick-up on a first-come basis.

Based upon the success of this event, Dorothy Roth, facilitator of the Fire Safe Council, said that "the Council will be looking at sponsoring several more chipping days in the coming months to help make Fallbrook fire safe."

The Fallbrook Fire Safe Council is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization working within a broad coalition of private and public sector organizations and people to provide education and information that fosters fire safety preparedness within the Fallbrook, Bonsall, DeLuz and Rainbow regions.

Submitted by the Fallbrook Fire Safe Council.