NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Gary Marshall, Fire Marshal, City of Bend Fire Marshal, 322-6308

FireFree Schedules 6th Annual Clean-Up Weekends For Deschutes County

Mark Your Calendars for April 26-27, May 3-4 and May 10-11

(Bend, OR) – For the sixth year in a row FireFree will sponsor Clean Up Weekends during which Deschutes County residents can dump yard waste and debris free of charge at area landfills and transfer stations in Bend, Redmond, Sisters and LaPine.

Debris will be accepted at the Knott Landfill, located in Bend at 61000 SE 27th Street, on April 26-27 and May 3-4. The landfill is open 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends. The transfer stations in Redmond, Sisters and LaPine will accept debris one weekend only, May 10-11. Those stations are open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Negus Transfer Station in Redmond is located at 2400 NE Maple; the Northwest station near Sisters is located at 68200 Fryrear Road; and the Southwest Transfer Station near LaPine is located at 54580 Hwy 97.

“This is one of the most successful public education programs we have in mitigating wildfire potential in Deschutes County,” said Gary Marshall, City of Bend Fire Marshal. “Last year we collected more than 13,000 cubic yards of combustible material, which represents tons of fuel removed from around area homes and neighborhoods. This year we hope to collect substantially more.”

Residents are encouraged to mark their calendars and take advantage of these free clean-up weekends, which are sponsored in partnership with FireFree by Area Fire Agencies, Deschutes County and Bend Garbage & Recycling.

In addition to cleaning up yard waste that has accumulated over the past year and removing flammable vegetation, residents should prune trees that present a hazard and clear away any flammable materials that may have encroached on the minimum 30-foot buffer zone around the house, otherwise called defensible space.

According to Marshall, it’s also a good time to relocate wood piles and left over building materials that can help spread wildfire, inspect your roof to consider how fire resistant it is, and make sure easy-to-read road signs and address numbers are clearly visible from the road to allow firefighters to find homes more quickly in emergencies.

“The lower elevations have had a very dry winter in a series of drought years, so it’s more important than ever that we pay attention to doing all we can to reduce fire hazards in our communities,” said Marshall. “We’re anticipating another serious year of wildfires in Central Oregon and the clean up and maintenance homeowners do this spring is critical, and may save homes and property from wildfire later in the year.”

FireFree is a public education campaign designed to increase resident participation in wildfire defense and to mitigate losses due to wildfire. The annual Clean Up Weekends are a key part of involving area residents in removing debris from around their homes and property and increasing awareness about other steps they can take to reduce the potential for catastrophic wildfires reaching homes and neighborhoods.

For more information about FireFree, go to the web site at www.FireFree.org or call 541-322-6309.

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