GOLDEN GATE CANYON - The Golden Gate Canyon Fire Protection District collaborated with the Golden Gate Canyon Grange to host a one-day slash collection on June 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Golden Gate Grange.

The Fire Department placed a dumpster and a shredder at two locations on the Grange parking lot. Fire Chief Kyle Benson said residents came in shifts throughout the day. By about 2 p.m. they had 61 loads of material, with more coming.

Once a resident pulled up to a shredder, firefighters would load the slash into the shredder, which would then blow the shredded chips into the dumpster.

Chief Benson said the chips were to be taken to the Jefferson County Slash Site on Tin Cup Ridge. Jeffco will be accepting the chips at no cost to the District, which paid for the chipper rental and the roll-offs.

Benson had 25 firefighters to help for the day. Those assisting and running the shredder included Peter Whiteneck and Daniel Johnson, both with the District for three years; and Chris Creech, bookkeeper for the District.

Benson said it had been more than three years since the Golden Gate residents had had a slash collection, and they wanted it back, so the Fire Department and the Grange collaborated to bring it back.

Grange President Terri Costeldia added that it had been five years since they had slash collection at the Grange. They were sweating it the past two weeks, she said, but she was delighted that they had pulled it off.

By about 3 p.m., about 400 cubic yards of material had been collected and processed.

For more information about the Golden Gate Fire Protection District go to https://goldengatefire.colorado.gov/.

For more information about the Grange, contact Terri Costeldia at 303-277-0351 or terricosteldia@hotmail.com. The Golden Gate Grange is located at 25201 Golden Gate Canyon Road, Golden.