Wildfire defensible space · Nevada

TMFR Free Curbside Chipping Program

Run by Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue

SeasonalLast checked October 17, 2026
What you get
Free chipping service (about 20 minutes per residence)
Who qualifies
Washoe County residents who are elderly, have disabilities or are low-income and cannot haul green waste to the district's drop-off locations
Where
Elderly, disabled or low-income Washoe County residents in the Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue area.
Status
Seasonal. Fall 2026 window reportedly closed Oct 1 with chipping Oct 10-17; next window likely spring 2027 (inferred from past pattern)
Type of payment
Free installation
Official program page

What you do

Pile brush and branches at the curb and have crews chip them free on your property

Requirements

  • Owner present and approves the work
  • Piles at the curb, accessible to chipper, cut ends facing same direction
  • Branches 8 inches or less in diameter
  • Clean green or dead vegetation only; no trash, root balls, leaves, lumber, pinecones, dirt, firewood rounds or fruit waste
  • About a 3x3x3 pile fits the 20-minute limit
  • Chipped material stays on the property

How to apply

  1. 1Watch for a spring or fall application window from the district
  2. 2Submit the online chipping request form (link from the district announcement; photos of piles encouraged)
  3. 3Say in comments that you are elderly, disabled or low-income
  4. 4Approved residents receive an email with chipping date and time

Timing and deadlines

Application a few weeks before chipping; 12 residents approved per day, first-come

Per-cycle; not open now

Sources

Last checked October 17, 2026. See something out of date? Tell us.

Sow is not affiliated with any of these agencies or utilities. Amounts and rules change, often at the start of a fiscal year, so confirm the details on the official page before you start a project. How we research these programs