Turning trees and branches into wood chips, and blowing chips back on the property from where it came; is a dangerous, potentially flammable practice.
Using wood chips as weed suppression and ground cover next to a road, makes egress from a wildfire close to impossible.
Living trees are not very flammable. Try burning fresh cut wood in a stove or fireplace. It doesn't burn. The debris underneath trees burn (leaves and twigs) which makes it look like the tree is burning.
Fire can kill a tree but it doesn't burn, consume, a living tree. After a fire, most trees (living or dead) are still standing.
It takes a year to season firewood, but wood chips dry out and are potentially flammable in a few weeks.
Cal fire warns against using chips as weed suppression and ground cover, yet allows wood chips to be shot back on the property. This practice needs to be reexamined.
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David Caul
Napa
