2024: Free Chipping Day Will be Announced

Every year during the summer months, Riviera West arranges a free chipping service for members. This is part of our ongoing effort to reduce fire fuels, making our community more resistant to wildfire. Only our property owners are permitted to have their branches and brush chipped and removed under this program.

Chipping Day will be announced as soon as we get a date from our contractors. Chipping companies are busy and we must work with them to make arrangements as the season progresses. Please watch your email for the exact day and additional details.

Contact the office at 707-279-8544 with the address of your chipping pile. If you are not on the list, we cannot ensure your pile will be removed. Please do not set your chipping pile at the curb before May 15.

To be sure your branch and brush piles are picked up, please follow our Dos and Don’ts guidelines:

Chipping Day Dos

·       Important: Oleander is toxic. Keep oleander limbs separate from other materials.

·       Stack material next to the road so the chipping crew can easily reach the pile.

·       Tree trunks and limbs must be smaller than 6 inches in diameter.

·       Stack all chipping material neatly and evenly with ends facing the road.

·       Keep your piles under 5 feet high.

·       Keep your pile less than 12 feet long.

Chipping Day DON’Ts

·       Do not stack brush over existing vegetation or the roadway.

·       No roots – dirt and rocks in the roots damage machinery.

·       No mud or dirt. Do not drag your branches through mud or dirt.

·       Do not cross-stack piles.

·       No bulldozed or machine-stacked piles.

·       No rocks, berry vines, tree stumps or construction material.

·       No poison oak or Scotch broom in the pile.

·       Do not place limb or brush piles next to the street prior to May 15.

NOTE:  We will notify you via email when we have a date for the chipping service. Brush put out after that date or not conforming with the guidelines will not be removed and will be the sole responsibility of the property owner.

Riviera West is a Nationally Recognized Firewise Community

As a result of property owners’ efforts in clearing their lots, as well as other criteria which we had to meet, Riviera West was formally recognized as a Firewise Community by the National Firewise Communities organization (a division of the National Fire Protection Association, NFPA) in 2015. Riviera West was the first community in Lake County to earn this designation.  To maintain our Firewise Community status, we must continue to keep Riviera West compliant with our fire prevention policy. 

• Being a Firewise Community offers a range of benefits to property owners. We are investigating how best to use these benefits for Riviera West. For you Veterans, USAA Insurance offers discounts to those who live in a Firewise Community.
• Firewise Newsletters:  filled with practical information for property owners
• Visit the National Firewise Communities website for community publications, guidelines on landscaping and construction, and other fire prevention information. 

Firewise DVDs are available for checkout in the office. Contained in the DVDs is information on preventing home fires and making fire-safe home improvements.  We also have some informative brochures that you can pick up in the clubhouse.

Fire Safety Committee Mission Statement

• Inform every Riviera West property owner of applicable laws and codes that govern fire issues in a State Responsibility Area (of which Riviera West is one) and the Riviera West Fire Prevention Policy.
• Provide every Riviera West property owner with educational resources, fire safe protocols, procedures and best practices, to best maintain their properties for fire prevention.
• Provide guidance on personal and community safety should a fire incident or related emergency occur.

Make recommendations to the Riviera West Country Club Board of Directors on actions to be taken concerning properties not in compliance with the Riviera West fire prevention policy

Volunteer for the Fire Safety Committee  

Consider joining a group of neighbors who are taking action to keep our community safe. Contact the Riviera West office and they will put you in touch with the Fire Committee so you can learn more about it.

Resources to help you keep your lot and our community fire-safe:

Kelseyville Fire Protection District - In case of emergency, dial 9-1-1

4020 Main Street or PO Box 306

Kelseyville, California 95451

Phone: (707) 279-4268  Fax: (707) 279-4422

Lake County Sheriff's Office

1220 Martin Street

Lakeport, California 95453

Emergency:  9-1-1

Non-emergency dispatch: (707) 263-2690

California Fire Code 4291: For a copy of the CA State Fire Code 4291, which is enforceable in Riviera West, click HERE. Our fire prevention policy is based on this law.

Red Flag Warning Days: Click HERE for a link to learn more about Red Flag Warning days and what you can and can not do when clearing lots or trees on those designated days. 

Riviera West Governing Documents/Fire Safety Section:  Click HERE to view the pdf.

Lot Clearing:  We provide a list of some lot clearing contractors. Click HERE or contact the office for an updated list. Riviera West does not guarantee that ours is a complete list; we recommend you check all local services before making a decision. NOTE: You must separate all oleander branches from other brush piles. 

Remove Brush and Branches! Not all services remove branches and debris after they take down a tree. Be sure you provide for the branches and other debris to be removed.  

Erosion Control:  Be sure that erosion control is in place if required after removing the roots of trees and shrubs. This will keep water drainage from damaging both your lot and your downslope neighbors' lots.

Firewise Guide to Landscape and Construction - a good general guide to help you plan your landscaping using the zone concept to reduce fuel.

Glow in the Dark Street Address Signs:  Kelseyville Fire Department is selling (for $30) and installing street address signs (number only) that are reflective and easily seen by emergency responders (this is critical in our community especially for medical emergencies in order to find the right address). If you want to have one of these signs installed, please print out, fill out and deliver this form to Kelseyville Fire; click HERE for the form. 

Cal Fire Inspection Law/Guide: Click HERE to view the guide for information on wildfires and how to stay safe in a high fire zone.

Fire retardants: Riviera West offere Phos-Chek, a spray-on fire retardant, at wholesale prices to Riviera West property owners. Click HERE for general information and contact the office if you are interested in purchasing Phos-Chek.

Helping Trees Survive a Drought:  Drought is a fact of life in California. Click HERE to view CalFire's informative guide.

"Wildfire is Coming. Are you Ready?" This is the title of CalFire's website for California property owners. Click HERE to visit the site. 

Removing dead trees that could threaten a neighbor's property:  Homeowners have expressed concerns when they believe a neighbor's dead tree could fall on their home or property. Whether you are in the path of a dead tree or the owner of the tree, this is a serious issue.  We emphasize that if a dead tree on your property damages your neighbor or their property, you (not Riviera West) are the responsible party; and that could lead to significant problems for you . Dead trees are not only a major fire hazard, they may also threaten life and property. Work together with your neighbors to remove trees that could damage property.