Spring is still months away, but local fire officials are bracing themselves for the consequences of a dry winter and an early fire season.

“Things are not looking good unless we get some significant amount of rainfall in the next few months,” said CalFire Division Chief of Administration Gabrielle Avina. “Usually by this time of the year, the grasses are very green and moisture is high. (But) the timber is dry, and we have not had the moisture we would normally expect this time of the year.”

As a result, fire officials are urging residents to do what they can to protect their homes from a wildfire disaster. Creating a defensible space around homes and outbuildings and using the free CalFire chipping program are two ways homeowners can reduce the odds of losing their homes to a fire.

The free green waste chipping program will begin March 2. The program, which will operate five days a week, is open to all  Napa County residents. There is no limit to the amount of material homeowners can put out to be picked up.

The purpose of the free waste chipping pick-up service is to give homeowners every chance to clear fire fuels, such as heavy, dry brush and weeds from around their homes and other structures, Avina said.

The free chipping program is not intended for general land clearing. It is for defensible space preparation and brush and weed management and to allow fire equipment access to homes, according to CalFire.

The chipping program started in 2005 and that year took care of about 10,000 cubic yards of waste. Last year, the program ate up more than 200,000 cubic yards of materials. One cubic yard would fill the bed of a pickup.

“We encourage people to clear at least a 100-foot defensible space around their homes. It not only reduces the chances of losing a home to a wildland fire, it also provides a safe place for firefighters should they need to respond to a fire call at the property,” Avina said.

In the city, a 100-foot defensible space around a home is not always needed, Napa City Fire Marshal Darren Drake said.

“We look at each property individually. In some cases, a 30-foot clearance is enough. It all depends on the amount of brush and weeds around the house,” Drake said. “We want property owners to be responsible and make sure they do all they can to protect their homes and make it safe for firefighters if they ever need to respond to a fire call at their homes.”

Drake said in drought-like conditions vegetation gets stressed.

“Plants that ordinarily would not be stressed can be in drought times, adding more to the fire fuels,” he said. “Instead of green foliage, we have stressed vegetation, which makes fires burn much more intensive and spread more rapidly.”

Those interested in participating in the program can visit the Napa Firewise Web site at www.napafirewise.org and complete an application or call 967-1426.