While Congressman Sam Liccardo unveiled a regional partnership targeting wildfire preparedness in the West Santa Clara Valley on Aug. 20, local governments emphasized community action as federal funding for these efforts stalls.
The partnership includes the governments of Los Gatos and Saratoga, the Santa Clara County Fire Department and the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council.
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About a quarter of Los Gatos residents and a quarter of Saratoga residents live in the Wildland Urban Interface, or WUI, where natural environments and urban infrastructure collide, making wildfire preparedness and response a hot topic.
“If you live in the Wildland Urban Interface, you need to roll up your sleeves and do your part, not just to protect yourself, but to protect your neighbor,” said Seth Schalet, CEO of the Saratoga-based nonprofit FireSafe Council.
Schalet demonstrated some new technologies to mitigate wildfire risks at the press conference, held at St. Joseph’s Hill Preserve in Los Gatos. He introduced a BurnBot vegetation masticator, which breaks down large flammable materials to make them easy to clear. Schalet also pointed out N5 wildfire smoke sensors, of which a hundred are already installed in the county.
The FireSafe Council has partnered with satellite wildfire technology company Ororatech for early fire detection and fire mapping and are working with San Jose Water to monitor fire threats to the utility’s watershed. The council also works with NASA Ames Research Center to analyze embers and vegetation that can create far-reaching embers.
Partnerships with San Jose Water, Santa Clara County Parks and the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District have spurred vegetation clearing projects in the Los Gatos Creek Watershed to reduce the risk of a wildfire and improve forest health, funded by $15 million in CalFire grants.
Los Gatos resident Jak Van Nada spoke at the press conference to explain what residents can do to harden their homes. In a home tour, he showed off his drought-resistant plants, steel roof and fire-resistant pavers.
“I don’t think the neighbors understand how urgent this has to be, and I understand,” Van Nada said. “Every year about this time, they all get an email from me about having a group of us get together so that we can clear our property, and it gets less and less impactful every year because the fire doesn’t come, so people tend to let their guard down.”
Santa Clara County Fire Battalion Chief Skylar Thornton gave residents some advice on hardening their homes. He advised residents to keep the first 5 feet around their home, known as Zone 0, clear of combustibles like plants, furniture, wood piles and garbage bins. He advocated for clearing rain gutters, removing dead and dry vegetation and trimming back tree branches that are within 10 feet of chimneys. He also recommended that those who are building and renovating their homes consider fire-resistant landscapes and roofing and siding materials to prevent embers from catching fire.
Thornton advised residents to keep Zone 1, the area 5-30 feet around the home, “clean and green” by removing any dead plants. He also encouraged people to choose drought-tolerant vegetation and keep it well-irrigated. He said there should be some separation between plants and other items that could catch fire, like sheds, fences and other outdoor structures.
For areas up to 100 feet around the home or to the property line, known as Zone 2, Thornton prescribed mowed grasses and keeping trees limbed from 6 to 10 feet up.
