As the Yampa Valley heads into the fall season, the city of Steamboat Springs is partnering with the Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council and Twin Apex Waste Solutions to host a free, residential-only “Love ‘Em & Leaf ‘Em” cleanup event on Saturday, Oct. 4, according to a statement released Tuesday. 

Homeowners are asked to bring fallen leaves and branches to the event, set to take place from 8:30 a.m.-noon at the Milner Landfill, where they will be chipped and composted, allowing yard waste to be repurposed for agricultural use and decreasing the risk of wildfires. 

“Proper vegetation management is one of the most cost-effective ways to protect your home from wildfire,” wrote the statement. “Clearing the first five feet around your house — the Home Ignition Zone — helps prevent embers from igniting structures.”

​​Accepted materials include leaves, small trees, tree branches, small-diameter logs and brush. 

The following items will not be accepted: 

• Logs or branches with a diameter greater than 4 inches
• Roots, root wads, stumps or anything else that grows below the soil
• Materials that contain dirt, sand, gravel or rocks
• Construction, building or other man-made materials
• Lumber, fence posts or signs
• Materials that contain any metal (nails, screws, fencing), string or other man-made materials

Homeowners with larger limbs or oversized debris can dispose of them at Twin Apex for a fee.