The Comox Valley FireSmart Resilience Committee, in partnership with Vancouver Island Enterprises, is offering free yard debris drop-off this fall and next spring to help residents reduce wildfire risk.

The program runs October and November, and again in April and May.

The drop-off site is located at 1200 Knight Road in Comox and is open daily from 8 am to 4:30 pm.

Accepted materials include leaves, grass clippings, branches up to three inches in diameter, and plants. Items must be loose or in paper yard bags.

Food waste, plastic, rocks, root balls, stumps, and invasive species are not accepted.

Invasive plants must instead be taken to the Comox Valley Waste Management Centre.

The program is open to all Comox Valley residents, but commercial operators are not eligible.

Organizers remind residents that clearing dry leaves, twigs, and branches helps reduce fire risk around homes and neighbourhoods.

FireSmart BC is a provincial initiative to reduce wildfire impacts by giving communities and residents practical tools to improve resilience.
Locally, the FireSmart Resilience Committee includes the City of Courtenay, Comox Valley Regional District, K’ómoks First Nation, Town of Comox, and Village of Cumberland.

More information, including how to sign up for a free FireSmart home assessment, is available at Comox Valley RD.