Free curbside chipping deadline extended to October 11 for Big Bear area residents

Big Bear area property owners who need to clear brush to satisfy a county fire-abatement notice have more time to take advantage of a free service that will haul or chip that material away. The Mountain Rim Fire Safe Council (MRFSC) has extended its curbside chipping program registration deadline to Sunday, October 11, 2026 — the last chipping cycle of the year for the Big Bear area^[1].

"Due to the high volume of late summer early fall county notices, MRFSC's Board of Directors approved extending the registration into October to aid property owners in doing their abatement," the council stated on its program page^[1]. In plain terms: if you've received a county notice telling you to clear brush and create defensible space around your home, this program is one of the easiest — and cheapest — ways to check that box before the season ends.

How the free program works

The service is entirely free, funded by a CAL FIRE California Climate Investment Fire Prevention grant^[1]. Here's what to know before you sign up:

• Material must be at the curb first. Do not submit the registration form until your brush, branches, or small trees are already stacked at the curb or roadside. Crews will not backtrack if your pile isn't ready when they arrive^[1].
• Register by 6:00 p.m. PST on the deadline Sunday. Requests submitted after that cutoff will roll into the following cycle — which, for Big Bear, means next year^[1].
• Chips are hauled away or left in a pile. Unlike residents in the Rim Communities, Big Bear area residents cannot have chips blown back onto their property^[1].
• Crews aim to finish within three weeks, though weather, material volume, and contractor backlogs can affect that timeline^[1].

What you can (and can't) chip

The program accepts branches and small trees — but not root balls, trunks wider than 8 inches, pine needles, bagged material, weeds, construction lumber, or anything containing rocks, metal, nails, or wire. Piles pushed together by a backhoe or tractor will be skipped. Stack limbs with cut ends facing the street; this speeds up the crew's work at your property, according to the program's guidelines^[1].

The registration form is available on the MRFSC website. When you submit, you'll be asked to estimate the hours you spent doing defensible-space work and report any amount paid to hired help — information MRFSC uses to document community participation for its state grant^[1].

Note that in the Rim Communities (Lake Arrowhead area), chipping is offered twice a month, and the final two 2026 deadlines there are September 27 and October 11^[1] — the same final date as Big Bear.

To register or ask questions, contact MRFSC at 866-923-FIRE (3473) or info@firesafenow.org (opens in a new tab). The October 11 registration deadline closes at 6:00 p.m. PST^[1].

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Editor's note: The source page does not specify whether Big Bear area had a separate September 27 deadline or if October 11 is the sole remaining cycle. Confirm with MRFSC if a September cycle for Big Bear was available before publishing.