An improved wood debris clearing device and method for a cutoff saw is provided. The device includes a conveyor having upstream and downstream sections separated by a gap where cutting occurs along a conveyance path. A deflecting mechanism including two blowers, perpendicularly oriented with respect to the conveyance path, direct air streams across the conveyance path. Cutoff wood debris is deflected off an inner wall of a hood into a receptacle, thus preventing the debris from reaching the downstream section of the conveyor and minimizing the likelihood of machine jamming.