Hayward takes chipping applications through Oct. 1 for hill homes

Hayward Fire Department is taking applications through Oct. 1 for free residential chipping, and the chipping itself is scheduled in the weeks between Sept. 1 and Nov. 13.

Applications opened Aug. 10. Slots are first come, first served, and the city said the program runs until its funding is depleted, so a late-September application is a gamble.

The program covers residents of the Hayward Hills and the Fairview Fire Protection District. The city defines the eligible area as properties east of Mission Boulevard, south of D Street, and up to the Union City border.

The division of labor matters. Residents do the cutting, gathering and stacking, leaving the branches at the front of the property. A contractor hired by the city then chips the pile on the street on a prescheduled day between Sept. 1 and Nov. 13.

To apply, fill out the 2026 chipping application at hayward-ca.gov/ChipperProgram. Once a request goes in, the applicant picks a chipping session and gets an email confirming acceptance into the program.

The goal is defensible space: pulling dry vegetation and tree limbs back from houses in a high wildfire hazard area.

If the cutting is the obstacle, the city runs a Residential Assistance Program for seniors, residents with disabilities and low-income households. It helps with the cost of cutting, trimming and stacking vegetation for chipping. To get an application, email FiresafeHFD@hayward-ca.gov with your full name, property address and contact details. The fire administration office takes questions at 510-583-4930.

Chipping is part of Hayward Fire's Wildfire Ready East Bay initiative. This year's round is paid for by a CAL FIRE Wildfire Prevention Grants Program award under California Climate Investments, which draws on state cap-and-trade proceeds and on Proposition 4, the 2024 water, drought and clean air bond that authorized $10 billion in borrowing.