BEND, OR -- Over the next several weeks, Central Oregonians can get rid of residential yard debris for free, through Project Wildfire. "Each spring, we ask people to create what we call defensible space, which is the area right around their space being cleared of all that flammable vegetation that’s built up over winter," says Deschutes County Forester Ed Keith, "The pine needles out of the gutters, flammable brush, pruning the trees, all that is really important, right next to the home."

But, he says all that spring cleaning can result in a pile of debris. Keith says Project Wildfire's “Fire Free” events provide a safe way to dispose of it. "There’s lots of dates on there for people that live all across the tri-county area, to look at and get their debris ready to take. We host Fire Free because we realize that doing this work creates a lot of that debris. And, it gives people an alternative to burning those fuels in their backyards." He tells KBND News, "Debris burning is really the number one cause of human-caused fires in the spring and the fall. To prevent that, but also to encourage people to be prepared for fire season, we offer these dates at the landfill and all the transfer stations to encourage people to drop that off, free of charge." 

“Fire Free” kicks off this weekend, with events at the Crook County Landfill in Prineville on Saturday, and at Box Canyon Transfer Site in Madras on Saturday and Sunday. They’ll also be available in Bend, Sunriver and Redmond over the next couple of weeks. Click HERE for a full schedule. 

For the latest information on prescribed burns and wildfires, visit CentralOregonFire.org. Sign up for text alerts on prescribed burns by texting "COfire" to 888777.

File Photo: A home is saved from fire by defensible space.