11 04 2024 City Council Meeting PacketNovember 4, 2024 | 6:00 PM Page 1 of 5 City Council Regular Meeting
Agenda
CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
AGENDA
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL
7351 ROSANNA STREET, GILROY, CA
95020
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2024 | 6:00 PM
MAYOR
Marie Blankley
COUNCIL MEMBERS
Rebeca Armendariz
Dion Bracco
Tom Cline
Zach Hilton
Carol Marques
Fred Tovar
CITY COUNCIL PACKET MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT www.cityofgilroy.org
AGENDA CLOSING TIME IS 5:00 P.M. THE TUESDAY PRIOR TO THE MEETING
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS ARE TAKEN BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL TAKES ACTION. Please keep
your comments to 3 minutes. Time restrictions may vary based on the Mayor's discretion.
Send written comments on any agenda item to publiccomments@cityofgilroy.org or City Hall, 7351 Rosanna
Street, Gilroy, CA 95020. Comments received by 1 p.m. on the meeting day will be distributed to the City Council
before the meeting. Comments are also available at bit.ly/3NuS1IN.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will make
reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. If you need
special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s
Office at least 72 hours prior to the meeting at (408) 846-0204 or
cityclerk@cityofgilroy.org to help ensure that reasonable arrangements can be
made.
If you dispute any planning or land use decision from this meeting in court, you may only raise issues you or
someone else presented at this meeting's public hearing or in written letters to the City Council before the hearing.
Be aware that the time to seek a judicial review of any final decision made at this meeting is defined by Section
1094.6 of the California Code of Civil Procedure.
During this meeting, a Closed Session may be called under Government Code Section 54956.9 (d)(2). This will
happen if, in the City's legislative body's opinion (based on current facts, circumstances, and legal advice), there's
a significant risk of a lawsuit against the City.
Additional materials submitted after agenda distribution are available on www.cityofgilroy.org as soon as possible.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE GILROY OPEN GOVERNMENT ORDINANCE
Government's duty is to serve the public, reaching its decisions in full view of the public.
Commissions, task forces, councils and other agencies of the City exist to conduct the people's
business. This ordinance assures that deliberations are conducted before the people and that
City operations are open to the people's review.
November 4, 2024 | 6:00 PM Page 2 of 5 City Council Regular Meeting
Agenda
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE OPEN GOVERNMENT ORDINANCE, TO
RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF THE ORDINANCE OR TO REPORT A VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE,
CONTACT THE OPEN GOVERNMENT COMMISSION STAFF AT (408) 846-0204.
If you need translation assistance, contact the City Clerk 72 hours before the meeting at 408-846-0204 or
cityclerk@cityofgilroy.org.
Si necesita un intérprete durante la junta y gustaría dar un comentario público, comuníquese con el
Secretario de la Ciudad un mínimo de 72 horas antes de la junta al 408-846-0204 o envíe un correo
electrónico a la Oficina del Secretario de la Ciudad a cityclerk@cityofgilroy.org.
To access written translation during the meeting, please scan the QR Code or
click this link:
Para acceder a la traducción durante la reunión, por favor escanee el código
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Use a headset on your phone for audio or read the transcript on your device.
Use sus auriculares para escuchar el audio o leer la transcripción en el
dispositivo.
The agenda for this meeting is outlined as follows:
1. OPENING
1.1. Call to Order
1.2. Pledge of Allegiance
1.3. Invocation
1.4. City Clerk's Report on Posting the Agenda
1.5. Roll Call
1.6. Orders of the Day
1.7. Employee Introductions
2. CEREMONIAL ITEMS - Proclamations and Awards
3. COUNCIL CORRESPONDENCE (Informational Only)
4. PRESENTATIONS TO THE COUNCIL
4.1. PUBLIC COMMENT BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON ITEMS NOT ON THE
AGENDA BUT WITHIN THE SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION OF THE
CITY COUNCIL
November 4, 2024 | 6:00 PM Page 3 of 5 City Council Regular Meeting
Agenda
This part of the meeting allows public address on non-agenda topics
within the Council's jurisdiction. To speak, complete a Speaker's Card from
the entrances and give it to the City Clerk. Speaking time ranges from 1-3
minutes based on the Mayor's discretion. Extended discussions or actions
on non-agenda items are restricted by law. For Council action, the topic
may be listed on a future agenda.
Email written comments on non-agenda topics
to publiccomments@cityofgilroy.org or mail them to City Hall, 7351
Rosanna Street, Gilroy, CA 95020, by 1:00 p.m. on the meeting day. These
comments, available at City Hall, will be shared with the Council and
included in the meeting record. Late submissions will be shared as soon
as possible. A 10-page limit applies to hard-copy materials, but electronic
submissions are unlimited.
5. REPORTS OF COUNCIL MEMBERS
Council Member Bracco – Downtown Committee, Santa Clara County Library Joint
Powers Authority, Santa Clara Valley Water Joint Water Resources Committee, SCRWA
Council Member Armendariz – Downtown Committee, Santa Clara County Library Joint
Powers Authority (alternate), Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency Governing Board, Santa
Clara Valley Habitat Agency Implementation Board, Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority
JPA Board (alternate)
Council Member Marques – ABAG, Downtown Committee, Gilroy Gardens Board of
Directors, Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency Governing Board, Santa Clara Valley Habitat
Agency Implementation Board, SCRWA (alternate)
Council Member Hilton – CalTrain Policy Group (alternate), Silicon Valley Clean Energy
Authority JPA Board, VTA Policy Advisory Committee
Council Member Cline – Gilroy Economic Development Partnership (alternate), Gilroy
Gardens Board of Directors (alternate), Gilroy Sister Cities Association, Gilroy Youth Task
Force, Silicon Valley Regional Interoperability Authority Board, VTA Policy Advisory
Committee (alternate), Visit Gilroy California Welcome Center Board, VTA Mobility
Partnership Committee
Council Member Tovar – Downtown Committee, Gilroy Youth Task Force (alternate),
Santa Clara County Expressway Plan 2040 Advisory Board, Santa Clara Valley Water
Commission, SCRWA, South County Youth Task Force Policy Team
Mayor Blankley – ABAG (alternate), CalTrain Policy Group, Downtown Committee, Gilroy
Economic Development Partnership, Gilroy Sister Cities Association (alternate), Gilroy
Youth Task Force, Santa Clara Valley Water Joint Water Resources Committee, SCRWA,
South County Youth Task Force Policy Team, VTA Board of Directors, VTA Mobility
Partnership Committee
6. CONSENT CALENDAR
Items under the Consent Calendar are deemed routine and approved with one motion. If a Council member or a member
of the public wishes for a separate discussion on an item, it must be requested for removal before the Council's approval
vote. If removed, the item will be discussed in its original order.
November 4, 2024 | 6:00 PM Page 4 of 5 City Council Regular Meeting
Agenda
6.1. Approval of the Action Minutes of the October 21, 2024 City Council
Regular Meeting
6.2. Adoption of a Resolution of the City of Gilroy to approve the Santa Clara
County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and the Gilroy Annex
6.3. Approval of a second Amendment to the Agreement with Circlepoint, Inc.
for the Gilroy Data Center Project Environmental Impact Report in the
amount of $36,757.25 for a total project cost of $244,009.30.
6.4. Claim of Jesus Diaz Chavez (The City Administrator recommends a "yes"
vote under the Consent Calendar shall constitute denial of the claim)
6.5. Claim of Roberto Patricio Justor (The City Administrator recommends a
"yes" vote under the Consent Calendar shall constitute denial of the claim)
7. BIDS AND PROPOSALS
8. PUBLIC HEARINGS
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
9.1. Approval of a Notice of Acceptance of Completion for the FY23 Citywide
Pavement Rehabilitation Project No. 23-PW-278 and Approval of a Final
Contract with Teichert Construction in the Amount of $5,977,011.86
1. Staff Report: Daniel Padilla, City Engineer
2. Public Comment
3. Possible Action:
a) Approve a Notice of Acceptance of Completion for the FY23 Citywide
Pavement Rehabilitation Project No. 23-PW-278.
b) Approve a final contract in the amount of $5,977,011.86 with Teichert
Construction for the FY23 Citywide Pavement Rehabilitation Project No. 23-
PW-278.
9.2. Zoning Ordinance Update Progress Report
1. Staff Report: Sharon Goei, Community Development Director
2. Public Comment
3. Possible Action:
Receive the staff report and provide feedback.
10. INTRODUCTION OF NEW BUSINESS
11. FUTURE COUNCIL INITIATED AGENDA ITEMS
12. CITY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORTS
12.1. VTA Grant Award
12.2. Santa Teresa Fire Station Update
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Agenda
13. CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORTS
14. CLOSED SESSION
15. ADJOURN TO OPEN SESSION
Report of any action taken in Closed Session and vote or abstention of each Council
Member if required by Government Code Section 54957.1 and GCC Section 17A.13(b);
Public Report of the vote to continue in closed session if required under GCC Section
17A.11(5).
16. ADJOURNMENT
FUTURE MEETING DATES
November 2024
18 Regular Meeting - 6:00 p.m
December 2024
9 Regular Meeting - 6:00 p.m
Meetings are live streamed on the City of Gilroy’s website at gilroy.city/meetings and on
YouTube at https://bit.ly/45jor03.
Access the 2024 City Council Meeting Calendar at https://bit.ly/3LLzY1n.
City Council Regular Meeting
AgendaOctober 21, 2024 | 6:00 PM Page 1 of 5
CITY COUNCIL ACTION MINUTES
MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2024 | 6:00 PM
1. OPENING
1.1. Call to Order
1.2. Pledge of Allegiance
Mayor Blankley led the Pledge of Allegiance.
1.3. Invocation
Pastor Malcolm McPhail led the invocation.
1.4. City Clerk's Report on Posting the Agenda Interim City Clerk, Beth
Minor advised the revised agenda was posted on Friday, October 18, 2024
at 3:25 P.M.
1.5. Roll Call
Attendance Attendee Name
Dion Bracco, Council Member
Rebeca Armendariz, Council Member
Carol Marques, Council Member
Zach Hilton, Council Member
Tom Cline, Council Member
Fred Tovar, Council Member
Marie Blankley, Mayor
Absent NONE
1.6. Orders of the Day
None
1.7. Employee Introductions
None
2. CEREMONIAL ITEMS - Proclamations and Awards
2.1. Proclaiming October 24, 2024 as Arbor Day
Parks and Recreation Commission Chair, Pat Bentson, accepted the
Proclamation.
3. COUNCIL CORRESPONDENCE (Informational Only)
3.1. Memo Regarding the Library Bond Project Schedule.
3.2. Board and Commission Terms Ending December 31, 2025 - Maddy
Act 2025.
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4. PRESENTATIONS TO THE COUNCIL
4.1. PUBLIC COMMENT BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON ITEMS NOT
ON THE AGENDA BUT WITHIN THE SUBJECT MATTER
JURISDICTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Mayor Blankley opened Public Comment.
Elaine Gooding thanked Council Members Marques and Bracco for
visiting the Garlic Farm RV Park to see the situation there. She asked the
Council for further assistance.
Mike Nagel spoke regarding his property on Monterey Road being
landlocked and hoped that the project at 315 Las Animas would include
continued access to his property.
Eli Aizerman spoke regarding the 315 Las Animas project litigation against
the City.
James Pearson advised the need to reconstitute the Library Bond
Oversight Committee and to get new members on the board.
Dennis Jamison requested an apology from the Council to the people who
spoke regarding the fair and honest 2024 election resolution discussion.
Eric Mathews spoke regarding the fair and honest 2024 election
resolution.
Alicia spoke regarding the fair and honest 2024 election resolution and
how she felt about the council discussion.
Judy Hess spoke about her time working at the Registrar of Voters Office
and how they handled election materials. She also invited everyone to the
Steve Ashford Memorial pancake breakfast at the Miller Red Barn on
Saturday.
There being no further speakers, Mayor Blankley closed Public Comment.
4.2. High Speed Rail Update Presented by the California High Speed Rail
Authority (Estimated Time: One Hour)
Mayor Blankley opened Public Comment.
There being no speakers, Mayor Blankley closed Public Comment.
5. REPORTS OF COUNCIL MEMBERS
Council Member Bracco
No report.
Council Member Armendariz
Noted her attendance at the recent California League of Cities Conference in
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City Council Regular Meeting
AgendaOctober 21, 2024 | 6:00 PM Page 3 of 5
Long Beach.
Council Member Marques
Advised the Downtown Committee has several upcoming recommendations for
the Council to review and noted they will not be meeting until after the first of the
new year.
Council Member Hilton
Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority JPA Board approved the allocation of $6
million to expand decarbonization programs and initiatives.
Council Member Cline
No report.
Council Member Tovar
Advised he also attended the California League of Cities conference and attended
workshops regarding the unhoused. The Gilroy Gardens negotiating Committee
met with members of the Gilroy Gardens Board and discussed important topics
and outlined goals as a City Council.
Mayor Blankley
Noted her attendance at the California League of Cities Conference and also
spoke about the Pancake Breakfast to be held at the Miller Red Barn on
Saturday.
6. CONSENT CALENDAR
6.1. Approval of the Action Minutes of the October 7, 2024 City Council
Regular Meeting.
6.2. Adoption of a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gilroy
Approving the 2024 City of Gilroy Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
Enactment No.: Resolution No. 2024-49
6.3. Adoption of a Joint Resolution Detailing the Representative
Governance for South Santa Clara County Cities on Santa Clara
Valley Transportation Authority's Board of Directors.
Enactment No.: Resolution No. 2024-50
6.4.*Adopt a Resolution Authorizing a Grant Application to Santa Clara
County Parks for the Miller Red Barn Fire Suppression Sprinklers
Project.
Enactment No.: Resolution No. 2024-51
Mayor Blankley opened Public Comment.
There being no speakers, Mayor Blankley closed Public Comment.
MOTION: To approve Agenda Items 6.1-6.4
RESULTS:PASS: 7-0 ROLL CALL VOTE
MOVER:Rebeca Armendariz, Council Member
SECONDER:Fred Tovar, Council Member
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City Council Regular Meeting
AgendaOctober 21, 2024 | 6:00 PM Page 4 of 5
AYES:BRACCO, ARMENDARIZ, MARQUES,
HILTON, CLINE, TOVAR, BLANKLEY
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
7. BIDS AND PROPOSALS
8. PUBLIC HEARINGS
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
10. INTRODUCTION OF NEW BUSINESS
10.1. Report on Awarded Grants and Adoption of a Resolution Amending
the Adopted Budget to Reflect the Grant Awards.
Mayor Blankley opened Public Comment.
There being no speakers, Mayor Blankley closed Public Comment.
MOTION: To adopt the resolution amending the adopted budget
to reflect the grant awards.
RESULTS:PASS: 7-0 ROLL CALL VOTE
MOVER:Rebeca Armendariz, Council Member
SECONDER:Carol Marques, Council Member
AYES:BRACCO, ARMENDARIZ, MARQUES,
HILTON, CLINE, TOVAR, BLANKLEY
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
Enactment No.: Resolution No. 2024-52
11. FUTURE COUNCIL INITIATED AGENDA ITEMS
12. CITY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORTS
12.1. Santa Teresa Fire Station Update
City Administrator, Jimmy Forbis noted his attendance at the California
League of Cities Conference having attended most of the sessions on the
unhoused. He advised the Santa Teresa Fire Station project is moving
forward and once Council accepts the land, we are on our way. Staff will
reengage the architect and the community to look into design modifications.
13. CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORTS
14. CLOSED SESSION
15. ADJOURN TO OPEN SESSION
16. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:14 P.M.
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AgendaOctober 21, 2024 | 6:00 PM Page 5 of 5
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing minutes were duly and regularly adopted at a
regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Gilroy.
/s/Beth Minor
Interim City Clerk
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Page 1 of 4
City of Gilroy
STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item Title:Adoption of a Resolution of the City of Gilroy to
approve the Santa Clara County Community Wildfire
Protection Plan (CWPP) and the Gilroy Annex
Meeting Date:November 4, 2024
From:Jimmy Forbis, City Administrator
Department:Administration
Submitted By:Jimmy Forbis, City Administrator
Prepared By:Andrew Young, Emergency Services and Volunteer
Coordinator
STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS Not Applicable
RECOMMENDATION
Adoption of a Resolution of the City of Gilroy to approve the Santa Clara County
Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and the Gilroy Annex.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The 2023 update to the CWPP is a significant effort to strengthen wildfire preparedness
and resilience throughout the county. The supporting Gilroy Annex is tailored to the
unique needs of the Gilroy Planning Area. Coordinated by the Santa Clara County
FireSafe Council, with support from CAL FIRE, the County of Santa Clara Office of
Emergency Management, and other key stakeholders, this update builds on the
previous 2016 CWPP.
One of the main focuses of the 2023 update is on enhanced mitigation strategies, which
aim to reduce wildfire risk, particularly in wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas. These
strategies include improved guidelines for defensible space, ignition-resistant
construction standards, and hazardous fuels reduction projects. Another key aspect of
the update is its emphasis on community collaboration, incorporating input from various
stakeholders and fostering partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies to ensure
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Adoption of a Resolution of the City of Gilroy to approve the Santa Clara County Community
Wildfire Plan (CWPP) and the Gilroy Annex
City of Gilroy City Council Page 2 of 4 November 4, 2024
the plan meets the community's needs.
The plan also identifies priority areas where mitigation efforts are most critical to
protecting lives, property, and infrastructure, ensuring that resources are used
effectively. Public awareness and education are also key components, with initiatives
like community events and workshops designed to equip residents with the knowledge
and tools to mitigate wildfire risks. Overall, the 2023 CWPP update represents a crucial
step in enhancing the county’s wildfire resilience, safeguarding communities, and
ensuring a more effective response to future wildfire threats.
BACKGROUND
The Santa Clara County CWPP was initially developed in 2016 to address the growing
threat of wildfires in the region. The plan aimed to enhance wildfire preparedness,
reduce risks, and protect lives and property through a collaborative approach involving
local communities, government agencies, and other stakeholders. Given the increasing
frequency and intensity of wildfires in California, an update to the CWPP was deemed
necessary to incorporate new data, strategies, and technologies.
In 2023, the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council, in partnership with CAL FIRE, the
County of Santa Clara Office of Emergency Management, and other key stakeholders,
undertook a comprehensive update of the CWPP. This update reflects the latest
understanding of wildfire behavior, risk assessment, and mitigation techniques, ensuring
that the county remains proactive in its wildfire preparedness efforts.
The CWPP is not a regulatory document, but it plays a crucial role in wildfire
preparedness and mitigation. The Santa Clara County CWPP Base Plan is an
overarching countywide plan, while the Gilroy Annex is tailored to the specific needs
and conditions of the community it serves, making the strategies and actions more
effective. By developing and implementing a CWPP, communities can significantly
enhance their resilience to wildfires, even though the plan itself is not legally binding.
ANALYSIS
The 2023 CWPP update serves as a forward-thinking planning tool aimed at reducing
the growing wildfire risk in Santa Clara County, particularly in the Wildland Urban
Interface (WUI) areas, including parts of Gilroy. Its focus on mitigation strategies,
community collaboration, and targeted resource allocation demonstrates a proactive
stance on tackling wildfire threats. By adopting the CWPP base plan and the Gilroy
Annex, the City will synchronize local efforts, fostering a safer and more resilient
community, well-prepared for future wildfire challenges by:
1.Mitigating Wildfire Risks: The CWPP provides a detailed risk assessment and
identifies priority areas where mitigation efforts can be implemented. It
recommends fuel reduction, defensible space creation, and public education
campaigns to reduce the likelihood and severity of wildfire incidents.
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Adoption of a Resolution of the City of Gilroy to approve the Santa Clara County Community
Wildfire Plan (CWPP) and the Gilroy Annex
City of Gilroy City Council Page 3 of 4 November 4, 2024
2.Enhancing Community Preparedness: Adoption of the CWPP will support
Gilroy's participation in county-wide public education programs, community
preparedness initiatives, and training opportunities to better prepare residents
and businesses for wildfire events.
3.Accessing Funding Opportunities: Approval of the CWPP is a prerequisite for
accessing federal and state grant funding, including those from the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), for wildfire mitigation projects. This
could provide Gilroy with financial support to implement local fire protection
measures.
4.Fostering Interagency Collaboration: The CWPP emphasizes coordination
among local, county, state, and federal agencies, which is critical for ensuring an
effective wildfire response. Adoption of the plan will strengthen partnerships
between Gilroy and other fire management agencies.
5.Supporting Long-Term Resilience: The Gilroy Annex outlines long-term
strategies to improve community resilience against wildfires, such as land-use
planning, infrastructure hardening, and water resource management. These
strategies will help safeguard lives, property, and natural resources in the face of
growing wildfire risks.
ALTERNATIVES
Staff recommends approving the resolution to adopt the CWPP and Gilroy Planning
Area Annex update, as it will enhance wildfire preparedness and align the city with
broader county and state wildfire management efforts. Conversely, not adopting the
plan may leave the city vulnerable to wildfire risks and result in missed opportunities for
state and federal funding for wildfire mitigation projects. Alternatively, the Council could
request specific modifications to the plan before approval, though this may delay
implementation and the associated benefits.
FISCAL IMPACT/FUNDING SOURCE
The base document update was grant funded and only staff time was incurred for
collaboration and annex development. There are no direct fiscal impacts from adopting
the Santa Clara County CWPP and supporting Gilroy Annex. However, it positions the
City to apply for state and federal grants aimed at wildfire mitigation, which could
provide significant financial resources for implementing the plan’s strategies.
Additionally, proactive wildfire mitigation can reduce the long-term costs associated with
wildfire response and recovery.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
The FireSafe Council, in partnership with Annex stakeholders, led the public outreach
efforts for the development of the CWPP. Several outreach and engagement events
were organized to educate the community and gather input from residents across the
County. In Morgan Hill, the local event was promoted through weekly emails and social
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Adoption of a Resolution of the City of Gilroy to approve the Santa Clara County Community
Wildfire Plan (CWPP) and the Gilroy Annex
City of Gilroy City Council Page 4 of 4 November 4, 2024
media campaigns. A draft plan, along with a story map, was shared via media outlets to
encourage community review and feedback. The supporting annex was developed
based on the information and mitigation priorities outlined in the base document and
customized for the Gilroy Planning Area. The finalized draft of the Gilroy Annex, along
with this staff report, was included in the publicly posted agenda and meeting packet,
providing the public an opportunity to review and offer input.
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to evaluate the feasibility of mitigation activities outlined in this
document and pursue grant funding to implement projects in collaboration with partner
agencies and other community stakeholders and monitor progress.
Attachments:
1. Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) (Base document)
2. Gilroy Annex to the CWPP (Pending)
3. Resolution to Adopt the CWPP
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COMMUNITY
WILDFIRE
PROTECTION
PLAN
SANTA CLARA COUNTY
AUGUST 2023
Working together to build
fire adapted communities,
resilient to wildfire
Funding for the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is a collaboration between these public and private entities, and is a part of California Climate
Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving
public health and the environment. particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest
in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public
transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are
located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California.
For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
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We would like to formally thank the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council, CWPP Management Team,
Advisory Team, and all stakeholders for contributing their time and expertise throughout the planning
process. Your participation has contributed to creating resilient landscapes, implementing public
education, reducing structural ignitability, and ensuring safe and effective wildfire response. We would
also like to acknowledge the work of the Santa Cruz Mountain Stewardship Network in development of
the Risk-Hazard Assessment, and especially the contributions of Tukman Geospatial, Esther Mandeno-
Digital Mapping Solutions, and Carol Rice-Wildland Resource Management for their contributions to this
planning effort.
For additional information, questions, or concerns regarding this project, please contact Project Manager
Victoria Amato at vamato@swca.com.
For all your planning and implementation needs, please visit www.swca.com.
Funding for the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is a collaboration between these public and
private entities, and is a part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of
Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and
improving public health and the environment. particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-
Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop
innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing,
renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more
sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located
within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income
households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at:
www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
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DISCLAIMER
The purpose of this assessment and report is to assess the wildfire risk and hazard existing within the
planning area and surrounding environment and to provide a framework for reducing and managing
vegetative fuel loads on privately owned open spaces/undeveloped land and adjacent roads to minimize
wildfire hazard while avoiding or minimizing negative environmental effects. However, the information
provided in this report does not prevent wildfires; instead, it is intended to manage the wildfire risk.
On that account, SWCA Environmental Consultants accepts no responsibility and disclaims all liability for
any loss or damages that may result from fires and associated effects occurring within and around the
planning area.
Observations in the report are based on best available data, satellite imagery, on-the-ground
evaluations, previous data from the 2016 CWPP, computer modeling at the community level, and local
knowledge.
Treatments recommended in this report are aimed at reducing the threat of and damages from
catastrophic wildfire. They are based on California state legislation and best practices and methods
researched and developed by the U.S Department of Agriculture. Recommendations were chosen based
on vegetation type, topography, current weather trends, current and predicted fire behavior,
implementation feasibility, and cost-benefit ratio. There may, however, be alternative site-specific
solutions available to protect values at risk (VARs) that may better fit the goals and management of the
development.
During the performance of this project work, SWCA and our subconsultants did not unlawfully
discriminate, harass, or allow harassment, against any stakeholder on the basis of sex, gender, gender
expression, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, marital status, ancestry, national origin,
medical condition, age, or disability (mental and physical).
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The entities listed below participated in the development of and/or reviewed and are in support of
the Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan:
Signature
Name (printed)
Date
Agency/Position (printed)
Signature
Name (printed)
Date
Agency/Position (printed)
Signature
Name (printed)
Date
Agency/Position (printed)
Signature
Name (printed)
Date
Agency/Position (printed)
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Signature
Name (printed)
Date
Agency/Position (printed)
Signature
Name (printed)
Date
Agency/Position (printed)
Signature
Name (printed)
Date
Agency/Position (printed)
Signature
Name (printed)
Date
Agency/Position (printed)
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Page | i
CONTENTS
Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................. vii
What Is the Purpose of this Community Wildfire Protection Plan? ....................................................... vii
What Are the Key Issues Addressed? .................................................................................................. viii
How Is the Plan Organized? ................................................................................................................. viii
What Is the Goal of a CWPP? ............................................................................................................... ix
How Was the Santa Clara County CWPP Update Developed? ............................................................. x
What Happened Since 2016? ................................................................................................................ xi
Why Create a Story Map for the Project? .............................................................................................. xi
Where Is the Planning Area? ................................................................................................................. xi
Who Participated in Developing the Plan? ............................................................................................ xii
What Was the Public Involvement? ...................................................................................................... xv
What Is the Current Wildfire Situation? ................................................................................................ xv
What Is the Risk-Hazard Assessment? ................................................................................................ xv
How Is my Community Rated? ............................................................................................................. xvi
What Are the Strategies to Address Wildfire Hazards?....................................................................... xvii
What Does Post-Fire Response and Recovery Involve? ..................................................................... xix
How Will the Plan be Implemented?..................................................................................................... xix
Who Will Lead the Implementation of this CWPP? .............................................................................. xx
When Does the CWPP Need to be Updated? ...................................................................................... xx
Management Team .............................................................................................................................. xx
Advisory Team ...................................................................................................................................... xxi
Chapter 1 – Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1
Planning Oversight ................................................................................................................................. 2
CWPP Management Team and Advisory Team .............................................................................. 2
Goal of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan ....................................................................................... 2
Alignment with the National Cohesive Strategy ..................................................................................... 4
Alignment with Plans and Agreements ................................................................................................... 6
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Planning and Regulatory Background .................................................................................................... 6
Planning Area ......................................................................................................................................... 6
Land Ownership ...................................................................................................................................... 7
Public Involvement ............................................................................................................................... 11
Chapter 2 – Fire Environment .................................................................................................................. 13
Wildland Urban Interface ...................................................................................................................... 13
Fire Hazard Severity Zones ........................................................................................................... 15
WUI Land Use ................................................................................................................................ 17
Social Vulnerability ............................................................................................................................... 18
Unhoused Populations ................................................................................................................... 19
Vegetation and Land Cover .................................................................................................................. 19
Topography and Fuels .......................................................................................................................... 22
Ember Ignition Hazards ........................................................................................................................ 25
Fire Regimes ........................................................................................................................................ 26
Grassland ....................................................................................................................................... 27
Chaparral and Northern Coastal scrub .......................................................................................... 28
Oak Woodland ............................................................................................................................... 28
Sudden Oak Death ......................................................................................................................... 29
Riparian Forest and Scrub ............................................................................................................. 29
Conifer Woodland .......................................................................................................................... 30
Irrigated Agriculture ........................................................................................................................ 30
Invasive non-native plant communities .......................................................................................... 31
Climate and Weather Patterns ............................................................................................................. 32
Fire History ........................................................................................................................................... 35
Past Fire Management Policies and Land Management Actions .................................................. 35
Recent Fire Occurrence ................................................................................................................. 36
Extreme Fire Behavior Patterns ........................................................................................................... 40
Fire Response Capabilities ................................................................................................................... 41
Planning Decision and Support ...................................................................................................... 42
Fire Resources ............................................................................................................................... 42
Chapter 3 – Risk-Hazard Assessment .................................................................................................... 43
Purpose ................................................................................................................................................ 43
Field-Based Community Hazard Assessments .................................................................................... 44
Firewise Communities .......................................................................................................................... 44
Evacuation Capabilities ........................................................................................................................ 45
Risk-Hazard Assessment ..................................................................................................................... 60
Background .................................................................................................................................... 60
Technical Approach ....................................................................................................................... 62
Model Inputs ................................................................................................................................... 63
Model Outputs ................................................................................................................................ 64
Areas of Concern ........................................................................................................................... 67
Collaboration .................................................................................................................................. 71
Model Applications ............................................................................................................................... 71
Values at Risk ....................................................................................................................................... 72
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Natural Values at Risk .................................................................................................................... 77
Socioeconomic Values at Risk ....................................................................................................... 79
Cultural Values at Risk ................................................................................................................... 81
Chapter 4 – Mitigation Strategies ............................................................................................................ 85
Goal 1: Restore and Maintain Landscapes .......................................................................................... 86
Recommendations for Hazardous Fuel Reduction ........................................................................ 88
Goal 2: Fire-Adapted Communities .................................................................................................... 101
Recommendations for Public Education and Outreach ............................................................... 101
Recommendations for Reducing Structural Ignitability ................................................................ 102
Goal 3: Wildfire Response .................................................................................................................. 107
Recommendations for Improving Fire Response Capabilities ..................................................... 107
Chapter 5 – Monitoring and Evaluation ................................................................................................ 113
Fuels Treatment Monitoring ................................................................................................................ 115
Implementation ................................................................................................................................... 116
Project Tracker ............................................................................................................................. 116
CWPP Evaluation ............................................................................................................................... 117
Timeline for Updating the CWPP ........................................................................................................ 119
References ............................................................................................................................................... 134
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Planning and Policy Background
Appendix B: Community Background and Resources
Appendix C: Community Risk-Hazard Assessments for WUI Communities
Appendix D: Tukman Geospatial Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo County Wildfire Risk to
Structures and Classified Wildfire Hazard Maps for Fire Prevention Planning
Appendix E: Project Recommendations
Appendix F: Fuel Treatment Types and Methods
Appendix G: Property Owner Resources
Appendix H: Post-Fire Recovery and Restoration
Appendix I: Project Outreach
Appendix J: Additional Mapping
Appendix K: Forms
Appendix L: Funding Sources
Appendix M: List of Preparers
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FIGURES
Figure 1.1. CWPP incorporating the three primary goals of the Cohesive Strategy and post-fire recovery and serving as holistic plan for fire prevention and resilience. ......................................... 5
Figure 1.2. Santa Clara County general location map. ................................................................................. 8
Figure 1.3. Santa Clara County community boundaries map, developed through Core Team
collaboration. .................................................................................................................................... 9
Figure 1.4. Santa Clara County land ownership map. ................................................................................ 10
Figure 2.1. WUI with accompanying interface zones of Santa Clara County. ............................................ 14
Figure 2.2. Example of the WUI in the Santa Clara County. ...................................................................... 16
Figure 2.3. An unhoused encampment in San Jose. .................................................................................. 17
Figure 2.4. Vegetation types across Santa Clara County. .......................................................................... 21
Figure 2.5. Fuel model classes across Santa Clara County. ...................................................................... 24
Figure 2.6. 30-year monthly normals for temperature and precipitation for West Almaden, 1981–
2010 (Source: PRISM 2023). ......................................................................................................... 33
Figure 2.7. 30-year monthly normals for temperature and precipitation for Gilroy, 1981–2010
(Source: PRISM 2023). .................................................................................................................. 34
Figure 2.8. 30-year monthly normals for temperature and precipitation for North Coyote Reservoir,
1981–2010 (Source: PRISM 2023) ................................................................................................ 34
Figure 2.9. Recent wildfire history in Santa Clara County. ......................................................................... 37
Figure 2.10. Decadal wildfire frequency for Santa Clara County from 1950 through 2022, based on available data. ................................................................................................................................ 38
Figure 2.11. Decadal fire size statistics for Santa Clara County based on fire history data from 1950 through 2022. ................................................................................................................................. 38
Figure 2.12. Decadal acres burned per decade for Santa Clara County based on fire history data from 1978 through 2022. ................................................................................................................ 39
Figure 2.13. Number of recorded fires per month in Santa Clara County from 1978 through 2022 ........... 39
Figure 2.14. Cause of wildfire ignitions in Santa Clara County from 2014 through 2022. .......................... 40
Figure 2.15. Map of fire agency service areas in Santa Clara County. ...................................................... 41
Figure 3.1. CAL FIRE FHSZs across Santa Clara County. ........................................................................ 61
Figure 3.2. Schematic of data inputs used to derive both the WRS and CWH layers (Tukman 2022). ............................................................................................................................................. 62
Figure 3.3. Model inputs for the Tukman model. ........................................................................................ 63
Figure 3.4. Model outputs for the Tukman model. ...................................................................................... 64
Figure 3.5. Classified wildfire hazard within Santa Clara County. .............................................................. 65
Figure 3.6. Wildfire risk to structures within Santa Clara County. ............................................................... 66
Figure 3.7. Screenshot of online version of the WRS layer (accessed January 2023). ............................. 70
Figure 3.8. Intersect of critical habitat with CWH. ....................................................................................... 73
Figure 3.9. Intersect of cultural VARs with CWH. ....................................................................................... 74
Figure 3.10. Intersect of critical infrastructure with CWH. ........................................................................... 75
Figure 3.11. Intersect of open space lands with CWH. ............................................................................... 76
Figure 3.12. Example of a natural VAR, a scenic viewshed. ...................................................................... 77
Figure 3.13. Map of natural VARs across Santa Clara County. ................................................................. 78
Figure 3.14. Socioeconomic VARs across Santa Clara County. ................................................................ 80
Figure 3.15. Example of a cultural VAR, the Lick Observatory ................................................................... 81
Figure 3.16. Example of a cultural VAR, view from the historic fire tower on Mount Hamilton. ................. 82
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Figure 3.17. Cultural VARs across Santa Clara County. ............................................................................ 83
Figure 4.1. Past fuel treatments and types across Santa Clara County. .................................................... 87
Figure 4.2. Planning Team–delineated areas of concern. .......................................................................... 90
Figure 4.3. CEQA process. ......................................................................................................................... 98
Figure 4.4. Fuel reduction project in Santa Clara County. .......................................................................... 99
Figure 4.5. Fuel reduction project in Santa Clara County. ........................................................................ 100
TABLES
Table 2.1. Estimated Socially Vulnerable Populations at Risk from Wildfire in Santa Clara County .......... 18
Table 2.2. Scott and Burgan 2005 Fuel Model Classes within Santa Clara County .................................. 23
Table 2.3. Mean Annual Temperature and Precipitation by Station in Santa Clara County ....................... 33
Table 3.1. Communities at Risk Ratings with Community Hazard Assessment Summary ........................ 46
Table 3.2. Polygons Exhibiting High Hazard and High Structure Classification ......................................... 68
Table 4.1. Recommendations to Create Resilient Landscapes (Fuel Treatments) .................................... 91
Table 4.2. Recommendations for Creating Fire-Adapted Communities (Public Education and
Reducing Structural Ignitability) ................................................................................................... 103
Table 4.3. Recommendations for Safe and Effective Wildfire Response ................................................. 109
Table 5.1. Recommended Monitoring Strategies ..................................................................................... 114
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMUNITY
WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN?
Nationally, the 2000 fire season triggered great interest by the federal government in the wildfire issue.
In 2003 the U.S. Congress recognized widespread declining forest health and increased wildfire risk
nationwide by passing the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (HFRA), and President Bush signed
the act into law (Public Law 108–148, 2003). The HFRA was revised in 2009 to address changes to
funding and provide a renewed focus on wildfire mitigation (H.R. 4233 - Healthy Forest Restoration
Amendments Act of 2009). The HFRA expedites the development and implementation of hazardous fuels
reduction projects on federal land and emphasizes the need for federal agencies to work collaboratively
with communities. A key component of the HFRA is the development of community wildfire protection
plans (CWPPs), which facilitate the collaboration between federal agencies and communities in order to
develop hazardous fuels reduction projects and place priority on treatment areas identified by
communities in a CWPP. A CWPP also allows communities to establish their own definition of the WUI.
In addition, communities with an established CWPP are given priority for funding of hazardous fuels
reduction projects carried out in accordance with the HFRA.
The purpose of the 2023 Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) update is to:
1. Provide a countywide scale of wildfire risk and protection needs,
2. Bring together all responsible wildfire management and suppression entities in the planning area
to address the identified needs, and
3. Provide a framework for future planning and implementation of necessary mitigation measures.
This CWPP aims to assist in protecting human life and reducing property loss due to wildfire throughout
the county. This 2023 plan was compiled from reports, documents, data, and Planning Team and public
input. The plan was developed in response to the HFRA.
The CWPP meets the requirements of the HFRA by addressing the following:
1. Having been developed collaboratively by multiple agencies at the state and local levels in
consultation with federal agencies and other interested parties.
2. Prioritizing and identifying fuel reduction treatments and recommending the types and methods of
treatments to protect at-risk communities and pertinent infrastructure.
3. Suggesting multi-party mitigation, monitoring, and outreach.
4. Recommending measures and action items that residents and communities can take to reduce
the ignitability of structures.
5. Soliciting input from the public on the draft CWPP.
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WHAT ARE THE KEY ISSUES ADDRESSED?
Issues addressed in this CWPP include:
• Fuel treatment recommendations for land management agencies and property owners to mitigate
hazard and risk
• Prioritizing hazardous fuels reduction in the wildland urban interface (WUI)
• Raising awareness about the natural role that fire plays in the ecosystem and maintaining
resilient landscapes
• Public education and outreach to property owners to enable individuals to reduce the risk of fire to
their properties, particularly regarding the time required for fire response to remote communities
• Constant and consistent messaging for residents and visitors concerning wildfire risks and
mitigation strategies
• Increasing public access to information through the use of online materials, including the story
map created for this CWPP
• Investing and supporting fire response at all levels, including resources for local fire departments,
to increase capacity to serve the community
• Increasing public understanding of the fire response process
• Continuing to address wildfire issues at the landscape level, across multiple jurisdictions
• Managing fire to protect values and accomplish resource management goals, including protection
and enhancement of wildlife habitat, watershed health, water supply and quality, and forest health
• Recent climate patterns and associated changes to the wildland fire environment
• Disease and insect outbreaks associated with tree mortality
HOW IS THE PLAN ORGANIZED?
The CWPP provides a Risk-Hazard Assessment, action items, project recommendations, and background
information about the county’s wildland fire environment as well as land management plans and
agencies. In order to keep the main document focused on the assessment and wildfire recommendations,
most of the background information and baseline data from the 2016 CWPP planning effort is housed in
several appendices.
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Fire Environment
Chapter 3: Risk-Hazard Assessment
Chapter 4: Mitigation Strategies
Chapter 5: Monitoring and Evaluation
Appendix A: Planning and Policy Background
Appendix B: Community Background and Resources
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Appendix C: Community Risk-Hazard Assessments for WUI Communities
Appendix D: Tukman Geospatial Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo County Wildfire Risk to
Structures and Classified Wildfire Hazard Maps for Fire Prevention Planning
Appendix E: Project Recommendations
Appendix F: Fuel Treatment Types and Methods
Appendix G: Property Owner Resources
Appendix H: Post-Fire Recovery and Restoration
Appendix I: Project Outreach
Appendix J: Additional Mapping
Appendix K: Forms
Appendix L: Funding Sources
Appendix M: List of Preparers
WHAT IS THE GOAL OF A CWPP?
The goal of a CWPP is to enable local communities to improve their wildfire-mitigation capacity, while
working with government agencies to identify high fire risk areas and prioritize areas for mitigation, fire
suppression, and emergency preparedness. Another goal of the CWPP is to enhance public awareness
by helping residents better understand the natural- and human-caused risks of wildland fires that threaten
lives, safety, and the local economy. The minimum requirements for a CWPP, as stated in the HFRA, are
(Society of American Foresters [SAF] 2004):
• Collaboration: Local and state government representatives, in consultation with federal agencies
or other interested groups, must collaboratively develop a CWPP.
• Prioritized Fuel Reduction: A CWPP must identify and prioritize areas for hazardous fuels
reduction and treatments and recommend the types and methods of treatment that will protect
one or more communities at risk (CARs) and their essential infrastructures.
• Treatments of Structural Ignitability: A CWPP must recommend measures that property
owners and communities can take to reduce the ignitability of structures throughout the area
addressed by the plan.
The Management Team and Advisory Team (the Planning Team) developed the following specific goals
for the plan:
• Robust Analysis
• Collaboration
• Engagement
• Adoption
• Implementation
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These goals will help address specific concerns and priorities identified by the Planning Team. Concerns
and priorities outlined by the Planning Team include:
• Ingress/Egress: It is important that roadside vegetation is managed and evacuation routes are
planned.
• Fuel Loading
• Defensible Space
• Human Ignitions
• Public Education
HOW WAS THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY CWPP
UPDATE DEVELOPED?
A group of multijurisdictional agencies (federal, state, and local), organizations, and residents joined
together to update and develop this countywide CWPP. Oversight was provided by a CWPP
Management Team, responsible for the overall success of the project and composed of members of the
FireSafe Council, Santa Clara County, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE); a CWPP Advisory Team, comprising subject matter experts who collaborated on the
analysis, recommendations, outreach, and deliverables; and CWPP stakeholders who represent the
CWPP annex holders and are key agencies, influencers, and partners in support of the overall efforts and
implementation. These teams will be jointly referred to as the Planning Team. The composition of these
teams is outlined in Appendix M. Several stakeholders with many years of experience working on
CWPPs, as well as in-depth knowledge of fire management in the community and surrounding areas,
have contributed to the development of this updated CWPP. The Planning Team provided a
comprehensive review of the 2016 CWPP and identified needed revisions to strengthen the plan.
The CWPP planning process served multiple purposes. One was to integrate existing wildfire risk and
hazard mapping into the revised plan. Utilizing this mapping process allowed the Planning Team to
prioritize treatments tailored specifically for the community to reduce fire risk. The development of the
2023 CWPP also included public engagement, and community members were highly engaged in
providing input. All public outreach was led by the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council. Various types of
public outreach events were held to increase awareness and collect local input, and social media and
online forums allowed for further engagement. Information on outreach efforts is included in Appendix I.
The CWPP planning process also brought together wildfire responders and land managers into a
Planning Team, providing opportunities to build lasting working relationships and encourage
collaboration. By incorporating public and Planning Team input into the recommendations, treatments are
tailored specifically for the planning area. Overall, the Santa Clara County CWPP emphasizes the
importance of collaboration among multijurisdictional agencies and the public in developing fuels
mitigation treatment programs to address wildfire hazards.
In addition, this CWPP update was carried out concurrently with the 2023 update to the Santa Clara
County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, and the Santa Clara County General Plan-Safety
Element update. Representatives from all planning processes were actively engaged in the development
of the CWPP; therefore, projects identified in this CWPP are in alignment with the wildfire-specific hazard
mitigation actions identified in those plans.
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WHAT HAPPENED SINCE 2016?
Shortly after the 2016 CWPP final draft was produced in the summer of 2016, the county experienced
several phenomena, including the Loma Fire in September 2016, that caused projects and goals to
become outdated. This immediate change in fire history burned areas that were slated for vegetation
management projects. Some of the proposed CWPP fuel breaks were constructed as a contingency plan
during the Loma Fire and thus not immediately needed as projects. Upon the heels of the fall fire were
2016–2017 winter rains that created landslides, erosion, and flooding in the proposed planning area.
The county government prioritized these emergencies. It also affected outreach and preparedness
education for the Santa Cruz Mountain and South County communities.
It was decided to take a tactical pause and update the draft before moving it to the Santa Clara County
Board of Supervisors. California entered record-setting years of wildfires spanning from 2017 to 2020,
and updates took a lower priority as resources were diverted to higher-priority response and recovery.
Next, the unprecedented pandemic of COVID-19 changed the nature of our society permanently. Shelter-
in-place health mandates beginning in March 2020 kept collaborators from meeting or traveling through
the new project areas, and project design, collaboration, and implementation became very challenging
during the early pandemic health orders. Again, the majority of resources in these related fields were
diverted to respond to the pandemic.
Although the larger countywide effort was not restarted until 2022 for this update, multiple annex holders
were able to pivot on smaller scales. Several annex holders adopted their annexes at the City, Town, or
Fire District level. They also produced updates and public guidelines for easier consumption of the
information in the initial CWPP. These updates and City, Town, and Fire District–level momentum has
supported the current countywide update and will be included in the 2023 CWPP.
More background regarding the planning and policy actions of Santa Clara County is available in
Appendix A.
WHY CREATE A STORY MAP FOR THE PROJECT?
The County of Santa Clara has opted to develop a story map (online web content) to disseminate
information to the public and provide the community members with an opportunity to make contributions
toward building their community’s wildfire resilience by providing valuable input. The story map presents
the CWPP in a web layout with accompanying web maps and includes a project tracker. In addition to
facilitating information sharing, the story map also provides the county with a platform that can be readily
revised to keep the CWPP document up to date with current information. The Santa Clara County CWPP
story map can be accessed at- https://santa-clara-cwpp-sccfc.hub.arcgis.com/
WHERE IS THE PLANNING AREA?
The planning area includes Santa Clara County as delineated by its geographic and political boundaries.
The area covered by a CWPP usually includes communities or parts of communities. This CWPP is
developed at the Santa Clara County level and therefore addresses these requirements with a greater
variety of participants than the community plans that have been previously completed. As a result,
information associated with these requirements will be accessible to other communities in the county as
they prepare their CWPPs and annexes, as well as providing a higher overview of wildfire issues,
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concerns, and risk reduction solutions throughout the county. The expectation is a set of common
countywide strategic goals accompanied with specific target projects at the community level to achieve
those goals.
More information regarding the planning area’s background and resources is available in Appendix B.
WHO PARTICIPATED IN DEVELOPING THE PLAN?
CWPPs alone provide no authority to enforce findings and conclusions; their value is in the collaboratively
developed information and recommendations that can identify and guide activities that mitigate wildfire
risk and hazard. The Santa Clara County CWPP can be used by government entities as a reference to
guide land use planning and promulgate codes and ordinances in response to its recommendations. It can
additionally be used by non-profit groups and residents to apply for grant funding, and all project leads to
collaborate timing, economies of scale and shared resources to increase projects effectiveness
The underlying theme of these various plans, and in particular CWPPs, is collaboration among the many
stakeholders affected by wildfire. Chief among the components of collaboration is public education to
provide not only information concerning the risk of wildfire but also to let stakeholders know about
opportunities to participate in the management and mitigation of wildfire risk. CWPPs should be
considered “living documents” because of the importance of revisiting and updating these documents
periodically as new issues arise and results from recommendations in the CWPP, such as hazard
reduction projects, develop. The value of the CWPP is ultimately to provide a framework for collaboration
between the public, governments, agencies, and other entities affected by wildfire, so that they can
discuss and jointly develop solutions and strategies for its management and mitigation.
Land managers across Santa Clara County participated in the development of this CWPP. Agencies such
as the Santa Clara County Fire Department, Santa Clara County Firesafe Council, Santa Clara Valley
Water District, California Transportation, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE) along with other additional community or organization representatives, served as the
Planning Team for this CWPP and drove the decision-making process. Several Planning Team members
were involved in previous CWPPs in and around the county and have contributed their expertise to this
CWPP. Planning Team members worked together to produce a preliminary areas of concern map
(Figure ES.2 that would serve as a basis for further Risk-Hazard Assessment analysis and mitigation
recommendations.
Please see Appendix M to see a full list of the preparers of this plan.
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Figure ES.1. Santa Clara CWPP planning area.
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Figure ES.2. A map showing Planning Team–delineated areas of concern.
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WHAT WAS THE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT?
The CWPP process is designed to enhance outreach and education on the wildfire situation to the
general public, local governments and agencies that may be unaware of the steps they can take to
mitigate the risk of wildfire. The Planning Team engaged in public outreach using a multimedia approach,
including the story map created for the project, social media posts, community surveys, and email
distribution. In addition, the Planning Team hosted five in-person public meetings from December 1,
2022, through December 15, 2022, located across the county to provide access to all WUI communities.
Feedback, comments, and suggestions received from community members during community events, the
community survey, and project recommendations review were synthesized and utilized to craft project
recommendations for the Santa Clara County CWPP. Therefore, the project recommendations are specifically
tailored to address the concerns and priorities of the community. Through the story map and hub site, and
adopting the idea that the CWPP remains a “live document”, the FireSafe Council plans to continue to engage
the public in implementation of the plan recommendations and in future CWPP updates.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT WILDFIRE SITUATION?
Santa Clara County is situated in northern California and contains a considerable portion of wildfire-prone
land. Vegetation types across the county consist of evergreen and deciduous hardwoods, coniferous and
deciduous forests, herbaceous plants, grasses, and shrubs. Fires are a natural part of the disturbance
cycle for many of the vegetation types present within the county, with woodlands and forests burning
more on the order of 30 to 100 years between fires. In the past decade, Santa Clara County has
experienced several major wildfire events, including the SCU Lightning Complex, Crews Fire, and Loma
Fire. The 2020 SCU Lighting Complex fires occurred in the hardwood stands of the Diablo Range and
were the largest to occur within the county and fourth largest in California history, burning 395,000 acres
in total (CAL FIRE 2022a). Many of the county’s forested areas comprise abundant fuels and possess
highly varied topography, making them especially vulnerable to high severity wildfire. In addition, multiple
factors have combined to increase forest susceptibility to wildfire; these include frequent drought, fire
suppression-based forest management tactics, and climate change (see climate predicted wildfire hazard
Maps 8 and 9 in Appendix J). Removing natural fire from a fire-dependent ecosystem, drought, insects,
and diseases have resulted in increased fuel buildup and alterations to vegetation composition (Goodwin
et al. 2021). These forest changes have been shown to increase the risk of uncharacteristically large,
high-severity fires (Goodwin et al. 2021; Schoennagel 2017). The 2020 LNU and CZU Complex fires took
place across Santa Clara County and in neighboring Santa Cruz County, burning through 86,500 acres of
vegetative communities. In recent years across the western United States, including California, fires have
grown to record sizes and are burning earlier, longer, hotter, and more intensely than they have in the
past (Westerling et al. 2006; Westerling 2016).
WHAT IS THE RISK-HAZARD ASSESSMENT?
The purpose of the Risk-Hazard Assessment is to evaluate and provide information pertaining to the risk
that wildland fires pose to values within the WUI of Santa Clara County. There are numerous indices and
metrics used to assign wildfire risk and hazard ratings to communities, including the CAL FIRE statewide
fire hazard severity zone mapping. While this CWPP integrates the FHSZ maps for context, the CWPP
update integrates a new fine-scale mapping data set and a comprehensive risk and hazard analysis
performed by a consortium of partners- the Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network.
The Assessment was completed for Santa Cruz and Santa Clara County and is integrated into this
planning effort with the support of those partners.
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The assessment of risk and hazard in the CWPP is twofold and combines the Risk-Hazard Assessment
previously described and integrates the on-the-ground community hazard assessments that were
completed in 2015 and 2016.
The purpose of these assessments is to provide information about wildfire hazard and risk to highly
valued resources and assets (HVRAs) and use that information to develop projects and mitigation actions
that can reduce that risk.
The Risk-Hazard Assessment approach is described in Chapter 3 and in Appendix D.
HOW WAS THE RISK-HAZARD ASSESSMENT COMPLETED AND HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO CAL FIRE’S FHSZS?
The Risk-Hazard Assessment considers fire hazards from fire behavior characteristics such as flame
length, rate of spread, and crown fire activity, burn probability, fire history (occurrence and size), and
ember load index. Risk factors have also been incorporated into the assessment. These include
suppression difficulty, fire response times, the WUI (a proxy for residences and population), and HVRAs.
The previously mentioned fire behavior components are generated by integrating several variables:
vegetation (type, density, and condition), topography (aspect, slope, elevation), and weather (wind,
temperature, and humidity). All these components are combined and evaluated to produce a
comprehensive and integrated model of wildfire risk within and around the County. The final product of
the Risk-Hazard Assessment categorizes the landscape into four levels of risk: low, moderate, high, and
extreme.
Comparably, CAL FIRE’s fire hazard severity zones (FHSZs) are defined based on vegetation,
topography, and weather, and represent the probability of the area burning and potential fire behavior in
the area. The best available science and data is used by CAL FIRE to develop these zone delineations,
with the new iteration of the FHSZs also accounting for land use changes, recent fire history, new wind
data, and local climate data. The FHSZ classification ranges from moderate, to high, to very high, and is
delineated based on the average hazard present across the landscape (CAL FIRE 2022b, 2022c).
The primary differentiator between the CWPP Risk-Hazard Assessment and CAL FIREs FHSZs is that
the CAL FIRE FHSZs account only for hazard, while the CWPP Risk-Hazard Assessment accounts for
hazard and the likelihood of that hazard to cause damage and/or harm (i.e., risk). Hazards are recognized
as physical conditions influencing fire behavior across a given landscape, while risk identifies the potential
damage a fire can have under baseline conditions (CAL FIRE 2022b, 2022c). For example, the wildfire
hazard can be high but if there are no values or assets in close proximity to the hazards, the risk will be
low. This is why the incorporation of HVRAs and the WUI is crucial to generating an accurate assessment
of hazard and risk. Additionally, the CWPP Risk-Hazard Assessment utilizes fine-scale mapping and data
products to produce more customized and accurate model results. Wildfire risk to structures is quantified
in 10-acre hexagons.
HOW IS MY COMMUNITY RATED?
Community field evaluations summarizing the hazard and risk for each WUI community within the County
are provided in this plan, (Figure 2.1 [WUI and interface zones]). A team from SWCA Environmental
Consultants conducted on-the-ground community hazard assessment surveys (field evaluations)
throughout the county in the first round of the CWPP and revisited those communities that may have
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experienced significant changes to population, fuel composition, and hazard since the 2016 plan was
completed. The communities were rated using the NFPA 1144 standard for assessing structure ignitability
in the WUI (see Figure 1.3 in Chapter 1). Using this standard provided a consistent process for evaluating
wildland fire hazards around existing structures to determine the potential for structure ignition from
wildland fire ignitions.
Community evaluations provide a total score of risk and hazard based on various parameters observed
during the surveys, and a corresponding descriptive rating of low, moderate, high, or extreme are
available in Appendix C.
More specific information at a community level is provided in the CWPP annexes.
HOW WILL THE RISK-HAZARD ASSESSMENT IMPACT MY INSURANCE?
The wildfire Risk-Hazard Assessment conducted for this CWPP is not intended to be used to determine
insurance premiums of home and property. Insurance companies utilize their own wildfire risk
assessments to write and renew policies. Furthermore, a partnership between Insurance Commissioner
Ricardo Lara and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), California Public
Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), and
California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research has led to the development of regulatory action
that creates insurance incentives for implementing actions that build up home and community resilience
to wildfire. This new wildfire safety regulation aims to make insurance more affordable while increasing
public involvement in risk mitigation and awareness regarding local hazards (California Department of
Insurance [CDI] 2023a). See Appendix A for more information on the Safer from Wildfire initiative.
Wildfire risk reduction actions identified in this CWPP (such as home hardening, creating defensible
space, and community collaboration) are in alignment with the mitigation actions specified in the Safer
from Wildfires initiative. Therefore, implementing actions to reduce wildfire risk, such as those identified in
this CWPP, may support property owners to qualify for insurance discounts. Although the initiative is not
yet fully implemented, this passed the Office of Administrative law in October 2022 and was effective April
2023. All insurance companies in California have to offer discounts to NFPA-recognized Firewise
Communities (for more information visit: https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-
guides/03-res/Insurers-Currently-Offering-Discounts.cfm).
In April 2023 the “Bay Area Council announced results from a study conducted by Milliman and
CoreLogic on behalf of the Town of Paradise that estimates mitigation measures such as home
hardening, zoning reforms, and external buffers could reduce losses due to wildfires up to 75 percent,
which could reduce insurance premiums up to 55 percent” (Bay Area Council 2023). Information on home
protection, such as defensible space guidelines and vegetation treatments, is provided in Appendix F,
Fuel Treatment Types and Methods, and Appendix G, Property Owner Resources.
WHAT ARE THE STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS
WILDFIRE HAZARDS?
The CWPP process identifies many types of mitigation strategies, including hazardous fuel modification,
defensible space, signage, public education prevention messages, improved road access, water supply,
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and building materials and design. It should be noted that while all mitigation strategies will be useful,
some will be more important in preventing destruction of a home.
Goal 1 of the Cohesive Strategy and the Western Regional Action Plan is to Restore and Maintain
Landscapes: Landscapes across all jurisdictions are resilient to fire and other disturbances in
accordance with management objectives (see Figure 4.1 in Chapter 4).
Recommendations for hazardous fuels treatments include:
• Fuel treatment and reduction using various strategies
• Alignment with countywide planning
• Strategic fuel break installation
• Roadside treatments and fuel reduction on private land
Goal 2 of the Cohesive Strategy and the Western Regional Action Plan is Fire-Adapted Communities:
Human populations and infrastructure can withstand a wildfire without loss of life and property (see Map 6
in Appendix J).
Recommendations for public outreach/education and structural ignitability include:
• Decreased ignitions from unhoused populations
• Defensible space and structural hardening improvements
• Scaled-up community education and awareness
• Certification and inspections
Goal 3 of the Cohesive Strategy and the Western Regional Action Plan is Wildfire Response:
All jurisdictions participate in making and implementing safe, effective, efficient risk-based wildfire
management decisions (see Figure B.8 in Appendix B).
Recommendations for improving fire response capabilities include:
• Addressing concerns related to poor ingress and egress in some high-risk communities
• Water supply improvements
• Evacuation planning and route identification
• Wildfire response personnel training and partnerships
Mitigation strategies must include monitoring and follow-up, and often require the development of codes,
ordinances, and enforcement. Codes and ordinances help define the type and level of work needed to
mitigate wildfire risk. A policy of creation of defensible space needs to have a definition of the amount of
vegetation clearance. As noted in the state’s General Guidelines for Creating Defensible Space (2006),
this definition can change periodically, as was the case with the revision of Public Resources Code (PRC)
4291, which increased the defensible space distance from 30 to 100 feet.
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WHAT DOES POST-FIRE RESPONSE AND RECOVERY INVOLVE?
There are many aspects to post-fire response recovery, including but not limited to:
• Returning home and checking for hazards.
• Coordinating and mobilizing a group of teams in the community to respond to emergencies.
• Rebuilding communities and assessing economic needs—securing the financial resources
necessary for communities to rebuild homes, business, and infrastructure.
• Restoring the damaged landscape—watershed restoration, soil stabilization, and tree planting.
• Prioritizing the needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged communities during response and disaster
recovery efforts.
• Evaluating and updating disaster recovery plans every 5 years to respond to changing needs and
characteristics of the community.
• Coordinating with planning, housing, health, and human services, and other local, regional, or
state agencies to develop contingency plans for meeting the short-term, temporary housing
needs of those displaced during a catastrophic wildfire event.
Information regarding post-fire recovery and restoration can be found within Appendix H.
HOW WILL THE PLAN BE IMPLEMENTED?
The CWPP does not mandate implementation of any of the recommendations, but the message
throughout this document is that the greatest fire mitigation can be achieved through the joint actions of
individual property owners, tribes, and local, state, and federal governments. The CWPP project tracking
tool will be the primary mechanism employed by the Planning Team to steer implementation actions and
assess and track accomplishments. The FireSafe Council will be responsible for maintaining the tracking
tool and working with partners to ensure it is utilized and kept up to date. Project recommendations have
been developed at the county scale during this update, but individual annex holders are encouraged to
develop more detailed recommendations for their jurisdictions, ideally tiering to the countywide plan.
All annex holders should coordinate closely with the FireSafe Council to update the project tracking tool,
but annex documents will be self-governed, meaning that all annex holders are responsible for
maintaining their own annexes and engaging the appropriate entities in the implementation of those
plans.
The recommendations for fuels reduction projects are general in nature; site-specific planning that
addresses location, access, land ownership, topography, soils, and fuels would need to be employed
upon implementation. Also, it is important to note that the recommendations are specific to WUI areas
and are expected to reduce the loss of life and property.
In addition, implementation of fuels reduction projects need to be tailored to the specific project and will
be unique to the location depending on available resources and regulations. In an effort to streamline
project implementation, this CWPP has identified the pertinent land management/ownership agencies
associated with each recommendation. On-the-ground implementation of the recommendations in the
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CWPP planning area will require development of an action plan and assessment strategy for completing
each project.
WHO WILL LEAD THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS CWPP?
Implementation of most projects identified in this CWPP will require the collaboration and cooperation of
multiple individuals and entities such as community residents, fire safe councils, and local, state, and
federal agencies. However, to ensure that projects move forward, the plan will be governed by the
Santa Clara County FireSafe Council with support from local, municipal, state, and federal partners.
WHEN DOES THE CWPP NEED TO BE UPDATED?
The CWPP should be treated as a living document to be updated annually or immediately following a
significant fire event. The plan should continue to be revised to reflect changes, modification, or new
information. These elements are essential to the success of mitigating wildfire risk throughout the county
and will be critical in maintaining the ideas and priorities of the plan and the communities in the future.
The FireSafe Council will coordinate all future CWPP updates. Chapter 5 provides an evaluation
framework that can help guide the CWPP update process.
MANAGEMENT TEAM
Name Organization
Seth Schalet Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
Amanda Brenner Cannon Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
Tara Wallichs Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
Stephen Harrington Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
James Wollbrinck Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
Dede Smullen Santa Clara FireSafe Council Board
Dennis Lollie Santa Clara County Fire Department
Brian Glass Santa Clara County Fire Department
Mike Mathiesen Santa Clara County Fire Department
Toma Louay Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management
Parastou Najaf Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management
Robert Cain Santa Clara County Department of Planning and Development
Eugenia Woods Los Altos Hills County Fire District
Ed Orre CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit
Topher Byrd CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit
George Huang CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit
Victoria Amato SWCA Environmental Consultants
Breanna Plucinski SWCA Environmental Consultants
Liz Hitzfelder SWCA Environmental Consultants
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ADVISORY TEAM
Name Organization
Justin Stockman Santa Clara County Fire Department
Chelsea Young Santa Clara County Fire Department
George Huang CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit
John Reynolds CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit
Dale Martin Santa Clara County Central Fire Department
Michael Alvarez Santa Clara County Planning & Development, Building Official
Magdalena (Eena) Sta Maria Santa Clara County Office of Sustainability
Jasneet Sharma Santa Clara County Office of Sustainability
Don Rocha Santa Clara County Department of Parks and Recreation
Annie Thomson Santa Clara County Department of Parks and Recreation
Michael Rhoades Santa Clara County Department of Parks and Recreation
Brian Christian Santa Clara County Department of Parks and Recreation
Nathan Greig Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority
Gene Zambetti Saratoga Fire Protection District
Trina Whitley Saratoga Fire District
John Delong South Skyline FireSafe Council
Tamara Jasso City of Palo Alto
Scott Woodfin City of Palo Alto
Crystal Bothelio City of Saratoga
Thomas Chin City of Cupertino
Meredith Albert City of Cupertino
Mark Thomas City of San Jose
Andrew Young City of Gilroy
Jim Wyatt City of Gilroy
Johnathan Crick City of Gilroy
Herb Lee City of Gilroy
Jennifer Fortino City of Gilroy Fire Department
Jennifer Ponce City of Morgan Hill
Nicolle Burnham Town of Los Gatos
Cody Einfalt Town of Los Altos Hills
Peter Pirnejad Town of Los Altos Hills
Sarah Johnston Aldercroft Heights Firewise
Mike Hacke Spring Valley Volunteer Fire Department
Alex Leman Loma Prieta Volunteer Fire Department
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Name Organization
Sunny Williams Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water)
David Fernandez San Jose Water Company
Jared Lewis San Jose Water Company
Bill Nantt California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
Helen Blackmore California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
Earl Sherman California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
Shawn Casteel California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
Kevin Conant Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
Stephanie Moreno Guadalupe-Coyote Resource Conservation District (GCRCD)
Dina Iden Loma Prieta Resource Conservation District (LPRCD)
Charlene Nijmeh Muwekma Ohlone Tribe
Monica Arellano Muwekma Ohlone Tribe
Ann Marie Sayers Indian Canyon Mutsun Band of Costanoan
Kanyon Sayers-Roods Indian Canyon Mutsun Band of Costanoan
Andrew Galvan The Ohlone Indian Tribe
Quirina Geary Tamien Nation
Valentin Lopez Amah Mutsun Tribal Band
Carol Rice Wildland Resource Management Inc
Esther Mandeno Digital Mapping Solutions
Brent Kirk Cattleman's Association
Ramona Garibay Trina Marine Ruano Family
Michael Gorman Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Zac Harlow Blue Oak Ranch Reserve
Marjorie Kline Resident
For additional information on this project, please contact Seth Schalet, CEO of the Santa Clara FireSafe
Council at sschalet@sccfiresafe.org or SWCA Project Manager Victoria Amato at vamato@swca.com.
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CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION
The United States is facing urgent forest and watershed health concerns. The number of annual wildfires
throughout the United States has been slightly increasing (58,100 in 2018 and 50,000 in 2019 vs.
59,000 each in 2020 and 2021). Similarly, the number of acres burned has been on the rise
(Congressional Research Service [CRS] 2022). An average of 7 million acres is burned every year due to
wildfire; more than doubling the annual average of acres burned in the 1990s (CRS 2022). Communities
are seeing the most destructive wildfire seasons in history. In the last five years, the 2020 fire season had
the most acreage impacted in a single year at 10.1 million acres, and 2017 was the second highest with
10 million acres (CRS 2022). These statistics demonstrate that wildfires are becoming larger and
increasingly impactful.
California’s Forests and Rangelands 2017 Assessment states that California, like other western states,
faces urgent issues concerning frequent and severe pest and wildfire events that are unprecedented and
threaten the sustainability of these ecosystems. These issues require reexamination of land and fire
management policies and practices as human populations demand more from natural systems and
climate change continues (CAL FIRE 2017).
The influence and effects of fire have changed as attempts were made to suppress it, with the
consequent accumulation of more continuous and dense wildland fuels as historic burn mosaics were
lost. More continuous fuels have led to larger, more intense wildfires, which are increasingly difficult and
expensive to suppress, especially during periods of very dry and/or windy fire weather or episodes of
widespread lightning activity, such as those that occurred in northern California in 2020 and started many
fires, namely the SCU Fire Complex, which largely occurred in Santa Clara County. Either condition can
quickly overwhelm local, state, and federal firefighting resources.
As wildfire severity increases, communities need a plan to help prepare for, reduce the risk of, and adapt
to wildland fire events. Community wildfire protection plans (CWPPs) help accomplish these goals.
A CWPP provides recommendations that are intended to reduce, but not eliminate, the extreme severity
or risk of wildland fire.
The development of the CWPP is rooted in meaningful collaboration among many stakeholders, including
local, state, and federal officials. The planning process involves looking at past fires and treatment
accomplishments using the knowledge and expertise of the professional fire managers who work for the
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various agencies and governing entities in the county. From there, the CWPP ultimately identifies the
current local wildfire risks and needs that occur in the county, which is further supported with relevant
science and literature from the western region of the United States.
The first CWPP for Santa Clara County was developed in 2015–2016 and included a countywide master
document and 18 jurisdictional annexes. This document is an update to that plan and is designed to be a
more engaging document, integrates new Risk-Hazard Assessment methodologies, and strives to
facilitate greater implementation of project recommendations. In addition, this document, the 2023 Santa
Clara County CWPP, reviews, verifies, and/or identifies potential new priority areas where mitigation
measures are needed to protect from wildfire the irreplaceable life, property, and critical infrastructure in
the county. However, this CWPP does not attempt to mandate the type and priority for treatment projects
that will be carried out by the land management agencies and private landowners. The responsibility for
implementing wildfire mitigation treatments lies with local ordinances and regulations and at the further
discretion of the landowner; the 2023 Santa Clara County CWPP will only identify potential treatments
and a suggested priority for these projects.
PLANNING OVERSIGHT
CWPP MANAGEMENT TEAM AND ADVISORY TEAM
A Management Team for the CWPP has been collaborating on the CWPP update since the summer/fall
of 2021. The Management Team comprises representatives from the FireSafe Council, County, and CAL
FIRE. An initial goal of the Management Team was to identify key stakeholders throughout the County to
engage in the planning process. Stakeholder involvement is critical in producing a meaningful document
that includes all collaborators’ diverse perspectives. The Management Team extended invitations to
agencies to join the planning process in fall 2022, with a concerted effort to reach beyond those agencies
who had been involved in the 2015–2016 planning process. That process led to the establishment of the
CWPP Advisory Team that is composed of agency representatives, subject matter experts, and
organizations responsible for implementing project recommendations. Many of these Advisory Team
members are key annex holders who will be responsible for ensuring that the annexes are developed in
alignment with the countywide CWPP.
The Management Team meets on a monthly and sometimes more frequent basis, as needed.
The Advisory Team convened for four meetings: November 2, 2022; January 24, 2023; April 4, 2023;
and June 8, 2023.
The Management and Advisory Team List is provided in Appendix M and in the Executive Summary.
These teams will be jointly referred to as the Planning Team in this document. Detailed descriptions of the
jurisdictions that make up Santa Clara County and their roles in fire management are provided in
Appendix A.
GOAL OF A COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION
PLAN
Wildfire continues to be a threat to communities across the United States; in the last few years, most
western states have experienced the largest wildfires in their histories. Wildfires with a broad range of
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sizes and locations have destroyed hundreds of homes; the cost to suppress wildfires across the nation
typically exceeds $1 billion annually (see Figure 3.6 in Chapter 3).
In recognition of this threat, many communities have worked to develop CWPPs, bringing together many
stakeholders to develop strategies to mitigate the occurrence and effects of wildfire.
The goal of a CWPP is to enable local communities to improve their wildfire-mitigation capacity, while
working with government agencies to identify high fire risk areas and prioritize areas for mitigation, fire
suppression, and emergency preparedness. Another goal of the CWPP is to enhance public awareness
by helping residents better understand the natural and human-caused risk of wildland fires that threaten
lives, safety, and the local economy. The minimum requirements for a CWPP, as stated in the Healthy
Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (HFRA), are:
Collaboration: Local and state government representatives, in consultation with federal agencies or
other interested groups, must collaboratively develop a CWPP (SAF 2004).
Prioritized Fuel Reduction: A CWPP must identify and prioritize areas for hazardous fuels reduction
and treatments and recommend the types and methods of treatment that will protect one or more
communities at risk (CARs) and their essential infrastructures (SAF 2004).
Treatments of Structural Ignitability: A CWPP must recommend measures that property owners
and communities can take to reduce the ignitability of structures throughout the area addressed by
the plan (SAF 2004).
It is the intent of this 2023 CWPP to provide a countywide scale of wildfire risk and protection needs and
then bring together all of the responsible wildfire management and suppression entities in Santa Clara
County to address the identified needs and to support these entities in planning and implementing the
necessary mitigation measures.
A key role of the Management Team was to develop project goals for the CWPP update. These goals
were presented to the Advisory Team during the first Advisory Team meeting, and the final goals are
presented below:
• Robust Analysis – Perform state-of-the-art analysis to identify wildfire hazard risks and human
impact.
• Collaboration – Develop cross-jurisdictional collaborations and strategies to mitigate wildfire
threats.
• Engagement – Ensure wide visibility of the CWPP within WUI communities and gain localized
support.
• Adoption – Achieve full adoption of the Santa Clara County CWPP by the Santa Clara County
Board of Supervisors.
• Implementation – Implement the 2023 CWPP successfully and update the Plan regularly to
retain relevancy.
These goals will help address specific concerns and priorities identified by the Planning Team. Concerns
and priorities outlined by the Planning Team include:
• Ingress/Egress – Under typical summer conditions, fire can move quickly in many of the fuels
found throughout Santa Clara County. It is important that roadside vegetation is managed and
evacuation routes are planned.
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•Fuel Loading – Hazardous fuels exist throughout many WUI communities in Santa Clara County.
Natural fire regimes in the area, such as chaparral and Gambel oak scrub, are conducive to short
fire return intervals, and a lack of low and moderate severity fires can result in overgrown
vegetation, resulting in hazardous fuels.
•Defensible Space – Defensible space is crucial in reducing the structural ignitability of homes and
infrastructure. Providing managers and property owners with the knowledge and resources they
need to effectively create defensible space will be a key priority of this CWPP.
•Human Ignitions – Human ignitions are common throughout Santa Clara County. Fire department
chiefs throughout the County have identified areas of concern regarding human ignitions within
urban intermix areas and throughout the broader WUI.
•Public Education – Through community outreach, local programs, and education campaigns.
Many of the goals of this CWPP will require collaboration and engagement with local communities
throughout the County. This process will help implement recommendations for solving the
concerns highlighted by the Planning Team.
The Advisory Team has identified the following communities in order as having the greatest to lowest risk
from wildfire:
•Los Gatos
•Monte Sereno
•Los Altos Hills
•Saratoga
•Western portions of the county
•Cupertino
Additional information on the planning process is available in Appendix A.
ALIGNMENT WITH THE NATIONAL COHESIVE STRATEGY
The 2023 CWPP is aligned with the Cohesive Strategy and its Phase III Western Regional Action Plan by
adhering to the nationwide goal “to safely and effectively extinguish fire, when needed; use fire where
allowable; manage our natural resources; and as a Nation, live with wildland fire” (Forests and
Rangelands 2014:3).
The primary national goals identified as necessary to achieving the vision are:
•Restore and maintain landscapes: Landscapes across all jurisdictions are resilient to fire-
related disturbances in accordance with management objectives.
•Fire-adapted communities: Human populations and infrastructure can withstand wildfire without
loss of life and property.
•Wildfire response: All jurisdictions participate in making and implementing safe, effective,
efficient risk-based wildfire management decisions.
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For more information on the Cohesive Strategy, please visit:
https://www.forestsandrangelands.gov/strategy/documents/strategy/CSPhaseIIINationalStrategyApr2014.
pdf
Alignment with these Cohesive Strategy goals is described in more detail in Chapter 4, Mitigation
Strategies.
In addition to aligning with the Cohesive Strategy, the CWPP also incorporates information on post-fire
recovery, the significant hazards of a post-fire environment, and the risk that post-fire effects pose to
communities (Figure 1.1).
Figure 1.1. CWPP incorporating the three primary goals of the Cohesive Strategy and post-fire recovery and serving as holistic plan for fire prevention and resilience.
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ALIGNMENT WITH PLANS AND AGREEMENTS
This CWPP is also aligned with multiple local, state, and federal planning documents, most notably the
County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) and the County General Plan Safety Element.
These planning processes were occurring concurrently during development of the CWPP, and
representatives from all planning efforts collaborated to ensure alignment in development of the hazard
and risk analysis and development of hazard mitigation measures. These documents or agreements are
summarized in Appendix A. In addition, fire policy and legislative direction are also summarized in
Appendix A.
PLANNING AND REGULATORY BACKGROUND
Detailed information regarding planning and regulatory background and land management strategies can
be found in Appendix A, Planning and Policy Background.
PLANNING AREA
“The County of Santa Clara, also referred to as “Silicon Valley”, is unique because of its
combination of physical attractiveness and economic diversity. With its numerous natural
amenities and one of the highest standards of living in the country, the county has long been
considered one of the best areas in the United States in which to live and work.” (County of
Santa Clara 2022:1)
Santa Clara County encompasses 1,312 square miles and holds a population of nearly 1.9 million people.
The county is located on the southern end of the San Francisco Bay and comprises the fertile Santa
Clara Valley, which is fringed on the east by the Diablo Mountain Range and on the west by the Santa
Cruz Mountains. The northwestern portion of the County is composed of the Baylands, salt evaporation
ponds, salt marsh, and wetlands. Due to the unique proximity of a large population center to montane
(mountainous) regions, Santa Clara County faces considerable growth and development in the WUI.
In 2021, the county was estimated to have a population of 1,885,508 and contained 646,847 households
(U.S. Census Bureau 2021).
Because wildfires often threaten areas much larger than individual communities, it is critically important
that planning for the occurrence of wildfire occurs within communities and between communities.
In recognition of the advantages of a broader scope of wildfire preparation, multi-jurisdictional agencies,
organizations, and residents have joined together to develop this plan, the 2023 Santa Clara CWPP. This
larger scale of planning increases the level of coordination and cooperation among stakeholders, which
can lead to broader and more efficient wildfire risk mitigation measures. For example, the CWPP can
serve as the wildfire component within the Safety Element of the Santa Clara County General Plan, help
prioritize and strengthen requests for competitive funding grants to reduce hazardous fuels, and facilitate
the adoption of common standards for defensible space across Santa Clara County. Valuable ideas can
be more readily shared with all communities within the County, greatly facilitating public education
outreach efforts.
Additional detailed information on the County’s geography, infrastructure, demographics, recreation, and
wildlife can be found in Appendix B, Community Background and Resources.
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The planning area for this CWPP includes all of Santa Clara County as delineated by its geographic and
political boundaries (Figure 1.2). Figure 1.3 depicts community polygons delineated during the
development of the initial 2016 plan for the purpose of categorizing WUI conditions and carried over to
this CWPP update.
LAND OWNERSHIP
Much of both urban and rural Santa Clara County is held by private landowners, although a patchwork of
public holdings exists throughout the county. The largest contiguous tract of public land is the section of
89,164-acre Henry W. Coe State Park in the Diablo Range that lies within the southeastern portion of the
county (the Park also extends into neighboring Stanislaus County). The Santa Clara County Department
of Parks and Recreation, with 28 regional parks covering nearly 52,000 acres, also holds a large portion
of public land in the county (Santa Clara County Parks 2022). Other agencies and organizations such as
the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Santa
Clara Valley Open Space Authority, and University of California manage publicly accessible land
throughout the county as well (Figure 1.4).
The Advisory Team also included representatives of local tribes, and the integration of Tribal Ecological
Knowledge (TEK) and the protection of tribal values was emphasized throughout the planning process
and is strongly encouraged during CWPP implementation.
Landowner Portion of Santa Clara County
Private 73.66%
Local Government 15.20%
California Department of Parks and Recreation 7.20%
Other State Lands 1.33%
CDFW 1.09%
USFWS 0.96%
Non-Profit Conservancies and Trusts 0.39%
Bureau of Land Management 0.17%
Department of Defense 0.01%
Bureau of Reclamation 0.00%
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Figure 1.2. Santa Clara County general location map.
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Figure 1.3. Santa Clara County community boundaries map, developed through Core Team collaboration.
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Figure 1.4. Santa Clara County land ownership map.
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PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
A key element in the CWPP process is the meaningful discussions it generates among community
members regarding their priorities for local fire protection and forest management (SAF 2004). The draft
CWPP was made available for public review from June 19, 2023, through July 2, 2023. In addition to the
CWPP report, Santa Clara County developed a CWPP story map (online content) to provide opportunities
for information sharing and gathering. The story map and draft were announced through several different
media outlets for review (Appendix I).
Every effort was made to include a broad cross section of the community in the outreach process, and
different communication channels were used to engage as many members of the public as possible
(e.g., social media postings, email distributions, and in-person activities). All community members were
welcomed and encouraged to participate in in-person activities such as the community meetings.
Moreover, all community members were provided multiple opportunities to provide input, such as the
community survey, project recommendations review, and CWPP document review.
Additional information regarding public involvement and outreach can be found in Appendix B.
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CHAPTER 2 – FIRE ENVIRONMENT
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE
The wildland urban interface (WUI) is composed of both interface and intermix communities and is
defined as areas where human habitation and development meet or intermix with wildland fuels
(U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] 2001:752–753).
Interface areas include housing developments that meet or are in the vicinity of continuous vegetation.
Intermix areas are those areas where structures are scattered throughout a wildland area where the
cover of continuous vegetation and fuels is often greater than cover by human habitation.
At the national level, identification of WUI communities was initiated following the establishment of the
National Fire Plan in 2000, with federal, state, and local agencies involved with this process. Delineation
of the location of the WUI is a basic step in the identification of areas at most risk from wildfire, which can
trigger requirements for the mandatory use of codes associated with building materials and defensible
space.
In addition, the WUI has an area of influence, or influence zone. This area is described with respect to
wildland and urban fire; it is an area with a set of conditions that facilitate the opportunity for fire to burn
from wildland fuels to the home and or structure ignition zone (National Wildfire Coordinating Group
[NWCG] 2021a).
A CWPP offers the opportunity for collaboration of land managers to establish a definition and a boundary
for the local WUI; to better understand the unique resources, fuels, topography, and climatic and
structural characteristics of the area; and to prioritize and plan fuels treatments to mitigate for fire risks.
At least 50% of all funds appropriated for projects under the HFRA must be used within the WUI.
According to the HFRA, the WUI can be defined in a CWPP. In this CWPP (Figure 2.1) utilizing the CAL
FIRE WUI, the influence zone from the 2016 delineation was expanded to the ridgeline in the eastern
region. Additionally, the influence zone was expanded to fill in gaps west of Morgan Hill.
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Figure 2.1. WUI with accompanying interface zones of Santa Clara County.
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At-risk communities were delineated prior to the on-the-ground community hazard assessments and were
based on the presence of homes and structures surrounded by wildland fuels. A team from SWCA
Environmental Consultants conducted on-the-ground community hazard assessments throughout the
County in the first round of the CWPP and revisited those communities that may have experienced
significant changes to population, fuel composition, and hazard since the 2016 plan was completed.
Buffers representing the WUI as defined above are presented in Appendix C for each community.
FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONES
In California, WUI is further delineated with respect to Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZs) (see Figure
3.1 in Chapter 3). California law established a classification of FHSZs for wildland areas that rank zones
for potential likelihood and severity of wildland fires based on weather, vegetation type, topography,
predicted fire behavior, ember production, and other factors. FHSZ ratings impact the nature of
community design and building construction in State Responsibility Areas (SRAs), which are non-
federally owned, unincorporated areas that have wildland vegetative cover, watershed/range/forest value,
and housing densities not exceeding three per acre (California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
[CA OES] 2018). In 1991, following the Oakland Hills Tunnel Fire, FHSZ ratings were extended beyond
SRAs to include Local Responsibility Areas (LRAs), which are lands within incorporated cities, cultivated
agricultural lands, or lands not meeting the criteria for SRAs or Federal Responsibility Areas (FRAs)
(National Forest land, Bureau of Land Management [BLM] land, etc.). LRA fire protection is the
responsibility of local governments (CA OES 2018) and is usually performed by city fire departments,
fire protection districts, county fire departments, or CAL FIRE under contract to local government. LRA
jurisdictions typically contain significant quantities of flammable vegetation and classified WUI, and CAL
FIRE, in response to legislation, has developed state lists of WUI communities most at risk from wildfire
based on fuel hazard assessments, vegetation types, fire behavior, large and damaging fire probability,
and housing densities. A city can choose to adopt, modify, or reject CAL FIRE’s rating and
recommendation, but this process facilitates the identification of locations in greatest need of hazardous
fuels reduction projects, public education on wildfire risk and fire prevention, and improvements in the
ignition resistance of structures. Federal identification of vulnerable WUI communities has also occurred
in response to the National Fire Plan via Executive Order following a destructive 2000 national wildfire
season.
The CWPP process is designed to focus on those areas within the county most at risk from wildfire;
therefore, it is important to note that FHSZs evaluate wildfire “hazard” and not “risk.” As defined by
CAL FIRE:
“Hazard” is based on the physical conditions that create a likelihood and expected fire behavior
over a 30 to 50-year period without considering mitigation measures such as home hardening,
recent wildfire, or fuel reduction efforts. “Risk” is the potential damage a fire can do to the area
under existing conditions, accounting for any modifications such as fuel reduction projects,
defensible space, and ignition resistant building construction. (CAL FIRE 2023a)
So, while FHSZs help guide the community fire planning and mitigation process, the CWPP also
considers how hazard and risk interface across the county using other fine-scale Risk-Hazard
Assessment methodology.
It should be noted that CAL FIRE recently updated the FHSZs for the SRA in December 2022. The new
FHSZs are currently in the public review process. The new iteration of the FHSZs accounts for land use
changes, recent fire history, new wind data, and local climate data. FSHZs for the LRA are currently in
development and expected for release in summer 2023 (CAL FIRE 2022b).
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Adopted WUI Zones (SRAs/LRAs)
The WUI creates an environment in which fire can move readily between structural and vegetative fuels,
increasing the potential for wildland fire ignitions and the corresponding potential loss of life and property.
Human encroachment upon wildland ecosystems within recent decades is increasing the extent of the
WUI throughout the country (Figures 2.3 and 2.2), which is having a significant influence on wildland fire
management practices. Figure 2.3 shows an example of an unhoused encampment within the WUI,
which poses increased potential for wildfire ignitions and exposes individuals living in and around these
encampments to wildfire spread throughout the WUI intermix. Unhoused encampments can also pose
dangerous environments for first responders. Emergency response systems select between wildfire and
structural fire when determining which responders to send. Fires within homeless encampments hold the
non-natural combustion materials of a structural fire (plastics, medications, structural materials, etc.) but
have the ignition dangers of a wildland fire (dense vegetation, no defensible space, no on-site water
supply). These hazards greatly impact the type of gear and training needed to respond to this incident,
and an incorrectly categorized fire may result in first responders deployed without proper personal
protective equipment (PPE). Combined with the collective effects of aggressive suppression policies,
resource management practices, land use patterns, climate change, and insect and disease infestations,
the expansion of the WUI into areas with high fire risk has created an urgent need to modify fire
management practices and policies and to understand and manage fire risk effectively in the WUI
(Pyne 2001; Stephens et al. 2005). Mitigation techniques for fuels and fire management can be
strategically planned and implemented in WUI areas, for example, with the development of defensible
space around homes and structures.
Figure 2.2. Example of the WUI in the Santa Clara County.
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Figure 2.3. An unhoused encampment in San Jose.
WUI LAND USE
Cities and counties are continuously challenged to accommodate both current and future residents in
need of safe and affordable housing. In California, an estimated 2.5 million homes must be built over
the next 8 years to meet demand, including at least 1 million homes suitable for low-income households
(California Department of Housing and Community Development 2022). Over the past few decades,
jurisdictions across the state have approved many new housing units. These are often placed within or
near to wildland areas, creating WUI conditions. Today, more than 46 million residences in
70,000 communities are at risk for WUI fires (U.S. Fire Administration [USFA] 2021a). When it comes to
wildfire, this trend is of special concern since WUI conditions are linked with an increased risk of loss of
human life, property, natural resources, and economic assets. According to the 2018 Strategic Fire Plan
for California, “since the turn of the century there has been a steep increase in structures lost compared
to the 1990s” (CAL FIRE 2018).
Additional Fire Code information is described in Appendix A.
Appendix C houses descriptions and hazard ratings for each community evaluated within Santa Clara
County. The WUI maps in Chapter 2 depict the entire WUI boundary for each community. The WUI buffer
is an area where fuel treatments should be prioritized in order to provide additional protection to the
community from potential wildfire spread.
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SOCIAL VULNERABILITY
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) defines social vulnerability as the susceptibility
of social groups to the negative impacts of natural hazards (e.g., wildfire), which include disproportionate
death, injury, loss, or disruption of livelihood (FEMA 2022). A sole hazard occurrence can bring about
considerably different impacts for distinct individuals, even if the magnitude of the hazard was the same
for the entire community. Specific groups of individuals may be more susceptible to natural hazards
because of socioeconomic status, physical state, or other factors. For instance, elderly individuals may
have more difficulty in quickly evacuating during wildfire emergencies, which may make them more
susceptible to entrapment. In other cases, low-income individuals may be less able to harden and
upgrade their homes to reduce structural ignitability, indicating that they can face a higher probability of
their home being damaged or destroyed should a wildfire event occur.
As defined by the U.S Forest Service’s (USFS’s) Wildfire Risk to Communities (USFS 2022), socially
vulnerable populations include the following: families living in poverty, people with disabilities, people over
65 years of age, people who have difficulty with English, households with no car, and people living in
mobile homes. Statistics on socially vulnerable populations with the entirety of Santa Clara County as
estimated by the USFS’s Wildfire Risk to Communities is provided in Table 2.1 below. Populations
particularly at risk from wildfire include people over 65, people with disabilities, and people dwelling in
mobile homes. Visitors and non-local property owners may also be at higher risk if they are not familiar
with local guidelines regarding property management (defensible space, fire-resistant vegetation, fire-
resistant building materials, etc.) and may not be registered or within reach of local emergency
notifications. In addition, renters of these properties may not receive emergency alerts as they are not
local residents. Socially vulnerable populations may need additional support with regard to preparing for
wildfire, evacuating from wildfire, and returning to their community post-fire.
Table 2.1. Estimated Socially Vulnerable Populations at Risk from Wildfire in Santa Clara County
Population at Risk Number Percent
Families in poverty 19,668 ± 1,059 4.3 ± 1.6
People with disabilities 155,216 ± 2,654 8.1 ± 1.5
People over 65 years 259,988 ± 2,946 13.5 ± 2.3
Difficulty with English 158,711 ± 3,531 8.8 ± 0.7
Households with no car 33,974 ± 1,371 5.3 ± 1.4
Mobile homes 18,498 ± 1,002 2.9 ± 2.6
Source: USFS (2022)
Wildland firefighters are also populations at risk from wildfire. Wildland firefighting is an inherently
dangerous profession where firefighters risk their health and lives while battling fires. Wildland firefighters
are especially vulnerable to medium- and long-term health and safety risks associated with smoke and
chemical inhalation and other conditions while firefighting, as well as immediate risks that may endanger
their lives due to the fire environment. Historically, fire in Santa Clara County has been responsible for
injuries and destruction of property. For example, the Santa Clara Lightning Complex fires of 2020 were
responsible for 225 destroyed structures and six injuries over the course of 44 days of active burning
(State of California 2020). Mitigating the risks of severe wildfires on the landscape and within the WUI will
reduce the chances of wildfire hazards impacting firefighters and other vulnerable populations.
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According to the 2017 Santa Clara County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, social vulnerability
for wildfire hazards is elevated for sensitive populations in the County, including children, the elderly, and
individuals with underlying respiratory and cardiovascular diseases (Santa Clara County 2017).
See Map 10 in Appendix J for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) socially vulnerable
populations.
UNHOUSED POPULATIONS
With continued economic and social trends exacerbating the level of housing insecurity, urban areas
throughout the United States have recently experienced significant increases in unhoused populations.
As a result, fire departments are responding to a growing number of incidents involving fires that impact
unhoused people and their shelters or encampments. In order to survive in often harsh environments
without adequate protection from the elements, many people living in unhoused communities utilize fire
as a tool for general survival. This includes burning open flames to allow themselves to keep warm and
cook food. Very few people living under these conditions are aware of fire safety. Additionally, unhoused
people are often situated in areas of existing high fire risk, such as densely vegetated riverbank or vacant
and unmaintained buildings. Jurisdictions across the country face difficulties addressing the
houselessness crisis due to legislative and political barriers, causing the issue to stagnate and fire risk to
persist among these vulnerable populations. In search for a solution, nonprofit and research organizations
have begun examining the behaviors that contribute to fire risk and establishing programs through which
unhoused people are provided fire safety gear and proper training to educate them in fire safety and
response. These groups are advocating for increased awareness to both those experiencing
houselessness and the wider public, with a push for intervention and assistance to those at risk (NFPA
Journal 2023). The increased ignition risk posed by unhoused populations, and the wildfire exposure and
risk to these communities has been raised throughout the County, especially in areas throughout the City
of San Jose. These areas are not typically classified as WUI, but due to the growing hazards in these
areas, mitigation measures to address the hazard are recommended at the CWPP annex level, when
appropriate.
In terms of fire response for incidents impacting these groups, the variable nature of fires affecting
unhoused people can add complexity to coordinating proper and effective response protocols. Unhoused
encampments can be located in areas that demand the exercise of either wildland or urban fire response
capabilities, and occasionally may necessitate a hybrid approach. Responders must also account for
other safety concerns such as hazardous materials and lack of structural integrity from makeshift shelters.
VEGETATION AND LAND COVER
The landcover in Santa Clara County is diverse and is primarily a function of topography. In the
Santa Clara Valley, developed and urbanized land cover types dominate the north half of the valley
centered around the City of San Jose. The undeveloped areas around the City of San Jose are mostly
tidal wetlands and marshlands. The south half of the valley is home to the communities of Morgan Hill
and Gilroy, both of which are surrounded by large swathes of farming and ranching lands intermixed with
rural development. The Diablo Mountains are largely undeveloped and contain several parks including
Henry W. Coe State Park, along with Joseph D. Grant, Anderson Lake, Coyote Lake Harvey Bear Ranch,
and Ed R. Levin county parks. To the west, the Santa Cruz Mountains also contain large sections of
public land, such as the Serra Azul Open Space Preserve and several county parks including Calero,
Almaden Quicksilver, and Sanborn.
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Vegetation zones within the county are primarily a function of elevation, slope, aspect, substrate, and
associated climatic regimes. Since a broad range in elevation and topography exists across Santa Clara
County, characteristics in vegetative communities are quite variable from site to site (Figure 2.4).
Vegetation data, from which fuel models are derived, are sourced from Tukman Geospatial’s Pacific Veg
Map (Tukman Geospatial 2022).
Dominant vegetation types within the county are described based on a large spatial scale and represent
the overall community structure that will play a general role in fire occurrence and behavior. Although the
vegetation types are outlined, site-specific evaluations of the vegetative composition and structure in each
area of focus should be taken into consideration when planning fuels treatments.
Major vegetation types in the county include evergreen and deciduous hardwoods, both of which are
found in the foothills and high country of the Santa Cruz and Diablo Mountains. However, the Santa Cruz
Mountains are wetter and support thicker stands of coniferous and deciduous forests than the drier Diablo
Range to the east. Large intact stands of California redwoods are endemic to the Santa Cruz Mountains
and can be found southwest of Gilroy and along the western border of Santa Clara County. Due to the
2020 SCU Lightning Complex fires that occurred in the Diablo range, much of the vegetation there has
transitioned from mature conifers to shrubs and herbaceous plants as post-fire succession is underway.
Additionally, herbaceous plants, including grasses, and shrubs are the dominant vegetation components
in the lower-elevation foothills and valley ecosystems throughout the county, as depicted in Figure 2.4.
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Figure 2.4. Vegetation types across Santa Clara County.
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TOPOGRAPHY AND FUELS
Santa Clara County encompasses the fertile Santa Clara Valley, which runs from south to north and
contains large swathes of agricultural and urbanized land. The valley is split into two regions, the North
Valley and the South Valley. The North Valley is adjacent to San Francisco Bay and contains braided
creeks and stream channels that spill into several tidal wetlands, salt marshes, and abandoned salt
ponds. The South Valley is slightly higher in elevation at approximately 350 feet above mean sea level
and contains many agricultural lands, which are flanked by deep narrow lakes and reservoirs. At its
widest in the north, the Santa Clara Valley is about 11 miles wide; at its narrowest in the south, the valley
is about 2.5 miles wide. A low saddle near the middle of the valley represents the watershed divide
between the Coyote Valley Watershed with its pour point located in San Francisco Bay and several
watersheds to the south in which streams flow southward ultimately terminating in Monterey Bay
(Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency 2012). The Advisory Team has identified riparian areas near critical
infrastructure and natural resources as areas of concern. Vegetation can build quickly in these riparian
corridors, and they often connect wildland fuels to the WUI and urban areas. The Advisory Team has also
identified several canyons on the east side of the Santa Clara Valley as having significant brush buildup,
which under severe wildfire conditions may endanger the WUI.
The Santa Clara Valley is surrounded by the rolling hills of the Diablo Range to the east and the Santa
Cruz Mountains to the west. The Santa Cruz Mountains rise to a maximum elevation of 4,000 feet and
are characterized by steep and rugged country that is carved by deep draws and drainages. The foothills
of these mountains roll gently downslope to the alluvial fan geomorphology of the flatter valley below.
The Diablo Range contains several high points, ranging from 2,500 feet to its highest peak, Mt. Hamilton,
at 4,213 feet tall. The Diablo Range is skirted by dissected hills, but the interior of the range still contains
alpine features like those of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The two mountain ranges in Santa Clara County
greatly influence diurnal (daytime) and orographic (mountainous) winds and dictate precipitation
distribution from incoming moisture sourced from the nearby Pacific Ocean to the west (Santa Clara
Valley Habitat Agency 2012).
The fuels in the planning area are classified using Scott and Burgan’s (2005) Standard Fire Behavior Fuel
Model classification system. These fuel classifications were used in determining several model inputs,
including predicted flame length (weighted heavily), extreme fire weather potential, and suppression
difficulty (weighted lightly). The resulting outputs include classified wildfire risk and structure density,
which are used in calculating the overall wildfire risk to structures. Please see Chapter 3 for more
information on fine-scale mapping as it pertains to the fuel modeling process. This classification system is
based on the Rothermel surface fire spread equations, and each vegetation and litter type are broken
down into 40 fuel models within seven fire-carrying fuel types:
• (NB) Non-burnable
• (TU) Timber-Understory
• (SH) Shrub
• (GR) Grass
• (TL) Timber Litter
• (GS) Grass-Shrub
• (SB) Slash-Blowdown
The fuels found in the north half of the Santa Clara Valley (Figure 2.5) are predominantly urban
development (NB9) or bare ground (NB1). In the south half, much of the fuel type is made up of
agriculture (NB9) surrounded by expansive grasslands (GR1, GR2). Mixed grass and shrub (GS) fuel
types are found in the foothills of the Diablo Range. At higher elevations, grass fuel components transition
to shrub dominant fuel types (SH) ranging from low (SH1, SH2) to heavy fuel loads with some areas
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containing dense and tall shrub fuel types (SH5, SH7). Certain elevational contour bands along western
aspects in the Diablo Range support dead and downed wood fuel composed mostly of broad leaf litter
(TL2). On the other side of the Santa Clara Valley in the Santa Cruz Mountains more forested fuel types
can be found. These include grasses and shrubs intermixed with conifer litter beneath forested canopies
(TU1, TU5). Fuel loads decrease slightly with higher elevation transitioning from fuel model TU1 to TU5.
Additionally, on the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains denser and wetter broadleaf forests can
be found, which contribute to more downed woody debris and litter fuel types with varying densities
(TL1–8).
While there are many fuel types within Santa Clara County, a few fuel types make up the dominant
landcover across the service territory. These dominant fuels are described below in the Fire Regimes
subsection.
Table 2.2. Scott and Burgan 2005 Fuel Model Classes within Santa Clara County
Existing Fuel Type Acres Portion of County
GR2 232,739 27.88%
GR1 104,729 12.55%
TU5 100,881 12.08%
NB9 91,327 10.94%
NB1 63,477 7.60%
GS2 43,295 5.19%
TU1 35,631 4.27%
SH7 34,656 4.15%
GS1 34,415 4.12%
SH5 21,149 2.53%
NB3 18,016 2.16%
NB8 17,783 2.13%
GR4 8,007 0.96%
Other 28,663 3.43%
Total 834,774 100%
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Figure 2.5. Fuel model classes across Santa Clara County.
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EMBER IGNITION HAZARDS
Ember exposure from wildland fires can pose a significant threat to homes and other structures in the
WUI (Maranghides and Mell 2013). Spotting occurs when embers travel in advance of the flaming front;
long-range spotting can be miles ahead of the main fire. Many factors determine whether an ember will
result in an ignition (firebrand source and size, wind, receiving materials, exposure duration, etc.).
Burning structures and other materials (vehicles and ornamental vegetation) have been identified as
another source of embers that can ignite additional combustible materials in the WUI, particularly
when there is a low structure separation distance (Maranghides et al 2022; Suzuki and Manzello 2021).
Short-range spotting is not considered significant in the growth of wildfires and is typically accounted for
in wildfire spread model outputs. Long-range spotting is differentiated from short-range spotting, primarily
because firebrands (flaming or glowing fuel particles that can be carried naturally by wind, convection
currents, or gravity into unburned fuels) are being lifted by a convection column and carried beyond the
immediate fire area (NWCG 2021j, 2023b). Several factors affect the extinction time of firebrands and the
maximum distances they can travel from their origin. Firstly, the canopy characteristics of tree stands
such as tree species, canopy height, and diameter at breast height will affect the quantity and size of
firebrands produced during a wildfire. The height of downwind tree stands will affect the number of
firebrands that reach ignitable vegetation (NWCG 2021j). Thick and ablative bark species
(e.g., ponderosa pine and Douglas fir) can produce large firebrands, but maximum spotting distances will
be much less than firebrands originating from more resinous species with thinner and lighter bark
(e.g., Gambel oak and knobcone pine).
Secondly, several weather- and landscape-related factors influence the distance firebrands can travel.
Wind speed and atmospheric stability are functions of firebrand travel distance. Atmospheric stability is
defined as the atmosphere’s resistance to vertical motion (NWCG 2023a). The potential for wildfire
growth can be estimated by measuring the stability and dryness of the air over a fire using the Lower
Atmosphere Stability Index (LASI), or Haines Index (USFS 1988). The Haines Index is a numbered scale
from 1 to 6, with 6 representing the highest rate of spread (ROS) possible. Hot, dry air over a wildfire can
create an unstable atmosphere (Haines Index 5–6) and is conducive to creating a large convective
column, which will provide the energy necessary to loft larger embers further away. Therefore, the Haines
Index is often a good predictor of large, plume-dominated fire growth and higher firebrand travel
distances.
The absolute humidity of the air also greatly influences ember extinction times. Humid conditions can
extinguish airborne firebrands before they land, while dry conditions allow firebrands to continue
smoldering. This same logic is applied when defending structures. For instance, sprinkler systems that
are used for structure protection are meant to raise the relative humidity of the surrounding air rather than
wet the actual structure, as ember wash is one of the main causes of structural ignitions and pre-contact
ember extinction is ideal for reducing structural ignitability (Nazare et al. 2021). Additionally, local
topography can influence where an ember may land. For example, ridges can “catch” firebrands, and
steep valleys often “collect” embers. Wind slope alignment, which is common in the western United
States, can cause high rates of ember production and lofting distances depending on the burning fuel
type. Similarly, the position and orientation of structures can impact the collection of embers and potential
ignition potential.
The effect of embers on structure ignitions cannot be overstated, and land managers and property
owners should take note of vegetation, landscape, and atmospheric conditions that are conducive to
firebrand production and travel, as these directly influence spotting fire behavior and potential loss of
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values at risk (VARs). Strategic landscape fuel reduction activities such as fuel breaks and thinning can
help reduce the likelihood of firebrand production and spotting. Property owners should note surrounding
tree species and implement home hardening practices, such as installing vent covers, regularly clearing
gutters, and sweeping leaf litter from decks and foundation, to reduce structural ignitions from ember
wash.
See Map 5 in Appendix J for a map of ember load index.
FIRE REGIMES
Wildland fires are a function of the climate in which they occur, the vegetation that drives them, and the
occurrence and frequency of ignitions. The nexus of these factors for a particular ecosystem or landscape
is considered a fire regime, or the way that fire interacts with and shapes an environment. Fire regime can
be described with many parameters that indicate the dynamic forces behind wildland fire events, including
seasonality, predictability, spatial patterns, magnitude, frequency, and extent. Fire regimes are important
to understand as they can provide insight into the temporal, ecological, and geographic factors that
impact fire hazard and risk.
Within Santa Clara County, different vegetation types (see Figure 2.4) exhibit their own unique fire
regimes, and each has played an important role in shaping the ecology and landscapes of the area today.
Grasslands and introduced species associated with developed areas typically dominate the lowest
elevations in the county, while chapparal and coastal scrub occupy slightly higher elevations. Chapparal,
scrub, and grasslands also mix with mosaic oak woodlands at low to mid elevations and give way to oak-
and conifer-dominated forests at higher elevations, particularly on mesic north-facing slopes.
Throughout history, fire return intervals in Santa Clara County would have varied as a function of these
vegetation types. Pre-settlement fire histories of grasslands and chaparral are difficult to determine due to
the lack of dendrochronological evidence associated with fire events in the ecosystems (Van de Water
and Safford 2011). However, prior to Native American impacts, many areas that are now grasslands are
thought to have been more dominated by scrub (Ford and Hayes 2007) due to longer fire return intervals
between naturally (lightning) caused events. Following Native American habitation and settlement, fire
likely became more common across Santa Clara County. Documentation exists of Native Americans
burning shrublands along the California coast to reduce the vegetation type’s extent and promote the
growth of grasses and forbs (Keeley 2002a). This burning is thought to have resulted in extended ranges
of grasslands and mosaic networks of oak and chaparral vegetation of various life stages across the
county. The predicted fire return interval of chapparal during this time frame was likely in the range of
20 to 80 years (Van de Water and Safford 2011), while woodlands and forests during this period would
have experienced between 30 and 100 years between fires.
Similar to other areas in across the nation and in California, it is likely that fire suppression, changing land
use, and changing land management has resulted in more hazardous wildfire conditions in Santa Clara
County (Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency 2012). Grasslands in particular have experienced marked
shifts in dominant species assemblages as invasives colonize following grazing and wildfire disturbances.
These invasive species are known to hold the potential to significantly shift the patterns and behaviors of
wildfires (Klinger et al. 2006). While conversion of fuel type can increase the severity and frequency of fire
events, the climatic and ignition components of fire regimes are also shifting notably. Climate change has
resulted in precipitation levels that are trending downwards along with increasingly warm and dry
summers (CAL FIRE 2022d). While smaller fuels such as grass have historically dried out to highly fire
prone levels during warm summer months, these recent weather changes are resulting in more
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landscape level shifts in fuel moistures and decreases in 100- and 1000-hour fuel (trees, logs, etc.)
moisture contents. For example, Valley Water (SCVWD) has identified riparian corridors as a particular
concern of wildfire risk in Santa Clara County. These riparian areas can produce substantial fuel loads
over many years and during drought years vegetation turns to kindling and becomes a significant wildfire
hazard. Furthermore, an increasing population, particularly in the WUI, has also led to increased ignitions,
especially during timeframes when fuel moisture contents are low and use of areas containing wildland
fuels are high (e.g., summer). This change has not only resulted in more fires but provided opportunities
for large fires with extreme fire behavior to propagate (CAL FIRE 2022d).
Additional information on fire regimes for the different vegetation types found in Santa Clara County can
be found in the following sections.
GRASSLAND
Grassland in Santa Clara County consists of herbaceous vegetation dominated by grasses and forbs.
Grassland in the county includes the following land cover types:
• California annual grassland (non-native) – found in valley bottoms, lower elevations on the
eastern side of the county, and on ridges on dry south- and west-facing slopes.
• Non-serpentine native grassland (native) – patchily distributed in the county and generally
occurs as small patches within the larger annual grassland complex.
• Serpentine bunchgrass grassland (native) – occurs on ultramafic soils derived from
serpentinite, limited in extent in the county.
• Serpentine rock outcrop/barrens (native) – occurs on exposures of serpentine bedrock that
typically lack soil and are sparsely vegetated, limited in extent in the county.
• Serpentine seep – found in dry areas where water penetrates the surface and creates a small
wetland habitat that supports wetland vegetation.
• Rock outcrop (non-serpentine) – rare in the county.
Periodic fire is an important influence on the grassland community. Keeley (2002a) suggests that dense
scrub or chaparral had little value to Native Americans, so they used periodic burning to clear shrubs and
provide habitat for fire-tolerant native grasses. Keeley (2002b) also implies that the current mosaic of
grassland is likely a result of historic vegetation management that favored open grasslands over
chaparral. Historically and prehistorically, fires from both lightning strikes and human ignition kept woody
vegetation from invading grassland (where the soil conditions are appropriate) and converting it to coastal
scrub or oak woodland. While prescribed burning is considered an important management tool in
grasslands and other natural communities (Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency 2012), such burning is
becoming increasingly difficult to implement due to cost, safety concerns from expanding urban and rural
development, and difficulty obtaining permits because of air quality concerns. It has not been feasible in
most places to burn frequently enough to control the spread of woody species into existing grassland or
to reduce the cover of woody vegetation within grasslands because of the natural resistance and
resilience of the woody plants to a single burn (Ford and Hayes 2007). Livestock grazing has continued
on most rangelands in Santa Clara County and is regarded as generally beneficial in maintaining suitable
habitat conditions for many special-status grassland-dependent species.
Grassland is considered a fire-tolerant community, since the low-intensity prescribed fire moves so
quickly that the fire burns only above the lower few centimeters of material, leaving much unburned or
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only charred on the ground. Immediately following a grassland fire, areas typically see an increase in
annual forb germination and flowering and an increase in overall productivity in response to the light and
nutrients made available by the removal of the thatch layer during the following growing season (Harrison
et al. 2003). In grasslands that are already dominated by non-native annual grasses, non-natives may
increase their dominance following fire by outcompeting natives for the newly available space and light.
Native grasses may increase their dominance in serpentine grasslands following fire through the same
mechanism (Harrison et al. 2003).
CHAPARRAL AND NORTHERN COASTAL SCRUB
Chaparral shrub communities are found in rocky, porous, nutrient-deficient soils and steep slopes
throughout Santa Clara County and are dominated by densely packed evergreen woody shrubs, 1.5 to
4 meters tall. Dominant shrubs in this community in Santa Clara County are chamise (Adenostoma
fasciculatum), manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.), scrub oak (Quercus berberidifolia), and ceanothus
(Ceanothus spp.).
Northern coastal scrub is characterized by low shrubs that are generally more flexible with higher
moisture content and thinner stems than the stiff shrubs of chaparral. The plants range from 0.5 to 2 m
tall interspersed with openings favored by native bunch grasses. Common plants of coastal scrub include
California sagebrush (Artemisia californica), coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis), sticky monkey-flower
(Mimulus aurantiacus), golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertifolium), and California melic grass (Melica
californica).
Native Americans frequently burned shrublands to encourage grass and forb development (Keeley
2002a). Plants in the chaparral and northern coastal scrub communities have evolved to persist despite
periodic wildfire; some of the species are dependent on periodic fire for regeneration (Holland 1986;
Hanes 1988; Schoenherr 1992). Some chaparral species have fire adaptations such as peeling bark,
volatile oils, and seeds that require fire to initiate growth that promote fire (Rundel and Gustavson 2005;
Schoenherr 1992; USFWS 2002). Chaparral is an important refuge for certain sensitive animals (Cornell
Lab of Ornithology 2023). Despite the adaptations of many plants to periodic fire intervals, the notion that
chaparral “needs to burn” is strongly disputed by some researchers.
Sprawl of human habitation in chaparral and shrub communities poses a great threat to both these plant
communities and habitable structures. Similar to the various woodlands and forests, buildup of fuel over
many years increases the risk of catastrophic fire (USFWS 2002). Severe topsoil erosion is also a
problem after intense fires, particularly if they burn hot enough to kill the burls and lignotubers of woody
chaparral plants (Schoenherr 1992).
OAK WOODLAND
Oak woodlands are a common cover type found in Santa Clara County. A number of oak-dominated
woodlands can occur:
• Valley oak woodland – common in the valley floors but also along ridge tops.
• Mixed oak woodland and forest – most geographically widespread of all oak woodlands in the
county.
• Coast live oak woodland and forest – commonly found abutting grassland areas.
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• Blue oak woodland – present in scattered locations mostly in the low to mid-elevation hills on
dry or well-drained north- or northeast-facing slopes.
• Foothill pine-oak woodland – often occurs along valley floors within chaparral communities
in the eastern foothills and also adjacent to other oak land cover types and on serpentine soils.
• Mixed evergreen forest – occurs on the west side of the Santa Clara Valley, usually on north-
facing slopes.
Oak-dominated woodlands are thought to have been more prevalent in Santa Clara County historically
and have become fragmented as a result of urban development and agricultural uses (Grossinger et al.
2006).
Oak woodland is a fire-adapted ecosystem, and fire has likely played a large role in maintaining this
community type in the county. Fire creates the vegetation structure and composition typical of oak
woodlands, and this natural community has experienced frequent, low-severity fires that maintain
woodland or savannah conditions. In the absence of fire, the low or open understory that characterizes
this land cover type can be lost. Depending on site characteristics closed canopy oak forests can be
replaced by shade-tolerant species and conifers if oaks cannot regenerate and compete as shade
encroaches. Soil drought may also play a role in maintaining open tree canopy in dry woodland habitat.
Mixed evergreen forests on the northern slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains are being heavily impacted
by drought, sudden oak death (SOD), and bark beetle infestations, resulting in widespread die-off of
certain oak species, tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus), and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) that
leaves large openings in the woodlands, full of hazardous fuels where sunlight penetrates and dries out
the ground.
SUDDEN OAK DEATH
A recent influence on oak woodlands is SOD. The disease, first identified in 1995, has since spread to
15 counties and killed hundreds of thousands of oaks (California Oak Mortality Task Force 2023).
Research indicates that members of the black oak family such as coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia)
and black oaks (Q. velutina), as well as tanoak, appear to be the most susceptible to this disease
(Rizzo et al. 2003). SOD is caused by the water mold pathogen Phytophthora ramorum (P. ramorum)
and is a serious threat to oak woodlands and mixed evergreen forests in northern California.
The pathogen can kill adult oaks and madrone (Arbutus menziesii); California bay (Umbellularia
californica), buckeye (Aesculus californica), and maple (Acer spp.) host the pathogen without being killed
by it. Members of the white oak family such as blue oak (Quercus douglasii) and valley oak (Q. lobata)
have not shown symptoms of the pathogen.
RIPARIAN FOREST AND SCRUB
Riparian areas of Santa Clara County are broken down into the following:
• Willow riparian forests, woodland, and scrub – occur in or along margins of active channels
on intermittent and perennial streams.
• Central Californian sycamore alluvial woodland – generally present on broad floodplains and
terraces along Coyote Creek and Pacheco Creek.
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• Mixed riparian woodland and forest – occur in or along margins of active channels on
intermittent and perennial streams.
These vegetation types are found in association with riverine watercourses along streambanks and
floodplains and surrounding open water bodies. Within the last 100 to 150 years, extensive anthropogenic
altercations have been made to riparian areas and much of the existing stream networks have been
largely developed with human intervention and creation of canals and ditches.
CONIFER WOODLAND
There are three conifer-dominated vegetation communities that occur in Santa Clara County (Santa Clara
Valley Habitat Agency 2012):
• Redwood forest – coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) occurring primarily in the Santa Cruz
Mountains. Adjacent cover types are mixed oak woodland and mixed evergreen woodland.
Occurs in areas that receive substantial rainfall >35 inches per year. Redwood-dominated
overstory and tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus), madrone, and California bay understory
trees; hazelnut (Corylus cornuta var. californica), thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus), and black
huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum) in the shrub layer. In riparian areas, California bay and bigleaf
maple (Acer macrophyllum) are common, California nutmeg (Torreya californica) may occur, and
ferns such as sword fern (Polystichum munitum) often form a dense layer.
• Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) woodland – restricted distribution within the county, only
occurring on three high elevation ridges in Henry W. Coe State Park—Pine Ridge, Middle Ridge,
and Blue Ridge—and extending downslope into north-facing canyons and valleys.
• Knobcone pine (Pinus attenuata) woodland – consists of dense stands of knobcone pines that
regenerate following fire. Uncommon in the county, occurring only in the Santa Cruz Mountains
on ridge top sites, often on serpentine-derived soils. Knobcone pine is an obligate fire-climax
species—fire is required to melt the resin that seals the cones, releasing the seed, and fire also
creates the bare mineral soil required for the seeds to germinate. Stands of knobcone pine are
therefore even-aged, dating back to the last stand-replacing fire.
Prior to European settlement, the Santa Clara Valley supported a mosaic of plant and wildlife
communities and the upland regions were heavily forested with redwoods and pine and oak woodlands.
In the mid to late 1800s, the foothill forests and woodlands were heavily thinned to support regional
population growth.
A major factor influencing the distribution of conifer-dominated land cover types is fire intensity and
frequency. The combination of logging and burning at the end of the nineteenth century resulted in the
conversion of conifer-dominated forests (redwood and Douglas fir) in the Santa Cruz Mountains to
grassland or chaparral and oak-dominated woodlands (Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency 2012).
Periodic stand-replacing fire is required for the regeneration of knobcone pine woodland.
IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE
This cover type encompasses all areas where the native vegetation has been removed for irrigated
agriculture (not including rangeland) and includes:
• Orchards – apricot, prunes, and walnuts predominantly.
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• Vineyards – occur throughout the county but predominantly in the southern portion.
• Agriculture (developed) – i.e., greenhouses, nurseries, Christmas tree farms; occurs in small
patches throughout the county.
• Grain, row crops, hay, and pasture – abundant throughout the Santa Clara Valley south of
San Jose.
Father Junípero Serra gave Santa Clara Valley its name when he consecrated the Mission Santa Clara
de Asis in 1777 (National Park Service 2018). The establishment of the mission also heralded the
beginning of large-scale agriculture in the Santa Clara Valley. Soon, the Guadalupe River dam
(located near Mission Santa Clara) was constructed for irrigation of wheat, corn, bean, and other crops.
Fruit trees and grapes were also cultivated.
Population growth in the county has been continuous since 1850. In order to facilitate the sustained
growth in 1870, Los Gatos Creek was diverted to meet water demands for agriculture. Improved access
to railroads also led to increased agricultural production in the county at that time. Agricultural products
included carrots, almonds, tomatoes, prunes, apricots, plums, walnuts, cherries, pears, grapes, and
lumber for the world market (National Park Service 2018). The rural nature of the Santa Clara Valley
lasted through to World War II, after which time cultivated lands were reduced to make room for urban
expansion.
While irrigated agriculture can burn under the right conditions, such events are typically isolated to when
large adjacent wildland fires enter cultivated fields, orchards, and vineyards.
INVASIVE NON-NATIVE PLANT COMMUNITIES
In addition to native grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands, Santa Clara County contains plant
communities of species that are not native but exist outside agricultural or developed areas. Scattered
non-native escaped plants are not likely to significantly change fire behavior or affect other natural
resource values. However, some species can dominate or even completely take over areas, excluding
natural vegetation and changing fuel characteristics. Examples of non-native plant communities and
invasive species of concern for wildfire include:
• Grassland: wild oats (Avena spp.), yellow star thistle, curly dock (Rumex crispus)
• Rock outcrops: fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), broom species (Bromus spp.), cotoneaster
(Cotoneaster spp.), jubota grass (Cortaderia jubata)
• Seeps and riparian: poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), teasel (Dipsacus spp.), jubota grass,
arundo (Arundo spp.), Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus), black locust (Robinia
pseudoacacia)
• Shrublands: French broom (Genista monspessulana), Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius), gorse
(Ulex spp.), fennel
• Mixed oak woodland: Ivy (Hedera spp.), locust, privet (Ligustrum spp.), acacia (Acacia spp.)
• Valley oak woodlands: milk thistle (Silybum marianum)
• Mixed evergreen: periwinkle (Vinca spp.), English ivy (Hedera helix)
• Replacement woodlands: blue gum eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), acacia, tree-of-heaven
(Ailanthus altissima)
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Several invasive, non-native plant species are found in riverine land covers within the study area. One of
the most prevalent is giant reed (Arundo donax), which is often found in large pure stands. Other
invasive, non-native plants potentially found in the study area include blue gum eucalyptus, acacia,
fennel, periwinkle, French broom, black locust, English ivy, Algerian ivy (Hedera canariensis), cape ivy
(Delairea odorata), Himalayan blackberry, weeds, curly dock, thistle, blackwood acacia (Acacia
melanoxylon), tree-of-heaven, glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum), fig, and poison hemlock (Santa Clara
Valley Habitat Agency 2012).
CLIMATE AND WEATHER PATTERNS
Santa Clara County has a Mediterranean climate, with most precipitation occurring during the winter
months and virtually no precipitation from spring through autumn (Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency
2012). July is typically the hottest month of the year in the county, with average July maximum mean
temperatures ranging from 84.4 ºF in the West Almaden area to 87.2 ºF in the Gilroy area. December is
usually the coldest month, with average December minimum temperatures ranging from 37 ºF in the
Gilroy area to 40.6 ºF in the West Almaden area (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[NOAA] 2022). Mean annual temperatures are consistent throughout the valley and into the base of the
mountain range, with the valley experiencing more variability in extreme temperatures.
Mean annual precipitation within the county is moderate, ranging from 19.77 inches in the Gilroy area to
32.52 inches in the West Almaden area. The highest precipitation levels usually occur from late fall to
early spring in Santa Clara County. The lowest precipitation levels occur from early summer to mid fall,
meaning the driest period that the county faces occurs from June to September. However, precipitation
levels are contingent on location. Areas closer to the mountains typically receive more precipitation than
the valley. For example, the West Almaden area, near the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains, receives a
mean total precipitation of 32.53 inches during the drier months, whereas the Gilroy area receives
19.77 inches (Table 2.3) (NOAA 2022).
Higher elevations, however, such as the Santa Cruz Mountains, typically have the highest precipitation
totals (40–60 inches/year) compared with the relatively dry Santa Clara Valley, where the city of San Jose
has average precipitation of approximately 12 inches per year. The Diablo Range, though drier than the
Santa Cruz Mountains, experiences greater precipitation than the adjacent valley, with totals ranging from
20 to 30 inches a year, especially at higher elevations. Various microclimates also occur in the county; for
example, canyon areas of north-facing hill slopes and streams with less direct sunlight will have lower
evapotranspiration, greater ambient soil moisture, and generally more moderate, cooler temperatures due
to higher moisture content and greater shading (Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency 2012).
The topography of Santa Clara County, coupled with its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, greatly influences
wind patterns. Spring and summer see the greatest wind speeds, with sometimes strong afternoon and
evening winds on summer days. Summer “Diablo winds” can carry hot, dry air from the Central Valley
over the Diablo Range and flow across Santa Clara Valley and then upslope over the Santa Cruz
Mountains from a northerly direction toward the Monterey Bay. These winds drove both the Lexington
Fire and the Summit Fire.
The United States is experiencing a cycle of the highest average temperatures in recorded history.
California shares this phenomenon and is also sustaining an atmospheric temperature increase of
1.4 degrees C, which is creating a dramatic change in the health of native vegetation. Tree mortality
from drought stress and pests such as bark beetles and the pathogen that causes SOD have increased
significantly (Williams et al. 2019; USFWS 2023). Westering (2016) also notes that western forest wildfire
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activity increased abruptly in the 1980s and appears to be strongly associated with warming and
changing precipitation patterns attributed to climate change. Although this research focused on lightning-
caused fires on western federal lands, widespread changes in the patterns and amounts of precipitation
will influence wildland fuel availability and wildfire activity in many areas (Williams et al. 2019).
An increase in wildfire activity, such as due to longer fire seasons or due to higher rates of fire spread and
intensity as a result of changes in fuel types, will further stress the limited number of fire suppression
personnel available for structure protection. This further highlights the importance of pre-fire preparation,
such as structural defensibility.
Additional information regarding environmental challenges can be found in Appendix B.
Table 2.3. Mean Annual Temperature and Precipitation by Station in Santa Clara County
Mean Annual Temperature (°F)
Location Period of Record Mean Annual
Precipitation (Inches) Max Min Mean
Annual
West Almaden 1991–2020 32.52 70.5 46.9 58.7
Gilroy 1991–2020 19.77 74.3 46.1 60.2
North Coyote Reservoir 1991–2020 21.53 69.1 48.6 58.8
Source: NOAA 2023, PRISM 2023.
Monthly climate normals (30-year averages) for Santa Clara County are graphed by location below
(Figures 2.6–2.8).
Figure 12.6. 30-year monthly normals for temperature and precipitation for West Almaden, 1981–2010 (Source: PRISM 2023).
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Figure 2.7. 30-year monthly normals for temperature and precipitation for Gilroy, 1981–2010 (Source: PRISM 2023).
Figure 2.8. 30-year monthly normals for temperature and precipitation for North Coyote Reservoir, 1981–2010 (Source: PRISM 2023)
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FIRE HISTORY
Fire is a natural part of California’s diverse landscape and ecological history and is essential to many
ecosystems across the state. Almost all of California’s diverse ecosystems are fire-dependent or fire-
adapted. For centuries, many California Native American tribes recognized this interdependence between
fire and the ecosystem and used prescribed burning to maintain and restore ecosystem health.
However, in the 1800s, a shift in management actions—settlers began enforcing strict fire suppression
regimes—led to challenges such as dense stand conditions, unhealthy rangelands, and increased
ecosystem and community vulnerability to fire. Evidence suggests that the fire regimes in Santa Clara
County have experienced shifts due to changes in land use, land development, invasive and non-native
plant establishment, wildland fire suppression. This is supported ample evidence that shows vegetation
communities and fire regimes have experienced significant departures from historic conditions due to
anthropomorphic interference (Syphard et al. 2007). This trend coupled with the likelihood of increased
temperatures and prolonged drought periods perpetuated by climate change increase the risk of wildfire
for those in San Francisco Bay Area communities such as Santa Clara (Association of Bay Area
Governments 2023).
PAST FIRE MANAGEMENT POLICIES AND LAND MANAGEMENT ACTIONS
Fire management in California and the western United States has adapted over time in response to
changing knowledge of forest ecosystems. In 1910, just 5 years after the USFS was established,
massive fires burned over 3 million acres of the agency’s land in northern Idaho and western Montana,
prompting a federal fire suppression policy to protect ecosystem services and timber stands
(USFS 2017). The National Park Service and BLM were established in 1916 and 1946, respectively, and
adopted similar land management philosophies. In the 1970s, forest management research began to
reveal the natural role of wildfire in ecosystems (USFS 2017) and by the turn of the century complete fire
suppression tactics on publicly managed lands were mostly replaced with combinations of suppression,
containment, and mitigation measures such as fuel treatments and prescribed burning (Forests and
Rangelands 2021). CAL FIRE has followed a strategic arc similar to that of the federal agencies
responsible for fire response, initially focusing on suppression until eventually incorporating wildfire
management practices in line with our modern understanding of fire ecology (CAL FIRE 2022e;
Van Wagtendok 2007). Although these practices now protect and restore public lands through more
scientifically supported methods, some areas in Santa Clara continue to show signs of these historic
management practices, requiring brush removal and abatement for encroaching native brush and long-
term buildup (Santa Clara County Fire Department [SCCFD] 2023a). See the map below for a detailed
look at past treatments that have occurred in Santa Clara County. The Advisory Team for the CWPP
emphasize the importance of integrating Tribal Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into land management
practices throughout the County, ensuring that land management strategies consider historic cultural
practices for rangeland, watershed, and forest health stewardship.
More information regarding land management strategies can be found in Appendix A.
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RECENT FIRE OCCURRENCE
This section was developed using fire history data from CAL FIRE’s Fire and Resource Assessment
Program (FRAP) (CAL FIRE 2022f). Although the fire history data from CAL FIRE is the most
comprehensive digital record of fire perimeters in California, it has its limitations. CAL FIRE states that the
earlier data (i.e., prior to 1950) is subject to significant uncertainty due to poor and inconsistent record
keeping. In addition, data for some fires may be missing or have incorrect information. This is due to the
loss or damage of historical records as well as inadequate documentation (CAL FIRE 2022f). Given the
limitations of the data, our fire history analysis may contain discrepancies.
An analysis of Santa County’s wildland fire history (1931–2020) (CAL FIRE 2022a) shows that the
county’s most substantial fires have occurred in forested mountain areas, with smaller fires occurring at a
higher frequency in the foothills and valley (Figure 2.9). Though a significant number of fires have taken
place throughout the county since 1950, it is worth noting that larger fires began to occur in the 1980s
(Figure 2.9). In addition to fires showing an increase in magnitude over time within the county, they are
also occurring at a higher frequency. Santa Clara County suffered a higher number of wildfires between
the years 2020 and 2022 alone than the entirety of wildfires occurring from 1950 to 2019. This increase in
wildfire frequency and severity is shown in Figures 2.9 through 2.14. Representing the largest fire in
county history, the SCU Lightning Complex took place in 2020 and burned through a significant portion of
the eastern region of the county. Having occurred just outside of the planning area, but within a similar
vegetative community as the western region of county, was the 2020 CZU Fire Complex. This highly
destructive fire burned through 86,509 acres of Santa Cruz and San Mateo Counties, resulting in a
fatality. These occurrences demonstrate the county’s and surrounding area’s capacity to experience
devastating wildfire events given the climate, vegetation, population, and other key risk factors present.
California’s peak region fire season has been estimated to occur between May and October
(NWCG 2022). Santa Clara County’s recent fire history reflects this, as most fires occurred within the
period of June to September, which is when high temperatures and drier conditions are more probable
across the county (Figure 2.13). Of the fires with known causes, humans have been the primary cause of
wildfire ignitions; however, natural ignitions are also common. Since 2022, humans have been
responsible for 80.4% of the fires that have occurred within Santa Clara County and have a known
ignition source, with many of these human-caused ignitions occurring near the county’s municipalities or
in areas of recreation (Figure 2.9) This high percentage is likely to due to the high number of
recreationists in Santa Clara County and the large proportion of WUI within the county.
In the past decade, Santa Clara County has experienced several major wildfire events, two of which took
place during the 2020 fire season. Occurring in in the Santa Cruz Mountains and burning 4,474 acres
over the course of 357 days, the Loma Fire destroyed 28 structures and required the suppression efforts
of 62 firefighter personnel. The cause of ignition for this fire remains uncertain (CAL FIRE 2016). Burning
just east of the 101 Highway in the city of Gilroy from July 8 to July 13, the Crews Fire would go on to
scorch 5,513 acres of land, claiming four structures. The suppression efforts involved the use of 10 fire
engines, 125 firefighting personnel (CAL FIRE 2020a). The cause of ignition for this fire is still under
investigation. The SCU Lightning Complex fires burned across Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa,
San Joaquin, and Stanislaus Counties over the course of 46 days, claiming 396,624 acres of land.
The fires lead to the destruction of 225 structures, damage of 26 structures, and six personnel and civilian
injuries (CAL FIRE 2022g).). The SCU Lightning Complex is the fourth largest fire in state history
(CAL FIRE 2022a).
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Figure 2.9. Recent wildfire history in Santa Clara County.
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Figure 2.10. Decadal wildfire frequency for Santa Clara County from 1950 through 2022, based on available data.
Figure 2.11. Decadal fire size statistics for Santa Clara County based on fire history data from 1950 through 2022.
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Figure 2.12. Decadal acres burned per decade for Santa Clara County based on fire history data from 1978 through 2022.
Figure 2.13. Number of recorded fires per month in Santa Clara County from 1978 through 2022
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Figure 2.14. Cause of wildfire ignitions in Santa Clara County from 2014 through 2022.
EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR PATTERNS
The largest wildfires in Santa Clara County, much like other coastal counties such as San Diego,
Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles, tend to be associated with east wind conditions, also referred to as
Diablo winds in the Bay Area. Such winds are associated with high-pressure systems over the Sierras
and concurrent lows off the coast. The presence of very low relative humidity, warm to hot temperatures,
and strong winds, along with continuous wildland vegetation and moderate to steep topography, can
quickly lead to disastrous wildfire behavior even if conditions persist for only a few hours. Spotting
behavior is especially active because low relative humidity causes extremely dry, receptive fuels to occur,
with spot fires often igniting more than a mile in front of the fire itself. Suppression operations are further
complicated in high winds because air tankers cannot fly safely, winds disperse retardant before it hits the
ground, and/or smoke obscures the location of the fire. Therefore, while relatively rare, extreme fire
behavior patterns can cause the vast majority of damage and cost associated with the fire season.
Moreover, failure to plan and prepare for this type of fire behavior leaves virtually no time to correct
defensible space or communication deficiencies.
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FIRE RESPONSE CAPABILITIES
Figure 2.15. Map of fire agency service areas in Santa Clara County.
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PLANNING DECISION AND SUPPORT
Wildfires have continued to grow in size and severity over the last decade, requiring fire managers to
institute more robust pre-fire planning as well as adapt and improve decision-making tools in order to
reduce risk to fire responders and the public, assess impacts on ecological processes and justify the use
of local, state, and federal resources (Map 7 in Appendix J).
Significant inequity between political jurisdictions can do more damage than just being a disservice to the
less-funded jurisdiction, it can lead to a fractured fire service. Interagency collaboration and cooperation
require an equal playing field.
FIRE RESOURCES
California contains many federal, state, and local fire protection organizations that are well integrated
through a variety of mutual aid and fire protection agreements and coordinated by organizations such as
the California Wildfire Coordinating Group, the Northern and Southern California Geographic Area
Coordination Centers (GACCs), and FIRESCOPE. Agencies such as California Emergency Management,
USFS, and CAL FIRE form the basis for a very substantial wildfire response capacity that can be
deployed in wildfire situations throughout the state. California contains what many regard as the
strongest wildfire suppression capability in the nation (Figure B.7 in Appendix B).
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) plays a critical role in providing national leadership to
promote interoperable wildland fire operations across federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners.
Their duties include establishing national standards for wildland fire operations, position qualifications,
and performance support resources. They also support the goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire
Management Strategy, prioritize information technology capabilities for wildland fire, and ensure that all
NWCG activities contribute to safe, effective, and coordinated national interagency operations.
Santa Clara County’s fire response services are carried out by a collection of state, county, and city level
units, many of which are engaged in auto-aid or cooperative agreements allowing for a strengthened
collaborative effort to address fire hazards. The Santa Clara CAL FIRE unit operates across multiple
counties, with four battalions located in Santa Clara County: Battalion One (Morgan Hill), Battalion
Two (San Jose), Battalion Three (West Santa Clara County), and Battalion Seven (South Santa Clara
County Fire District and Morgan Hill Fire Department). The Santa Clara County Fire Department operates
within most of Santa Clara County, providing response services to the communities of Campbell,
Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Redwood Estates, Saratoga, and the
adjacent unincorporated areas of Lexington and Summit. Equipped with their own city fire departments
are the cities of Palo Alto, San Jose, Morgan Hill, and Gilroy (all with WUI designated areas), managing
fire response and other forms of emergency services within their service areas.
Detailed information regarding local, state, and federal fire response capabilities for Santa Clara County
can be found in Appendix B.
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CHAPTER 3 – RISK-HAZARD
ASSESSMENT
PURPOSE
The purpose of developing the Risk-Hazard Assessment model described here is to create a unique tool
for evaluating the risk of wildland fires to communities within the WUI areas of Santa Clara County.
Although many definitions exist for hazard and risk, for the purpose of this document these definitions
follow those used by the firefighting community:
Risk is defined as the chance of a fire starting as determined by the presence and activity of
causative agents (NWCG 1998).
Hazard is a fuel complex defined by kind, arrangement, volume, condition, and location that forms a
special threat of ignition and resistance to control.
The CWPP leverages both a field assessment, completed in 2016, and a revised desktop spatial analysis
that is described below and in Appendix D. From these assessments, land use managers, fire officials,
planners, and others can begin to prepare strategies and methods for reducing the threat of wildfire, as
well as work with community members to educate them about methods for reducing the damaging
consequences of fire. The fuels reduction treatments can be implemented on both private and public land,
so community members have the opportunity to actively apply the treatments on their properties, as well
as recommend treatments on public land that they use or care about.
The purpose of this Risk-Hazard Assessment is to provide a community- and landscape-level overview of
wildfire risk and is not recommended for use at smaller scales (such as for a property level analysis). It is
also not recommended for use in determining insurance rates or policies. This Risk-Hazard Assessment
is a model, and as such has inherent biases, missing data, and other shortcomings, though every effort
has been made to include the best available data and use the most robust scientific processes. Also note
that just because an area is shown as high or low risk does not mean that that area will be burned or not
burned in a wildfire—a low risk area can still be affected by wildfire if the conditions are right. This Risk-
Hazard Assessment is also not intended for use during active wildfire events, but rather only as a tool for
pre-fire planning. It is not recommended that this Risk-Hazard Assessment be used for any other purpose
than what is stated here.
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FIELD-BASED COMMUNITY HAZARD ASSESSMENTS
Community Hazard Assessments were conducted in 2015/16 using the NFPA Wildland Fire Risk and
Hazard Severity Form 1144 (see Appendix C and Appendix K). This form is based on the NFPA Standard
for Reducing Structure Ignition Hazards from Wildland Fire 2013 Edition. The field assessment results
were reviewed by the Planning Team and determined accurate and therefore they were not revisited
during the CWPP update.
The purpose of the Community Hazard Assessment and subsequent ratings is to identify fire hazard
and risks and prioritize areas requiring mitigation and more detailed planning. These assessments should
not be seen as tactical pre-suppression or triage plans. The Community Hazard Assessment helps to
drive the recommendations for mitigation of structural ignitability, community preparedness, and public
education. The assessment also helps to prioritize areas for fuels treatment based on the hazard rating.
Each area was rated based on conditions within the community and immediately surrounding structures,
including access, adjacent vegetation (fuels), defensible space, adjacent topography, roof and building
characteristics, available fire protection, and placement of utilities. Each score was given a corresponding
adjective rating of low, moderate, high, or extreme.
The community hazard ratings from the field assessment are provided in Table 3.1. This table also
includes a summary of the positive and negative attributes of a community as they relate to wildfire risk.
Summaries of each community, including building density, degree of wildfire hazard, dominant fuel types,
and NFPA 1144 findings, are provided in Appendix C and can be used to populate content in the
jurisdictional annexes.
FIREWISE COMMUNITIES
The following communities within Santa Clara County are participating Firewise communities.
The Firewise recognition program contributes to community-level wildfire resilience by providing a
framework for adaptive wildfire preparedness. The program facilitates greater community collaboration
and provides educational resources for residents to mitigate wildfire impacts on their property and
neighborhood as a whole. Dates represent when they were approved as a Firewise community.
(NFPA 2023CIT):
• Saddle Mountain Neighborhood – Los Altos Hills, CA. 08/10/2022
• Garrod Heights – Saratoga, CA. 10/23/2020
• Old Oak Way – Saratoga, CA. 10/08/2021
• Brush Road – Lexington Hills, CA. 12/18/2020
• Chemeketa Park – Los Gatos, CA. 06/17/2019
• Aldercroft Heights – Los Gatos, CA. 12/31/2020
• Wilderfield/Whiterock/Bear Mountain Roads – Los Gatos, CA. 12/07/2022
• Jackson Oaks Homeowner Association (HOA) – Morgan Hill, CA. 09/18/2016
• Holiday Lake Estates – Morgan Hill, CA. 12/12/2018
• Riva Ridge HOA – Los Gatos, CA. 09/06/2019
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EVACUATION CAPABILITIES
Wildfire response may necessitate the involvement of law enforcement agencies to provide for the safety
of life and property during evacuation. Santa Clara County has several evacuation resources to guide
citizens and emergency response personnel. The Santa Clara County Local Fire Service and Rescue
Mutual Aid Plan is a joint effort among city and county departments led by law enforcement. This plan
outlines leadership and joint partnerships during emergency operations and details protective action
terms including evacuation resources in the Mutual Aid Plan (Santa Clara County 2017).
The CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Fire Plan also identifies pre-response and evacuation planning during a
wildfire. An objective of the plan is to maintain an evacuation route between Santa Clara and Santa Cruz
counties. CAL FIRE highlights the importance of working in cooperation with the Santa Clara County
FireSafe Council, local law enforcement, and other local cooperators to develop evacuation plans and fire
plans for communities at risk susceptible to a major incident (CAL FIRE 2018b).
Santa Clara County has resources for informing and involving citizens including AlertSCC and Community
Emergency Response Team (CERT) training via the Santa Clara County Fire Department (Santa Clara
County 2023d). Road systems and community signage are also important factors in pre-response and
evacuation planning. More information on response and evacuation resources can be found in Appendix
B.
Many communities throughout the county have been identified as having limited ingress and egress,
and as such, the planning team and members of the public have identified the establishment of
alternative escape routes and other measures to facilitate safe evacuation of residents, as a priority in this
plan.
Disclaimer: Local, County, and State law enforcement evacuation notices should always be followed and
supersede any guidance and evacuation information in this CWPP.
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Table 3.1. Communities at Risk Ratings with Community Hazard Assessment Summary
Community Risk Rating Positives Negatives
Almaden Valley 50 (Moderate) • Appears to have a good water system through community
• Access is generally good throughout the community
• Most homes have well-maintained and irrigated yards with moderate defensible space
• Many subdivisions are managed by homeowner associations (HOAs) that provide a conduit for fire prevention and public education
• High concern topography near structures
• History of wildfire occurrence in area
• Some signage is non-reflective
• Lacking widespread fire protection construction practices
Cupertino 81 (High) • Surfaced roads but some steep routes
• Good visible house markers
• Well signposted
• Surfaced, maintained roads
• Reasonable water supply via hydrants but low pressure in some areas
• Irrigated lawns and landscaping
• Under Santa Clara County Fire Department jurisdiction
• HOAs for some subdivisions that can facilitate community organizing
• New construction, 7A compliant
• Some heavy fuel loading adjacent to homes as a result of thick underbrush and continuity of
tree crowns
• Thick fuels in canyon
• >30 feet of defensible space around most homes, but <100 feet around many
• Steep grades and varied topography
• Building construction includes wood siding, wooden decks, and fences that can act as fuses from vegetation to homes
• Adjacency of some residential structures
• Some homes >5 miles from fire response could result in slow response time
• Some gated dead-end roads
• Single-lane, narrow roads
• Wood shake roofs present
• Propane tanks aboveground
• Number of wineries and CVARs
• Heavy population density
• Some homes have limited setback from slope
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Community Risk Rating Positives Negatives
East Foothills 68 (Moderate) • Good fire response resources from San Jose Fire
• Department and CAL FIRE
• Roadside fuel treatments in progress
• Large open space areas break up residential areas
• Good yard hygiene for most homes, landscaped yards
• Non-continuous light fuels
• Sparse population in more rural areas
• Grazing helps in fuel reduction in some areas where appropriate
• Diverse WUI, from distinct interface with heavily urban area to scattered residences in an intermix
• Different planning needed for each type
• Scenic roadways may increase ignition potential
• Ignition concerns related to Sierra Road—fireworks etc.
• CVARs: Grand View Restaurant, Lick Observatory, Copernicus Peak communications site, Alum Rock Park
• >30 feet of defensible space around most homes, but <100 feet around many
• Mix of construction types; building construction includes wood siding, wooden decks, and fences that can act as fuses from vegetation to homes
• Wood shake roofs and older construction in some areas
• Many dead-end spur roads
• Topographic concerns, rolling hills and some steep slopes
• Grassland fuels that are highly dynamic and impacted by seasonal climate fluctuations
• Flashy shrub fuels present on slopes below homes
• Slow response times to some more remote homes in the valley
• Improvements to road networks needed
• No distinct neighborhood associations to use to develop common interest for neighborhood level
interactions for Firewise or CERT
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Community Risk Rating Positives Negatives
East Gilroy 72 (High) • Generally good roads
• Good separation of adjacent structures
• Response: Station <5 miles from structure
• Some limited access roads to individual properties
• Street signs are present, some are non-reflective
• Adjacent fuels: Moderate with high
flammability
• Concerning topography around structure
• Non-combustible siding, combustible deck
• Both utilities aboveground
• Moderate history of fire occurrence and severe weather
• Non-combustible sidings but combustible decks present
Gilroy 48 (low) • Light fuels
• Open space: Henry Coe Range
• Rolling hills and less extreme grades
• Large lots and good separation
• Good defensible space around most homes, some <100 feet
• Good access
• Maintained roads and plentiful turnaround space
• Good signage
• Low fire occurrence
• Hydrants available but density is low
• Livestock evacuation concerns
• Gated properties could impede access to emergency responders
• Mix of construction types; building construction includes wood siding, wooden decks, and fences that can act as fuses from vegetation to homes.
• CVARs: farms, grazing, orchards, vineyards, commercial property
• Some poorly rated roof materials
• Some homes >5 miles from organized fire response
• Aboveground utilities
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Community Risk Rating Positives Negatives
Lexington Hills (Chemeketa Park, Aldercroft Heights, Redwood Estates, Summit Road, Call of the Wild Road, Call of the Wild Estates Gillette Drive)
Chemeketa Park (131, Extreme), Aldercroft Heights (116, Extreme), Redwood Estates (93, High), Summit Road (88, High), Call of the Wild (High)
• Due to variation between communities, readers are advised to see Annex 1 Chapter 1 for sub-community info
• Due to variation between communities, readers are advised to see Annex 1- Chapter 1 for sub-community info. Common hazards that occur across all sub communities include:
• Poor ingress/egress- only 1 way in and out for many communities
• Steep topography
• Combustible roofing construction
• Limited setback from slope
• Poor fire access- narrow driveways and limited turnaround
• Narrow road width
• Combustible siding and deck
• Limited water supply
• Limited defensible space
Los Altos Hills 90 (High) • Los Altos Hills County Fire District jurisdiction
• Good separation of adjacent structures, larger lot sizes
• New construction, 7A compliant
• Hydrants in most but not all areas
• Surfaced roads primarily
• Limited recent fire history
• Open space areas could serve as shelter-in-place in event of evacuation
• Heavy concentration of eucalyptus trees—treatment program available
• >30 feet of defensible space around most homes, but <100 feet around many
• Some areas have poor yard hygiene
• Mix of construction types; building construction includes wood siding, wooden decks, and fences that can act as fuses from vegetation to homes.
• Single-lane, narrow roads in some areas
• Some private roads with poor road maintenance and limited turnaround for fire apparatuses
• Narrow gates
• Many old structures with wood shake roofs/siding
• Heavy fuel loading adjacent to homes as a result of thick underbrush and continuity of tree crowns.
• CVARs: farm, retirement homes, open space areas, community horse barn
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Community Risk Rating Positives Negatives
Los Gatos 87 (high) • Many newer 7A-compliant homes
• Good signposting, though some non-reflective
• <5 miles from fire response
• Good yard hygiene for most homes, landscaped yards
• Many larger lots with good separation between structures
• Number of open space areas to break continuity
• Good visible house markers
• Reasonable water supply via hydrants but low pressure in some areas
• HOAs for some subdivisions that can facilitate community organizing
• Lots of new development
• CVARs: wineries, retirement homes, Sacred Heart Novitiate
• Very narrow, steep, and windy roads and driveways
• No turnaround on many roads and driveways
• Heavy fuel loading adjacent to homes as a result of thick underbrush and continuity of tree crowns
• Topographic concerns, steep grades
• Poor roof materials, some wood shake
• >30 feet of defensible space around most homes, but <100 feet around many
• Mix of construction types; building construction includes wood siding, wooden decks, and fences that can act as fuses from vegetation to homes
• Narrow or no staging area for apparatuses, would block evacuation routes
• Many dead-end spurs
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Community Risk Rating Positives Negatives
Monte Sereno 70 (High) • New construction, 7A compliant
• Property owners have implemented some defensible space work and fuel reduction
• Good access on lower slopes
• Good proximity to emergency responders
• Well-maintained, surfaced roads
• Irrigated lawns and landscaping
• Reasonable roofing construction
• Under Santa Clara County Fire Department jurisdiction
• One way in and out
• Long windy road with steep grade
• Confusing road layout
• Limited turnaround space for fire access and/or narrow driveways
• Heavy fuel loading adjacent to homes as a result of thick underbrush and continuity of tree crowns
• Reasonable water supply via hydrants in lower elevation areas, but hydrants needed at higher elevations
• Encourage water tanks outside of urban service area
• Building construction includes wood siding, wooden decks, and fences that can act as fuses from vegetation to homes.
• Some homes have limited setback from slope
• >30 feet of defensible space around most homes, but <100 feet around many
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Community Risk Rating Positives Negatives
Morgan Hill 79 (High) • Firewise sign
• Active community in Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
• Council and fire prevention activities
• Open space areas break continuity and active fuel programs
• Surfaced and maintained roads
• Mostly good yard hygiene and maintenance of property
• Morgan Hills City Water hydrant system
• Good signage, some non-reflective
• Weed abatement projects in effect
• HOA assists with community organizing
• Majority belowground utilities
• Dry flammable vegetation type adjacent to homes and below homes on slopes
• Popular with visitors, potential large numbers during summer months
• One road in and out, evacuation concerns
• Narrow roads within residential areas may have limited turnaround space
• Small lots, limited separation between structures
• Some steep driveways
• Some dead-end spurs
• Some wood shake roofs
• One Engine Company close, but other resources are at some distance
• Topographic concerns— significant slope and limited setback for many homes
• Single access subdivisions
• >30 feet of defensible space around most homes, but <100 feet around many due to small lots
• Mix of construction types; building construction includes wood siding, wooden decks, and fences that can act as fuses from vegetation to homes
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Community Risk Rating Positives Negatives
Mt. Hamilton-San Antonne Valley 84 (High) • Light adjacent fuels
• Good separation between adjacent structures
• Narrow road width
• Two roads in and out, but access still a concern
• Surfaced road with greater than 5% grade
• Poor fire access, dead end spurs, lack turnaround
• Street signs are present, some are non-reflective
• Defensible space: >70 feet to < 100 feet around structure
• High concern topography
• Severe fire weather potential
• History of fire occurrence
• Building not set back >30 feet to slope
• Response: Station >5 miles from structure
• No internal sprinklers within construction
• Aboveground utilities
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Community Risk Rating Positives Negatives
New Almaden 79 (High) • One road in and out
• Surfaced roads
• Street signs are present, some are non-reflective
• Water available
• Response: Station <5 miles from structure
• Narrow road width
• Poor fire access, dead end spurs, lack turnaround
• Adjacent fuels: Moderate with high flammability
• Defensible space: >30 feet and < 70 feet around structure
• Topography within 300 feet of structure: 41%
• High concern topographic features
• Moderate history of high fire occurrence
• Moderate severe fire weather potential
• Poor separation of adjacent structures
• Roofing assembly Unrated flammable and Class B
• Combustible siding, combustible deck
• Building set back <30 feet to slope
• Internal sprinklers: for new build properties
• Utilities: Both above ground
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Community Risk Rating Positives Negatives
Palo Alto 95 (High) • Surfaced roads and adequate width and turnaround
• Low slope in most areas, some steep sections
• Adjacent wildland to west and north are grasslands managed every year by the City of
Palo Alto
• Mixed construction: stucco and wood
• Large lot size reducing adjacency issues
• Adequate water supply via hydrants
• Organized HOA to deliver strong safety message and take action
• Good visible house markers
• Well signposted
• Irrigated lawns and landscaping
• New construction, 7A compliant
• Most homes have Class A roofs
• Community that is active in Santa Clara County
• FireSafe Council
• Landscaping concerns due to density of thick junipers and pines in close proximity to homes
• Wildlands to the south are heavy untreated brush
• Aboveground power lines
• Homes old enough that there is no requirement for interior sprinklers
• Older homes with single paned windows prone to breaking in wildfire
• Presence of some wood shake roofs put homes and neighborhoods at risk
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Community Risk Rating Positives Negatives
Saratoga Hills 90 (High) • County fire water resources are good except for any Lexington Hills commuters
• Surfaced road with greater than 5% grade
• Low fire weather potential
• Low fire occurrence history
• Large building lots with good separation
• Coyote brush has encroached on savannas
• Two or more roads in and out but access still a concern
• Narrow road width
• Poor fire access, dead-end road spurs, lack of turnaround
• Street signs are present, some non-reflective
• Defensible space: >30 feet to <70 feet around structure
• Adjacent fuels: Medium
• Defensible space: >30 feet to <70 feet around structure
• High-concern topography
• Non-combustible siding/combustible deck
• Building set back <30 feet to slope
• Water: available via hydrants, some pressure issues
• Response: Station >5 miles from structure
• Internal sprinklers: some new homes (7A compliant)
• Utilities - One aboveground, one belowground
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Community Risk Rating Positives Negatives
Stanford 58 (Moderate) • Adjacent fuels are light
• Surfaced roads and adequate width and turnaround
• Low slope in most areas, some steep sections
• Adjacent wildland to west and north are grasslands managed every year by the City of Palo Alto
• Mixed construction: stucco and wood
• Large lot size reducing adjacency issues
• Adequate water supply via hydrants
• Organized HOA to deliver strong safety message and take action
• Good visible house markers
• Well signposted
• Irrigated lawns and landscaping
• New construction, 7A compliant
• Most homes have Class A roofs
• >30 feet of defensible space around most homes, but <100 feet around man.
• Landscaping has some junipers and pines but lower levels than adjacent Palo Alto
• Aboveground power lines
• Homes old enough that there is no requirement for interior sprinklers
• Older homes with single-paned windows prone to breaking in wildfire
• Presence of some wood shake roofs put homes and neighborhoods at risk
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Community Risk Rating Positives Negatives
Uvas Casa Loma 88 (High) • Good separation of structures • One road in and out
• Narrow road width, poor fire access, dead-end spurs, lack turnaround
• Unsurfaced road with greater than 5% grade
• Street signs are present, some are non-reflective
• Vegetation-adjacent fuels: Moderate with high flammability
• Defensible space: >30 feet and <70 feet around structure
• Defensible space: >30 feet and <70 feet around structure
• Topography within 300 feet of structure: 41%
• Topographic features: High concern
• History of high fire occurrence: Moderate
• Severe fire weather potential: Moderate
• Building set back less than 30 feet from slope
• Response station >5 miles from structure
• Internal sprinklers: for new build properties only
• Utilities both aboveground
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Community Risk Rating Positives Negatives
West Gilroy 88 (High) • Good separation of adjacent structures • One road in and out, Redwood Retreat
• Narrow road width
• Poor fire access, dead-end spurs, lack turnaround
• Street signs are present, some are non-reflective
• Adjacent fuels: Moderate with high flammability
• Defensible space: >30 feet and < 70 feet around structure
• High concern topography surrounding structures
• Moderate history of severe weather and fire
• Non-combustible siding, combustible deck
• Water unavailable
• Response: Station >5 miles from structure
• Internal sprinklers: only for new build properties
• Utilities both aboveground
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RISK-HAZARD ASSESSMENT
BACKGROUND
This CWPP update leverages the Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo Wildfire Risk to Structures
(WRS) and Classified Wildfire Hazard (CWH) Maps for Fire Prevention Planning model and document
developed by Tukman Geospatial LLC for the Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network (scmsn.net),
which is made up of 24 organizations in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This effort was funded by the
California Climate Investments (CCI) and CAL FIRE (Fire Prevention Grant Program). This modeling
effort was part of a larger effort to build fine-scale vegetation and landscape databases for each county in
the San Francisco Bay Area. This chapter provides a high-level synthesis of a detailed multi-year project.
More detailed information is provided in Appendix D. See Maps 1–5 in Appendix J for fire behavior model
outputs such as fireline intensity and rate of spread.
Wildfire Risk to Structures
The WRS map provides a spatially explicit ranking for 10-acre hexagons, assigning each hexagon with a
ranking for wildfire hazard and a ranking for housing density. From a risk to structures perspective,
hexagons with high housing density and high wildfire hazard are of greatest concern. This layer integrates
risk into the CWPP (Figure 3.6).
Classified Wildfire Hazard
In addition to the WRS polygon layer, a second project deliverable is the 6-class, 20-meter CWH raster.
This layer integrates hazard into the CWPP.
Both the WRS and the CWH data layers are different than the 2007 adopted CAL FIRE FHSZs (Figure
3.1), as well as the 2023 released draft of those zones. While the WRS and CWH used similar processes,
the data sets used to develop each were different than the underlying data sets used to develop CAL
FIRE’s FHSZs.
The WRS and CWH were completed in 2023 and provided for public access.
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Figure 3.1. CAL FIRE FHSZs across Santa Clara County.
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TECHNICAL APPROACH
The WRS and CWH were derived using fire history, vegetation, predicted flame length, ember production,
topography, and climate. Figure 3.2. shows each input used, the weight it was assigned, and its source.
The Tukman model uses finer-scale data than previous CWPP assessments and the CAL FIRE FHSZs,
utilizing 5-meter pixels as opposed to 30-meter resolution. The assessment also integrates weather data
specifically derived for the San Francisco Bay area.
Some key features outlined in Figure 3.2. include:
• Wildfire potential was derived by combining five data layers: predicted flame length, extreme fire
weather potential, predicted ember load, suppression difficulty, and proximity to wildland veg
(referred to as ‘Dense Urban without Wildland Veg’). These data layers were derived at varying
resolution and scale and resampled to a common resolution of 20 meters.
• Wildfire probability was derived from 5 data layers: human development proximity, transmission
line proximity, distribution line proximity (transmission and distribution lines were treated
separately because fire starts from distribution lines are more common than from transmission
lines), and historic ignitions.
Together, the wildfire potential and wildfire probability make up the CWH. This is a 20-meter resolution
data set that indicates where a severe fire is likely to occur.
Figure 3.2. Schematic of data inputs used to derive both the WRS and CWH layers (Tukman 2022).
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To this final layer structure, density was added to create the WRS. It is important to note that the only
values added to this model were structures. Stakeholders and community members understand that there
are many other values to consider for protection of wildfire hazard. The Tukman model is intended to be
used in conjunction with individual highly valued resources and assets (HVRAs).
Technical Resources
• Rasters/Polygons/Landscape files available for download are here: https://pacificvegmap.org/
• The report document detailing the Risk-Hazard Assessment development is here:
https://fuelsmapping.com/3county_risk_report as well as in Appendix D.
• The web application to peruse the results is here: https://fuelsmapping.com/sc_sc_sm_risk_map
• Recording to detailed presentation regarding the Risk-Hazard Assessment can be found here:
o Video link: https://fuelsmapping.com/scu_workshop5_video
o Slide link: https://fuelsmappingcom/scu_workshop5_slides
MODEL INPUTS
Figure 3.3. Model inputs for the Tukman model.
Predicted flame length is the heaviest weighted layer in the model and is based on fuel model
classification for the area. Fuel models were assigned based on vegetation type, percent canopy cover,
and ladder fuel ratio, as well as other factors such as grazing. Flame length was predicted by using
FlamMap.
Suppression difficulty is an index developed for the entire United States by researchers from the
national Wildfire Risk Management Science Team. The suppression difficulty index is a 30-meter
resolution data set that takes into consideration many of the factors already described, along with
firefighter line production rates in various fuel types and distance from roads and trails.
Extreme fire weather potential is a unique data product developed specifically for this effort. It uses a
fire spread index that was calculated from relative humidity and wind speed. The maximum daily fire
spread index values were calculated for each pixel in a 1.5-kilometer countywide raster for each day of
Flame Length x4 Extreme Fire Weather Potential x2 Ember Load x2 Suppression Difficulty x3
Dense Urban without Veg x2
Human Development Proximity
Transmission Proximity x1.5Distribution Proximity x2
Historic Ignitions x0.5
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September and October in 2017, 2019, and 2020. For each pixel, the 97th percentile index value was
found for those 180 days.
MODEL OUTPUTS
Figure 3.4. Model outputs for the Tukman model.
The main outputs of the model are the resulting CWH layer and, once structure density was added, the
WRS layer. These two layers are the result of the model and have been adopted in the Santa Clara
CWPP to be used to help prioritize fuel mitigation projects and identify areas of concern for prioritizing
projects.
The resulting CWH and WRS layers are presented in Figures 3.5. and 3.6. More information about the
methodology is provided in Appendix D.
Classified Wildfire Hazard (CWH)
Structure
Density (WUI)
Wildfire Risk to Structures (WRS)
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Figure 3.5. Classified wildfire hazard within Santa Clara County.
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Figure 3.6. Wildfire risk to structures within Santa Clara County.
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AREAS OF CONCERN
The WRS layer can be used to identify the highest ranked areas within the county. The Tukman team
identified those hexagons that had the highest structural density and the highest fire hazard. Thirteen
hexagons were identified. Of those, all had a wildfire hazard rating of 5, or very high, and all had a
structural density class of 6 (more than 3 structures per acre). Although the selected hexagons had a
relatively high number of structures, they were, by far, not in densely urban areas, as expected, and they
were not rated the highest hazard since the greatest hazards occurred in areas with no structures.
Table 3.2 lists each location along with its hazard scores and structure classification. This information was
used during Planning Team meetings to identify area of concern polygons at a county scale but can also
be utilized by annex holders within these jurisdictions to develop priority treatment areas for reducing
structure risk. Please see Figure ES.1 or Figure 4.2 to view areas of concern.
Classified Wildfire Hazard
Each of the nine input spatial data sets related to hazard was scaled from 0 to 4 (for example, very short
flame lengths would be assigned a 0 for flame length and very tall flame lengths would be assigned a 4).
The classified relative wildfire hazard was calculated by weighting the inputs and adding up the weighted
values. Flame length was assigned a weight of 4, extreme fire weather potential and ember load index
were assigned weights of 2, suppression difficulty was assigned a weight of 3, wildland vegetation was
assigned a weight of 2, human development proximity was assigned a weight of 1, transmission proximity
a weight of 1.5, distribution proximity a weight of 2, and historic ignitions 0.5. To synthesize these nine
hazard spatial data sets, first the variable’s class (0–4) for a given pixel is multiplied by that variable’s
weight to produce a raw score for each variable. The highest possible index value was 72.
After computing raw hazard, with possible pixel values from 0 to 72 for each pixel, pixels were ‘binned’
into six hazard classes, 1 through 6, with 1 representing the areas of lowest relative hazard and
6 representing the areas of highest relative hazard. The relative hazard was classified using the following
steps:
• Class 1 was automatically assigned to pixels that were mapped as water or salt marsh in the
enhanced lifeform map or had a non-burnable (NB) fuel model in the 2020 Scott and Burgan
Surface Fuel Model.
• 2 was assigned to the lowest quintile, 3 to the second, 4 to the third, 5 to the fourth, and 6 to the
highest quintile. Classes 2 through 6 have a roughly equal number of pixels within each.
The classification was adjusted to account for distinct differences in fire weather, topography, vegetation,
and land use observed by experts when comparing results for the Santa Cruz Mountains ecoregion (west
of Highway 101) versus the Mt. Hamilton/Diablo Range ecoregion (east of Highway 101).
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Table 3.2. Polygons Exhibiting High Hazard and High Structure Classification
Hex ID Nearest Road Description Initial Assessment Structures Within Classified Neighborhood Hazard Class Total Score Symbology
12067 Heritage Way Mobile Home Park Investigate further 6 5 11 Very High Hazard, ≥3 Structures per Acre
12599 Watsonville Rd Mobile Home Park Investigate further 6 5 11 Very High Hazard, ≥3 Structures per Acre
12865 Uvas Rd Mobile Home Park Investigate further 6 5 11 Very High Hazard, ≥3 Structures per Acre
27781 Mountain View Ct Redwood Estates Investigate further 6 5 11 Very High Hazard, ≥3 Structures per Acre
28888 Aldercroft Hts Rd Aldercroft Heights Investigate further 6 5 11 Very High Hazard, ≥3 Structures per Acre
31834 Almaden Rd English Town Investigate further 6 5 11 Very High Hazard, ≥3 Structures per Acre
32520 Bertram Rd English Town Investigate further 6 5 11 Very High Hazard, ≥3 Structures per Acre
76027 Kahler Ct (off Felter Rd) Agricultural Mis-identified 6 5 11 Very High Hazard, ≥3 Structures per Acre
15371 Mount Madonna Rd County boundary Possible mis-identification 4 6 10 Highest Hazard, 1-1.9 Structures per Acre
15957 Cory Rd Uvas Canyon Investigate further 4 6 10 Highest Hazard, 1–1.9 Structures per Acre
25640 Mt Umunhum Rd Rural Mis-identified 4 6 10 Highest Hazard, 1–1.9 Structures per Acre
30725 Soda Springs Rd Ridgetop Investigate further 4 6 10 Highest Hazard, 1–1.9 Structures per Acre
32785 Soda Springs Rd Ridgetop Investigate further 4 6 10 Highest Hazard, 1–1.9 Structures per Acre
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Structure Density (WUI)
Structures were derived from the San Mateo (2018), Santa Cruz (2020, pre CZU Fire) and Santa Clara
(2020, pre-CZU/SCU Fire) impervious surface maps. The structures in the three impervious surfaces map
were derived from the ‘best available’ LIDAR data for the three counties. In addition, structure footprint
data provided by Sanborn also derived from the best available LIDAR data were integrated into the
impervious surface map for Santa Clara County. Though the structures used for this analysis are the ‘best
available’ data to spatially represent structure on the landscape, they still contain false positives and false
negatives (especially when structures are visibly obscured by tree canopy from an aerial perspective).
In addition, the structure footprints were derived from data collected before the 2020 lightning fires in the
three-county area. As a result, they depict structures that have since burned down. The LIDAR-derived
structures used in this analysis were qualitatively compared with Microsoft Building Footprints (derived
from optical data) and were deemed superior in their accuracy, with less false positives and false
negatives.
From the impervious surface maps, structure polygons were selected and combined, and structure
centroids (points) were created. Then, for each 10-acre hexagon, they were classified by density.
The lower the number of structures within the 10-acre hexagon, the lower the density assigned to that
hexagon.
It is important to note that structures were not classified by type (i.e., commercial buildings, agricultural
buildings, and residential structures were all considered the same in the model). Instead, they were
classified by density. The higher the density, the higher the class. However, by classifying the structures,
we did not decide that one class is more valuable than another class. Rather than say a low-density area
has a higher or lower risk to wildfire, each hexagon, with its assigned structure density class, was
assigned a wildfire hazard rating based on the average wildfire hazard within that hexagon along with the
average hazard within 1 mile of that hexagon.
This resulted in a layer that allows us to symbolize areas by both structure density and wildfire hazard.
Wildfire Risk to Structures
The 10-acre hexagon mesh that covers the county was then assigned an average CWH and structure
density that fell within that 10-acre hexagon. The resulting layer is what is called the WRS. The layer can
be symbolized to both show the CWH and structure density.
Important to note about this layer is that, regardless of structure density, areas with the highest wildfire
hazard rating still show up. Also, we can see some clear patterns of where high structure density
coincides with high wildfire hazard, highlighting areas that may be in need of fuel mitigation projects,
if structures are the only value considered.
Using the CWH and WRS layers for the purposes stated above and in the Tukman report (Appendix D)
does not make the CAL FIRE FHSZs obsolete. Rather, this Risk-Hazard Assessment provides an
additional dataset that can be used to assess projects across the landscape.
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Figure 3.7. Screenshot of online version of the WRS layer (accessed January 2023).
Note: Those hexagons that received less than a moderate hazard rating are not shown on the map in Figure 3.7, but that can be adjusted should the layer be downloaded and viewed
via a GIS platform.
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COLLABORATION
The WRS polygon map and the CWH 20-meter raster were developed in a collaborative partnership.
Tukman Geospatial served as the technical lead and was responsible for implementing the model design,
python coding, and geospatial data analysis. Tukman Geospatial partnered with Digital Mapping
Solutions (Esther Mandeno) and Wildland Res Mgt (Carol Rice) for technical oversight on the risk model
design, its data inputs, and the weights used for the inputs. Drafts of the risk map were reviewed
collaboratively by team members and stakeholders resulting in a final WRS map and CWH map, each of
which went through 11 iterations.
Stakeholder input and community engagement was critical to the production of these data products. Five
workshops were held throughout the course of the project to solicit input from land managers and the fire
community. In addition to the workshops, the internal project team had numerous meetings with
personnel from the CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit and San Mateo–Santa Cruz Unit, staff from CAL FIRE’s
Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP), land managers, and community-based wildfire groups
in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara County to solicit focused input on specific geographies. Workshops and
smaller meetings were catalysts for numerous improvements to the wildfire risk map over the course of its
evolution.
MODEL APPLICATIONS
The WRS and CWH data products are designed for land managers and fire responders who are
interested in relative rankings of wildfire risk and wildfire hazard. The risk and hazard map products are
modeled outputs based on the best available data. As such, they provide an interpretation of risk and
hazard that is based on a set of input variables and decision rules.
These data are meant to be used as reference datasets for fire prevention planning purposes.
Appropriate uses for the WRS dataset are to help to identify areas that have structures at risk from
wildfire. This information can be used for prioritizing fuel reduction projects, for planning suppression
activities, and for targeting areas for activities to increase ignition resistance of structures. The CWH
raster can also be used to assess the risk to other values (such as evacuation routes, sensitive natural or
cultural resources, and water storage/delivery infrastructure).
10 meetings were held
to gather stakeholder
input
Modified model based
on local and expert
input
Consulted with
statewide experts
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These maps and GIS products are screening level products created from remotely sensed data and
modeling. On the ground knowledge and local expertise (where available) should take precedence over
these data products for the detailed work of site-specific planning and implementation of fuel reduction
projects.
VALUES AT RISK
Earlier compilation of the critical infrastructure in the planning area, coupled with the community
assessments, public outreach, and Advisory Team input, has helped in the development of a list of
HVRAs at risk from wildland fire. These data are also supplemented with a nationwide data set of HVRA
available through several platforms, including the Interagency Fuel Treatment Decision Support System
(IFTDSS). The public was encouraged to provide input on their own valued resources during the initial
public outreach periods for development of the 2016 CWPP and again in 2022/2023. Based on feedback
provided, this section and the associated mapping was revised.
HVRAs can include natural, social, and cultural resources (mapped below) and critical infrastructure
(see Map 6 in Appendix J). More detailed descriptions of VARs are included in the Location and
Geography section of Appendix B. It is important to note that although an identification of HVRAs can
inform treatment recommendations, a number of factors must be considered in order to fully prioritize
areas for treatment; these factors include appropriateness of treatment, land ownership constraints,
locations of ongoing projects, available resources, and other physical, social, or ecological barriers to
treatment.
The scope of this CWPP does not allow determination of the absolute natural, socioeconomic, and
cultural values that could be impacted by wildfire in the planning area. In terms of socioeconomic values,
the impact due to wildfire would cross many scales and sectors of the economy and call upon resources
locally, regionally, and nationally.
The WRS data layer considered only wildfire risk to structures; therefore, to supplement identification of
areas of concern across the county, the following intersects of hazard (CWH) with critical habitat, cultural
resources, critical infrastructure, and open space lands were completed for the county (Figures 3.8–3.11).
These maps can be used to prioritize mitigation on a county scale for the protection of these HVRAs and
can also be used by annex holders to prioritize treatments at an annex/jurisdictional scale.
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Figure 3.8. Intersect of critical habitat with CWH.
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Figure 3.9. Intersect of cultural VARs with CWH.
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Figure 3.10. Intersect of critical infrastructure with CWH.
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Figure 3.11. Intersect of open space lands with CWH.
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NATURAL VALUES AT RISK
The CWPP planning area and the adjacent county parks in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Diablo Range
offer a variety of natural resources of particular concern to land managers, such as rare habitats and
listed plant and wildlife species. Sensitive species habitat can be damaged or destroyed and potentially
overrun with invasive species. Watersheds are a critical resource and wildfire can cause significant
erosion and loss of water quality. Several percolation ponds and reservoirs are located throughout the
Santa Clara Valley. “Percolation ponds help replenish local groundwater, which supports about 40% of
the water used in Santa Clara County” (Santa Clara Valley Water News 2023). Additionally, reservoirs are
an important resource for irrigating agricultural crops and flood control. Sedimentation in surface water, as
a result of erosion following severe wildfire, can negatively impact percolation ponds and reservoirs.
Public outreach throughout the county has emphasized the importance of protecting natural/ecological
values to the general public (Figure 3.13). Examples of natural values identified by the public and the
Planning Team include the following:
• Public land (e.g., Upper Stevens Creek,
Henry Coe State Park)
• Trail systems (e.g., Coyote Creek trail)
• Agricultural land
• Scenic viewsheds
• Wildlife habitat and sensitive species
• Watersheds and preservation of water
quality for Santa Clara County
• Percolation ponds
• Reservoirs
Figure 3.12. Example of a natural VAR, a scenic viewshed.
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Figure 3.13. Map of natural VARs across Santa Clara County.
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SOCIOECONOMIC VALUES AT RISK
The technology industry has grown into a massive job-creating and revenue-generating sector of the
state, national, and global economy. Most of what is considered to be Silicon Valley, the coined nickname
for the hub of the technology industry, is located within Santa Clara County (California Employment
Development Department 2016). Among the major tech companies operating out of Santa Clara County
are hardware manufacturers AMD, Cisco Systems, and Intel; computer and consumer electronics
companies Apple Inc. and Hewlett-Packard; and internet companies eBay, Facebook, Google, and
Yahoo. Many employees of these large tech-based companies choose to locate their homes in the Santa
Clara foothills. This has an impact to the WUI due to increased construction pressures, VARs in the
wildland areas, and unique concerns such as gated entrances and vegetated landscaping and screening.
The economic loss stemming from wildfire catastrophe can be enormous as tourism and recreational sites
and access are impacted. Social sense of well-being is affected by concern of impact of WUI fires in
neighborhoods. Smoke can cause significant safety and health issues, with many sensitive individuals
requiring medical treatment. Please see Appendix G for resources regarding wildfire smoke.
Social values include population, recreation, infrastructure, and the built environment (Figure 3.14).
Examples include the following:
• Business centers (office buildings)
(e.g., Silicon Valley)
• Communications infrastructure (e.g., cell
phone and radio towers)
• Tourism values (e.g., restaurants,
recreation facilities)
• Schools
• Public safety infrastructure
• Highways
• Churches
• Care homes, senior housing, day care, and
other group homes
• Water storage and water infrastructure
• Recreation sites (e.g., golf courses, lakes
and ponds, trails, parks)
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Figure 3.14. Socioeconomic VARs across Santa Clara County.
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CULTURAL VALUES AT RISK
There are 119 properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Santa Clara
County, including five National Historic Landmarks (National Register of Historic Places 2023). Many of
these sites are located in the urban areas of the county, but some are located within the WUI. Particular
cultural VARs that have been identified by the Planning Team and the public in the CWPP planning area
are the following:
• Paul Masson Mountain Winery
• Picchetti Brothers winery
• Villa Montalvo in Saratoga
• The Lick Observatory
• Fire towers
• Libraries
• Churches
Figure 3.15. Example of a cultural VAR, the Lick Observatory
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Figure 3.16. Example of a cultural VAR, view from the historic fire tower on Mount Hamilton.
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Figure 3.17. Cultural VARs across Santa Clara County.
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CHAPTER 4 – MITIGATION
STRATEGIES
This chapter provides project recommendations and implementation guidance; however, mitigation does
not stop there. In addition to the recommendations, recognizing wildfire mitigation, preparedness, and
resilience means being prepared both pre- and post-fire. Post-fire response and rehabilitation information
can be found at the end of this chapter.
This plan has been aligned with the Cohesive Strategy and its Phase III Western Regional Action Plan by
adhering to the nationwide goal:
“To safely and effectively extinguish fire, when needed; use fire where allowable; manage
our natural resources; and as a Nation, live with wildland fire.” (Forests and Rangelands
2014:3).
Thus, CWPP recommendations have been structured around the three main goals of the Cohesive
Strategy: restoring and maintaining landscapes, fire-adapted communities, and wildfire response. Many of
the recommendations listed below can be implemented at the property owner or community level.
Projects requiring large-scale support can be prioritized based on the Risk-Hazard Assessment.
Recommendation matrixes are used throughout this chapter to serve as an action plan for
implementation. Recommendations have been aligned with the strategies in the 2021 California’s Wildfire
and Forest Resilience Action Plan (California Forest Management Task Force 2021) wherever possible.
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GOAL 1: RESTORE AND MAINTAIN LANDSCAPES
In this CWPP, recommendations to restore and maintain landscapes
focus on vegetation management and hazardous fuel reduction.
It has become increasingly apparent that mitigating wildfire risk requires much more than a simple
reliance on suppression response. Thoughtful planning, conducted as a collaborative effort by the many
people and organizations affected by wildfire, is required to develop and implement short- and long-term
solutions and strategies. The CWPP process is a means by which many individuals and organizations
can plan together in a structured format.
This region has been home to an active and committed fuel treatment program by land managers for
many years. Figure 4.1 shows existing fuel treatments that have been completed or planned in and
around the planning area. This information is derived from Cal Mapper, CAL FIRE, as well as County Fire
Departments, County Parks, and Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen). The Advisory
Team also contributed and confirmed data sources. The FireSafe Council, County Fire, Midpen, County
Parks, San Jose Water, Valley Water, and other land managers and agencies throughout the county have
been involved in many large fuel treatment projects throughout the County.
The treatment momentum already observed surrounding the planning area should be built upon in order
to increase fuel treatment effectiveness across the landscape.
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Figure 4.1. Past fuel treatments and types across Santa Clara County.
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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HAZARDOUS FUEL REDUCTION
The purpose of any fuel reduction treatment is to protect life and property by reducing the potential for
and outcome of catastrophic wildfire, and to restore landscapes to a sustainable and healthy condition.
Moderating extreme fire behavior, reducing structural ignitability, creating defensible space, providing
safe evacuation routes, and maintaining all roads for firefighting access are methods of fuels reduction
likely to be used around communities located in a WUI zone. Use of multiple treatment methods often
magnifies the benefits.
Santa Clara County has a very strong team of career and volunteer firefighters, who work arduously and
cooperatively to protect the life and property of the citizens, but these resources can be severely
stretched if property owners do not take on some of the responsibility of reducing fire hazards in and
around their own homes and business properties. Without reduction of fire hazards by property owners
before a fire occurs, it may be impossible for firefighters to safely defend structures when wildfire
threatens an area. Public entities are limited in their ability to conduct fuel reduction on private properties
and therefore cooperation by property owners as well as community awareness, public education, cross
boundary agency collaboration, and fuel treatments on adjacent public lands are necessary to fully
reduce wildfire risk.
CWPPs provide stakeholders not only the opportunity to identify fuel reduction projects but also to assign
priorities to them. While it is true that communities with an established CWPP are given priority for federal
funding of hazardous fuels reduction projects carried out in accordance with the HFRA, a collaboratively
developed list of such projects is simply more efficient in terms of planning, funding, and execution given
the large amount of fuels reduction that could be done across Santa Clara County. A list and detailed
descriptions of fuels treatment types and methods, including defensible space practices and larger-scale
projects, is housed in Appendix F.
Fuels Management
Fuels management of public and private land in the WUI is key to the survival of homes during a wildfire
event, as well as the means to meet the criteria of Goal 1. Research has shown how fuel treatments in
the WUI can change fire behavior to support suppression activities and protect homes (Evans et al.
2015).
Fuels should be modified with a strategic approach to reduce the threat that high-intensity wildfires pose
to lives, property, and other values. This section provides information on fuel treatment methodologies
that can be applied to first protect structures (defensible space), then near community boundaries (fuel
breaks, cleanup of adjacent open spaces), and finally in the wildlands beyond community boundaries
(larger-scale forest health and restoration treatments). The emphasis of each of these treatment types is
unique. Proximate to structures, the recommendations focus on reducing fire intensity consistent with
Firewise and International Fire Code standards. Further into open space areas, treatments tend to
emphasize forest health and increasing resiliency to catastrophic wildfire and other disturbances.
There are many approaches to reducing fuels in the wildland setting. Traditional methods include utilizing
people and machines to mechanically remove vegetation as determined by a management prescription.
Engaging local tribal entities in land management decisions is a valuable way to integrate Traditional
Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into the promotion and maintenance of resilient landscapes. For example,
cultural and prescribed burning, is often the best way to maintain natural vegetation composition and fuel
loading in fire adapted landscapes. However, in some areas, for example the WUI, these methods may
be too risky, expensive, and difficult to implement. Knowing this, land management agencies are
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beginning to incorporate the use of prescribed herbivory (intentional use of domestic livestock to remove,
rearrange, or convert vegetation on wildlands to reduce hazardous fuels) for fuel reduction projects.
The California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP) in conjunction with the Range Management
Advisory Committee (RMAC) are working to implement prescribed herbivory on fuel reduction projects
across the state. Benefits of prescribed herbivory include better air quality, less noise, ability to be utilized
close to structures and on steep slopes, and reduced soil compaction. Limitations include timing
constraints on treatment implementation regarding vegetation maturity and seasonal variations, treatment
of 1-hour and 10-hour fuels only, and the possibility of herbivores girdling certain tree species (California
Board of Forestry & Fire Protection [BOF] 2015).
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has a robust roadside vegetation control program
that reduces the risk of wildfire and “increases safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians” (Caltrans
2023). To control vegetation, Caltrans implements a plan called the Integrated Vegetation Management
Plan composed of assorted methods for keeping vegetation in check, including herbicide spraying,
mowing, weed whacking, hand removal. See Chapter 4 to explore areas of concern and find out more
about the Integrated Vegetation Management Plan here: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-
projects/roadside-vegetation-control.
Various land management strategies implemented by local, county, state, and federal partners in the
County are discussed in more detail in the Land Management Strategies section of Appendix A.
Recommended Treatments
Table 4.1 summarizes the types of treatments recommended throughout the planning area. Most
treatments are focused on higher risk areas, as defined by the Risk-Hazard Assessment and Planning
Team input. Many of these treatment recommendations are general across the communities because
similar conditions occur in those areas. Tables 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 also address the requirement for an
action plan and assessment strategy by providing monitoring guidelines and a timeline for
implementation. This timeline is obviously dependent on available funding and resources, as well as the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) protocols for
any treatments pursued on public land. See Figure 4.3 to view the CEQA process for CalVTP
implementation.
In addition, areas of concern (Figure 4.2) have been delineated based on the Risk-Hazard Assessment
and Planning Team input. Areas of concern include regions with high concentrations of HVRAs that
coincide with high potential exposure to wildfire (see Figure 3.5) and/or areas where land management
agencies have ongoing vegetation management treatments that could be enhanced by adjacent projects.
These are areas where land managers should consider employing mitigation measures to protect life,
property, and other values. It is recommended that treatment plans be developed to execute mitigation
measures in these areas. Treatment types will be site specific but should address a need to slow fire
spread or mitigate potential extreme fire behavior parameters, such as high flame lengths or fireline
intensity.
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Figure 4.2. Planning Team–delineated areas of concern.
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Table 4.1. Recommendations to Create Resilient Landscapes (Fuel Treatments)
Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
RL1 M 2023-2033 Continue to align the CWPP,
MJHMP, and General Plan Safety Element updates and revisions to build consistency
and leverage funding
opportunities for hazardous fuel
treatments.
Countywide Santa Clara County
OES
Build and retain partnerships between agencies and decision-
making bodies across the county to develop solutions that mitigate the risks of common hazards faced by the entire County
• Assess values at risk
• Build upon existing hazard mitigation planning from
other agencies
• Use story map and project tracking tool to increase
accessibility and public awareness
• Utilize the established CWPP Management Team
to foster collaboration
Protect life by identifying hazards
and reducing associated risks
Protect public and first responder
life and safety
Updates to materials as needed
Convene Management Team on
an annual basis
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress
• FEMA BRIC Grants
• EMPG
• RCP
• Firewise grants National Urban and Community Forest Program
• FP&S (FEMA)
• California Fire Safe Council
Grants
• NFPA Firewise Grants
RL2 H Ongoing Install strategic fuel breaks and
fuel reduction areas throughout the county based on findings of the Risk-Hazard Assessment.
Open Space
Authority, Midpen, State Parks, County Parks, Palo Alto
Parks, San Jose
Parks, and other
public lands that
bound up to the WUI. Consider Assembly Bill 2911
Prioritize treatment in
areas of concern (Figure ES.1, Figure
4.2), and specifically
adjacent to areas
classified as ‘extreme
risk to structures’ in
the Risk-Hazard Assessment
County, private
landowners (private roads), state and federal agencies
Install fuel breaks in high-risk areas and prioritize underserved and rural areas. Potential fuel break locations include:
• Buffer roads, natural fuel breaks (rivers, creeks, and ridgelines), and designated rights-of-way to increase fuel break effectiveness. Areas that support the protection of the WUI
• Valley floors, where grasslands meet or intermingle with communities
• Around communities surrounded with rolling hills and grasslands
• Communities surrounded by steep topography and heavy fuel loading
• Around critical facilities and infrastructure (e.g., communications)
• Aim for 300-foot shaded fuel breaks around communities
• Implement and maintain shaded fuel breaks and reduce ladder fuels and greenbelts
• Perform roadside fuels treatments to maximize effectiveness of roadways as fuel breaks and reduce wildfire behavior along major ingress and egress routes.
• Fuel breaks should be designed according to site-
specific conditions
• Potential methods include prescribed burning,
grazing, and mechanical
Implement a maintenance program for the Highway 17
shaded fuel break.
Protect life and property by
reducing the spread of high
severity wildfire and improving access for emergency vehicles.
Regular maintenance schedule
should be implemented to ensure
clearance levels are maintained and remain effective.
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress and relevant
statistics.
• USFS CWDG Grants
• CAL FIRE Grant Programs
• FEMA BRIC Grants
• California Fire Safe Council
Grants
• NFPA Firewise Grants
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
RL3 H Ongoing Evaluate existing native surface
(unpaved) fire roads for use as fuel breaks/fuel reduction areas
as appropriate
Open Space
Authority, Midpen, State Parks, County
Parks, Palo Alto
Parks, San Jose
Parks, and other
municipal parks that bound up to the WUI. Consider Assembly
Bill 2911
Depends on
jurisdiction/ easement
Identify existing gaps in fuel breaks or large-scale treatments
meant for connectivity and implement and determine most effective treatment methods
• Consider road type and ownership
• Fire dept with jurisdiction/easement access would evaluate road condition and suitability
• Maintenance would be assigned based on jurisdiction.
• Implement maintenance - road/trail width for fire
and park patrol vehicles where possible
• Refer to RL1 for other fuel break considerations.
• Consider bridge access, ratings and maintenance
Protect life and property by improving access for emergency vehicles to open space areas and WUI areas adjacent to open space.
Regular maintenance schedule
should be implemented to ensure clearance levels are maintained
and remain effective.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress and relevant statistics.
• USFS CWDG Grants
• CAL FIRE Grant Programs
• FEMA BRIC Grants
• California Fire Safe Council Grants
• NFPA Firewise Grants
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
RL4 M Ongoing Identify continued prescribed
herbivory in open spaces, targeting grasses and light fuels
throughout the Unit.
County-wide
Following assessment
of feasibility, prioritize
treatment in areas of
concern (Figure ES.1), and specifically adjacent to areas
classified as ‘high and
extreme risk to
structures’ in the risk-
hazard assessment
County Parks,
Miidpen, Open Space Authority,
State Parks, water
company/district
properties,
Cattleman’s association, ranching
community, private
landowners
Utilize prescribed herbivory as fuel reduction and
maintenance technique, especially adjacent to WUI areas.
• Work with Santa Clara Cattleman’s Association to develop a regional grazing plan.
• Implement grazing plans to eliminate dry grass and remove weeds and/or establish irrigation to regreen
the parcel.
• Employ grazing as a solution for treating areas of
high concern topography that would be unsafe for
hand treatment
• Work with RCDs to investigate locations where
grazing would be most effective
Collaborate with California Department of Fish and Wildlife for
beaver conservation and population/habitat restoration efforts
that could provide benefits for forest health/hazardous fuels
reduction
• Conduct a comprehensive assessment of existing
beaver populations and study benefit to forest
resilience
• Secure funding and resources through partnerships, grants, and fundraising initiatives to support beaver conservation and habitat restoration
projects
• Develop and implement a monitoring program to
track the population dynamics, behavior, and
habitat conditions
Establish communication and collaboration with the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) or CalTrans to
initiate discussions on the potential for expanding the elk
population in targeted regions with a view to provided benefit
for forest and grassland resilience.
• Conduct an assessment of suitable habitat areas
• Collaborate with CDFW to develop a
comprehensive elk management plan
• Coordinate with CalTrans to identify potential areas
for wildlife crossings through transportation corridors
• Assess need for habitat restoration and long-term monitoring program
Reduce fuel loading of fine fuels
that could increase wildfire spread to WUI areas.
Regular monitoring needed to
ensure against environmental damage and invasive species
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress and relevant
statistics.
• SRA
• CA Fire Safe Council
• CFIP
• NRCS
• FEMA
• GHGRF
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
RL5 H Ongoing Encourage use of intentional fire
(i.e. – broadcast burning, pile burning, cultural burning,
biochar and carbonator) where
ecologically sound and feasible
County-wide
Following an
assessment of
feasibility, prioritize
treatments in areas of concern (Figure ES.1), and specifically
in locations where
treatment would
alleviate ‘high and
extreme risk to structures’ in the risk-hazard assessment,
and would provide
positive impacts to
watershed and
ecological health
All jurisdictions
where appropriate
Tribes
Federal agencies, CAL FIRE
Utilize prescribed burn planning that follows agency and
regulator protocols.
• Engage with tribal entities to promote the use of cultural burning when appropriate and feasible.
• Train personnel to be NWCG-certified burn bosses (RXB2).
• Reach out to surrounding fire agencies to collaborate on prescribed burns. This will improve
the capacity to accomplish many/large acreage
burns.
Assess opportunities to use prescribed fire for restoration
(e.g., oak woodlands) to increase wildfire resiliency.
Reduce fuel loading of fine fuels
and understory species to mitigate potential for intense fire behavior in
the event of an unplanned ignition.
Increase capacity and training for fire departments.
Promote healthy successional
vegetation
Provide habitat for fire-adapted
species.
Regular monitoring needed to
ensure against environmental damage and invasive species into
burned areas.
Establish annual goals and objectives for prescribed burning operations.
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress and relevant statistics.
• CAL FIRE VMP program
• SRA
• CA Fire Safe Council
• CFIP
• NRCS
• GSA Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP)
• Firewise Grants
• BRIC
• RCP
• Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grants (FEMA)
• Community Wildfire Defense Grants (CWDG)
• National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant Program
• U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities
RL6 H Develop roadside fuel treatment
program (paved public roads),
including suite of methods available and sustainability
mechanism.
County Wide
Prioritize treatment in areas of concern
(Figure ES.1), and
specifically adjacent
to areas classified as
‘extreme risk to structures’ in the risk-
hazard assessment
Caltrans, County
and city road
agencies; private road associations,
PG&E, cable and
phone companies
Highest risk roadways as identified in the risk assessment
Determine suite of treatment methods allowed and restriction for roadside hazard reduction including mowing, mastication,
chemical, plantings, mulching, etc.
Develop treatment plan and rotation schedule for roadside treatments, focusing on primary evacuation or access/egress
corridors.
• Annual spring maintenance of right-of-way
• Treat surface fuels for a minimum 10-foot buffer
and up to 30 feet where possible
• Trim fuels (limbing-up timber) to allow safe
passage of emergency vehicles
• Control for invasive species that may contribute to
rapid fire spread (i.e., weeds and grasses).
• Utilize CalVTP to expedite treatments
• Develop map that highlights critical routes.
• Align with evacuation modeling and planning
Collaborate with Santa Clara County Roads Dept. to identify
areas of elevated fire risk and implement necessary treatment
(e.g., Old Santa Cruz Highway, Idylwild Road)
Reduce fuel loading around roads
and highways to ensure safe
passage of vehicles in event of evacuation and reduce unplanned
ignitions from vehicles and
highway users.
Regular maintenance schedule
should be implemented to ensure
clearance levels are maintained.
Develop standards for road crews,
including removal of slash.
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress and relevant
statistics.
• SRA
• CA Fire Safe Council
• CFIP
• NRCS
• FEMA
• GHGRF
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
RL7 M Within
18 months and ongoing
Mobilize private landowners to
reduce fuels around homes and communities
Private lands across
all communities
FireSafe Council
County and private
lands.
• Planning Team entities should collaborate on
development of a property owner “play book” to
encourage and support property owner actions.
Playbook would include technical information on
best management practices for mechanical thinning and manual clearing.
• Access to a database of contractors
• Project costs within county- knowledge of common fuel treatment methodologies and their associated
costs
Empower property owners through other mechanisms:
• Develop an enforcement program providing the
County with cause to clean up derelict or abandoned lots.
• Develop an incentive program for property owners.
• Identify treatment burdens and address with outreach
• Establish a community bulletin for property owners to post information on abandoned structures and
vegetation buildup on privately owned yards.
• Consider working with local volunteer groups to
increase capacity.
Provide residents with information
that helps them prioritize treatments and plan their
defensible space projects.
Monitor effectiveness of different
treatment approaches and implement adaptive approach for
updating the list depending on
uptake of various methods.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress and relevant
statistics.
• NPS
• U.S. Forest Service
• CAL FIRE
• PG&E
RL8 L Ongoing Continue established agency
partnerships that retain hand
crews for fire hazard reduction
Countywide County Fire, CAL
FIRE, County
Sheriff (Weekend Work Program),
CCC
Fuels management crews can be utilized as a countywide
resource to provide support during incident response, and
they can achieve significant progress in fuels reduction projects.
Continue crew work in fire defense improvement work
throughout the county.
• Develop equipment needs to accomplish work
(including maintenance) and seek funding for purchase.
• Create an educational tool for land/property owners re: various methods, techniques, and cost for
various fuel treatments.
• Cultivate and support partnerships with NGOs and
volunteer groups to support implementation of
projects.
Create resilient landscapes and
address potential for extreme
wildfire behavior in and around the WUI.
Create and maintain accountability
with local landowners/
managers.
Monitor cost effectiveness through
benefit cost ratio approach
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress and relevant
statistics.
• CAL FIRE Grant Programs
• SRA
• CA Fire Safe Council
• CFIP
• NRCS
• FEMA
• GHGRF
RL9 M Within 5
years
Feasibility study for biomass
reduction and utilization
Countywide Public-Private
Partnerships
Convene public and private industry partners to explore
potential methods for biomass reduction and utilization.
• Conduct benefit analysis to ensure that the energy
production potential outweighs transportation costs
• Work with local biomass utilization centers for future partnerships with fuel managers and fire
agencies
Address a need for removal of hazardous fuels resulting from treatments
Increase opportunities for
treatment funding by creating a
carbon benefit
Create resilient landscapes through increased fuel treatments.
Bi-monthly or quarterly review of
progress
Monitor cost and carbon benefit
and develop standards for biomass
utilization from fuel treatments.
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress
• CAL FIRE Grant Programs
• SRA
• CA Fire Safe Council
• CFIP
• NRCS
• FEMA
• GHGRF
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
RL10 H Ongoing Create a full-time permanent funded Countywide Wildfire Coordinator Position
Countywide Santa Clara
County, FireSafe Council
Establish funding for a full-time Santa Clara County Wildfire Coordinator to increase wildfire planning efforts, implement trainings for residents and county agencies, and coordinate mitigation efforts with greater effectiveness.
• Must receive budget approval from Board of Supervisors
• FSC would provide list of responsibilities of position
Increase local and county level planning
Build resilient landscape by scaling up wildfire planning, coordination, and training on a county level
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress. • Internal County funds
• CAL FIRE Grant Programs
• SRA
• CA Fire Safe Council
• CFIP
• NRCS
• FEMA
• GHGRF
RL 11 H Within
5 years
Survey for dead and dying trees and conduct removal projects throughout
County Wide
Lexington Hills area
Santa Clara County Conduct a thorough visual survey of the designated area to identify dead and dying tree, recording coordinates, tree characteristics, and overall density.
• Prioritize removal projects based on immediate threats to infrastructure, public safety, or high-value areas
• Develop a detailed plan for the safe and efficient removal of dead and dying trees
Coordinate with trained personnel and monitor progress
Build resilient landscape by reducing dry fuel loads throughout County
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress and relevant
statistics.
• SRA
• CA Fire Safe Council
• CFIP
• NRCS
• FEMA
• GHGRF
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When applying fuel treatments, every effort should be made to align treatments with the State Forest
Action Plan Assessment and Strategy (CAL FIRE 2017, 2018) with consideration of all appropriate best
management practices and sound science. In addition, treatments should be strategically located in areas
to maximize effectiveness of other existing and ongoing projects (see Figure 4.1) and to address
watershed and forest health. Consideration of environmental challenges should be built into
recommendations, for example treating areas to reduce the impact of insect and disease or treating in a
way that acknowledges and is sensitive to the trajectory of vegetation communities faced with drought
and climate change. More information on forest health considerations and environmental challenges and
how they might impact treatment choices is provided in Appendix B.
A list and detailed descriptions of fuels treatment types and methods, including defensible space
practices and larger-scale projects, is housed in Appendix F.
When possible, simultaneously planning for the management of multiple resources while reducing fuels
will ensure that the land remains viable for multiple uses in the long term. The effectiveness of any fuel
reduction treatment depends on the degree of maintenance and monitoring that is employed. Monitoring
will also ensure that objectives are being met in a cost-effective manner.
The treatment list is by no means exhaustive and should be considered purely a sample of required
projects for the future management of the planning area. More detailed fuel treatment projects should be
delineated and described in the jurisdictional annexes, at a scale more appropriate for developing site
specific project recommendations. Many projects may be eligible for grant funds available from federal
and/or state sources. For a list of funding sources, please refer to Appendix L.
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Figure 4.3. CEQA process.
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Ongoing, Planned, and Proposed Fuels Treatments in Santa Clara County
As previously stated, fuel treatments are an effective means of reducing fire risk to communities in the
WUI. Fuel treatments such as mastication, thinning, prescribed burning, and dead tree removal serve to
remove or lessen fuel loading and continuity and result in reduced fire behavior. For example, reducing
ladder fuels minimizes transmission of fire from the surface into the crowns, and reducing tree density to
increase crown spacing mitigates active crown fire spread through the tree canopies. In addition, treated
areas enhance firefighter safety and accessibility, allowing firefighters to reach fires quickly and safely for
early suppression.
Figure 4.4. Fuel reduction project in Santa Clara County.
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Figure 4.5. Fuel reduction project in Santa Clara County.
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GOAL 2: FIRE-ADAPTED COMMUNITIES
In this CWPP, recommendations for fire-adapted communities include
public education and outreach actions and actions to reduce
structural ignitability.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION AND
OUTREACH
Just as environmental hazards need to be mitigated to reduce the risk of fire loss, so do human hazards.
Lack of knowledge, lack of positive actions (e.g., failing to create adequate defensible space), and
negative actions (e.g., keeping leaf litter and exposed propane tanks close to structures) all contribute to
increased risk of loss in the WUI.
Most residents in the WUI understand the risk that wildfire poses to their communities. However, it is
important to continually engage the community as a partner in order to expand wildfire mitigation options
across land ownership (McCaffrey 2004, 2020; McCaffrey and Olsen 2012; Winter and Fried 2000).
Methods to improve public education could include increasing awareness about fire department response
and resource needs; providing workshops at demonstration sites showing Firewise landscaping
techniques or fuels treatment projects; organizing community cleanups to remove green waste;
publicizing availability of government funds for treatments on private land; and, most importantly,
improving communication between property owners and local land management agencies to improve and
build trust, particularly since the implementation of fuel treatments and better maintenance of existing
treatments needs to occur in the interface between public and private land.
Within Santa Clara County, residents are most concerned about the extreme risk that wildfire poses to the
community as well as to individual residences within the WUI. For those citizens who have engaged in the
planning process and/or are familiar with CWPPs, many agree that the County needs the following
wildfire support: home ignition zone inspections, chipping, community engagement, education, grant
writing/funding, and evacuation planning. More detailed results of community surveys can be found in
Appendix I.
The SCCFD already carries out many public education activities throughout the County, such as an
education page and several fire-prevention programs (SCCFD 2023a). The fire department is a great
resource for information and contacts regarding wildfire mitigation and wildfire prevention. Fire Safe
Councils such as South Skyline Firesafe Council and Santa Clara County FireSafe Council both offer free
chipping programs and provide a plethora of resources to educate the residents and inform them on best
management practices for the goal of reducing wildfire hazards. See the Public Education and Outreach
Programs section in Appendix B for more information.
Please see Appendix B, Public Education and Outreach Programs for a detailed list of educational
resources within the County.
Table 4.2 lists public education recommendations to be implemented in the County.
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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REDUCING STRUCTURAL IGNITABILITY
Table 4.2 provides a list of community-based recommendations to reduce structural ignitability that should
be implemented throughout the Santa Clara County CWPP planning area. Reduction of structural
ignitability depends largely on public education which provides property owners the information they need
to take responsibility for protecting their own properties. A list of action items that individual property
owners can follow can be found below. Carrying out fuels reduction treatments on public land may only
be effective in reducing fire risk to some communities. The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) compared
the impact of individual and community-level mitigation on individual property owner risks. They found
that “the model indicates that all mitigation measures reduce the individual risk, but individual home
mitigation – which individual property owners control – can have a bigger impact than any community
mitigation alone” (CAS 2023). If property owners have failed to provide mitigation efforts on their own
land, the risk of home ignition remains high, and firefighter lives are put at risk when they carry out
structural defense. Detailed information regarding defensible space practices as well as a list of actions for
reducing structural ignitability can be found in Appendix G.
Preparing for wildland fire by creating defensible space around the home is an effective strategy for
reducing structural ignitability as discussed under Cohesive Strategy Goal 1: Resilient Landscapes.
For example, “Clearing an area of 30-100 feet from the home of combustible material creates the most
effective buffer zone” (CAS 2023). Studies have shown that burning vegetation beyond 120 feet of a
structure is unlikely to ignite that property through radiant heat (Butler and Cohen 1996), but fire bands
that travel independently of the flaming front have been known to destroy houses that had not been
impacted by direct flame impingement. Hardening the home to ignition from embers, including
maintaining vent coverings and other openings, is also strongly advised to protect a home from structural
ignitability. See Ember Ignition Hazards in Chapter 2. Managing the landscape around a structure by
removing weeds and debris within a 30-foot radius and keeping the roof and gutters of a home clean are
two maintenance measures proven to limit combustible materials that could provide an ember bed and
ignite the structure. In essence, reducing structural ignitability and creating defensible space are key for
protecting from the potential loss and damage done, as was seen during the 2020 SCU Lightening
Complex fires.
See Appendix F for details on implementing defensible space and other treatments.
Below you will find pertinent information regarding recent legislation related to Goal 2 of the Cohesive
Strategy. A detailed list of pertinent legislation is provided in Appendix A, Legislative Direction.
Assembly Bill 38: Assembly Bill 38 (2019) amended sections of the Civil, Government, and Public
Resources Codes to set forth a comprehensive wildfire mitigation financial support program, which
facilitates cost-effective home/structure hardening and retrofitting to create fire-resistant homes,
businesses, and public structures. The amendments require the State Fire Marshal, in consultation with
the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Director of Housing and Community Development to
identify building retrofits and hardening measures eligible for financial assistance under the program.
Additionally, the amendments require that CAL FIRE identify defensible space, vegetation management,
and fuel treatment procedures eligible for financial assistance. Wildfire hazard areas eligible for financial
assistance under the program include LRAs situated within very high FHSZs and SRAs within any FHSZ
(CA GOPR 2020).
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Table 4.2. Recommendations for Creating Fire-Adapted Communities (Public Education and Reducing Structural Ignitability)
Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
FAC 1 H Ongoing Decrease ignitions from unhoused populations. WUI areas with significant unhoused populations including parks and open space areas countywide.
Santa Clara County, private and state lands.
Create a task force or team of PIOs and County officials including members of the community to create and disseminate outreach materials.
• Unify coordination.
• Create consistent messaging.
• Create goals and objectives.
• Evaluate areas of concern
• Provide information and resources guiding individuals in the safe use of heating and cooking materials.
• Provide unhoused populations with more opportunities to make use of fuel sources that reduce the risk of wildland ignitions.
• Consider implementing a fuel canister recycling program for the purpose of reducing the use of open flames and canister waste.
• Apply for Community Resilience Centers Program
Reduce wildland ignitions resulting from unhoused populations. PIOs meet once a quarter or once a month.
Evaluate goals and objectives.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress and relevant statistics.
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
FAC2 L Ongoing Create collaborative relationships with local agricultural and ranching communities.
Countywide County, state, and private lands. County planning collaborative community practice – they have a heat and air quality group; this could be a starting point for a steering committee.
Collect a list of organizations that work with communities and identify ways to collaborate.
Analyze and address trends in shifting livestock types to offset hurdles associated with climate change and wildfire.
The Firesafe Council can facilitate meetings between the CWPP Advisory Team and ranchers after the CWPP is developed.
Raise awareness of wildfire risks and hazards in rural areas throughout the County.
Establish regular steering committee meetings.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
FAC3 M Ongoing Provide wildland fire overview classes to local reporters and news press employees to ensure the information that is being disseminated is correct and not misleading.
Countywide Local news stations, reporters, newspapers, and public bulletins.
Create a curriculum in collaboration with County PIOs and FPD officials.
• Provide training on proper language regarding wildland fire.
• Provide an overview of the incident command system and decision-making process.
• Provide example press releases and methods for disseminating information to the public.
• Reduce the use of dramatic language and provide context and clarity in a way that reduces fear and panic in the community.
Create more trust between the community and fire agencies.
Increase the likelihood of residents to follow evacuation orders.
Provide Annual refreshers or classes to reporters, editors, PIOs, and other press-related employees.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
FAC4 H Ongoing Work with local fire departments and communities to attain and maintain Firewise USA recognition.
Santa Clara County fire departments and communities. Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
County and private. SCCFSC working directly with CALFIRE and NFPA as a Regional Coordinator
SCCFSC in conjunction with FPDs will work with local community leaders and HOAs for attaining and maintaining Firewise certifications.
Reduce the risk and hazards of wildfire to the WUI. Empower residents to work with their neighbors to build greater wildfire resiliency on the community level.
Work with communities to establish new Firewise USA recognition and assist community Firewise committees to evaluate progress towards annual Firewise USA recognition.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress and relevant statistics.
• Coastal Conservancy
• CWDG
• California Firesafe Council
• CAL FIRE
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
FAC5 Ongoing H Ongoing Form a task force to do parcel-level inspection work to enhance risk modeling and be an educational resource; utilize portable data collection and ArcGIS as analysis tools.
Countywide Private homes and businesses. Must have an agency champion to be accepted by the public.
Agency responsibility would fall to the County Fire Department and would expand to SCCFSC and other entities to increase capacity.
Carry out parcel-level assessments to enhance risk assessment model components at a finer scale.
Add data to the risk-hazard model and re-run as necessary.
Create a comprehensive database of parcel-level inspection data.
Inform decision-makers on risks to structures throughout the county.
Set a target number of parcels to be assessed each year.
Review the number of parcels assessed each year at the annual CWPP meeting.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
• SRA
• GHGR
FAC6 Ongoing H Ongoing Establish and enforce defensible space standards. County-wide, but prioritize high and risk areas as delineated by the risk-hazard assessment and specifically, 'risk to structures’ layer.
Local fire protection districts, HOAs, Private landowners
Promote defensible spaces:
• Make sure new homes/structures are made with non-combustible materials (i.e., encourage structural hardening)
• Enforce a minimum of 100 feet of defensible space around structures.
• Clean and maintain ingress/egress routes.
• Ensure there are two ways out of a community.
• Consider landscaping methods across multiple properties that reduce fire potential (e.g., connect fuel treatments across different properties)
• Create a defensible space program. Include pre-determined inspection frequency and education/outreach efforts.
• Develop a staffing plan to support enforcement and seek funding to implement the plan.
• Educate property owners on real actions that could mitigate their wildfire hazard and risk.
• Provide tax incentives for defensible space actions.
• Work with insurance companies to determine the potential to provide incentives for defensible space associated with reduced insurance premiums.
• Consider green waste pickup/disposal options.
• Promote and educate residents on home hardening using NFPA, IBHS, or NIST standards
Reduce loss of life and structures through defensible space. Annual program evaluation and updates as necessary.
Consider updates to the building code, where needed
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
• BRIC
• SRA
• GHGR
FAC7 Ongoing L Ongoing Add hyperspectral and LiDAR imaging to periodic aerial photography flights.
Countywide and surrounding jurisdictions.
Private, county, and state lands. Work in conjunction with the County Assessor or other agency that acquires aerial photography of the county and add additional sensing cameras to flights to acquire specialized vegetation data.
Hyperspectral and LiDAR can provide in-depth identification and analysis of hazards and risks associated with fuels and topography.
These methods may work well to evaluate the efficacy of fuel treatments and fuel breaks.
Periodic new flights to update data sets.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
• BRIC
• SRA
• GHGR
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
FAC8 Ongoing H Ongoing Educate citizens on how to achieve contemporary WUI code compliance in retrofits/cost: benefit ratio. Provide workshops and/or demonstration site.
Countywide Fire Safe Councils, County Fire, CAL FIRE
Estimate costs for workshops and/or webinars.
Provide opportunities for the public to learn about WUI code and strategies for implementing home hardening upgrades. See Chapter 4: Reducing Structural Ignitability and Appendix G, Property Owner Resources.
Refer to reports by Headwaters Economics on recent home hardening upgrade options and costs for CA
Strategize on ways to coordinate this project with parcel level inspection work.
Strategize avenues for engaging the public. Be opportunistic- engage residents following a local wildfire or at existing well-attended events, i.e., annual BBQ, Pancake Breakfasts, and open days offered by Fire Departments.
Acquire resources through the Community Resilience Centers Program to establish neighborhood-level resilience centers.
Increase compliance with County code.
Reduce fire risk levels for individual parcels and the community.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress and relevant statistics.
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
• BRIC
• SRA
• California Fire Safe Council
FAC9 H Ongoing Track Firewise USA recognized communities, home inspections, outreach events, fuel mitigation work, Firesafe Council activities, and CWPP action Items in the CWPP project tracking tool.
N/A Santa Clara County SCCFSC Establish dedicated county personnel to evaluate project progress, collect information from PIOs and fire departments on outreach and education, and compile data on home inspections and Firewise USA community.
Regularly update the CWPP project tracking tool with relevant statistics to be reviewed by the public and monitored by county officials.
Align actions and updates across the county hub site, story map, and CWPP project tracking tool.
Collaborate with groups countywide to incorporate regular updates to the CWPP hub site and story map. Coordinate regular meetings to discuss projects and CWPP updates.
Develop and maintain countywide FAC practitioner database
Track the progress of different projects, programs, and initiatives.
Provide a centralized database of certifications, inspections, and mitigation activities that can help with future grant work and funding goals.
Utilize the CWPP project tracking tool at annual CWPP meetings, Firesafe Council meetings, and Emergency Management Planning meetings.
Reach out to SWCA Environmental Consultants for guidance and training on using the tracking tool.
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
• BRIC
• SRA
• California Fire Safe Council
FAC10 M Ongoing Increase and encourage attendance of the Ag pass program
Rural Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, commercial agriculture producers
The existing Ag pass program is effective in addressing post-fire concerns for ranchers and farmers in the area.
Conduct outreach and marketing for the Ag Pass program in relevant areas throughout the county.
The program allows eligible Santa Clara County cattle producers access to their livestock in the event of a wildfire.
Inform commercial ranchers and farmers of opportunities to access livestock in the event of a wildfire.
Evaluate attendance of outreach events and fire safety trainings associated with the Ag pass program.
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
• BRIC
• SRA
• California Fire Safe Council
FAC11 M Ongoing Incorporate local Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) in the planning and outreach process for CWPP updates and implementation.
Countywide and surrounding RCDs. Santa Clara County Ensure RCDs are given a place at the table.
RCDs can provide connections and referrals and often have good information on communities that can help inform land managers during decision-making processes.
The Guadalupe-Coyote RCD has a new staff member who can support outreach. They are looking to fill gaps, not provide redundant resources.
Provide the county with more support and information regarding local communities.
Support outreach regarding wildfire risk.
Establish an RCD representative on the Advisory Team. • Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
• BRIC
• SRA
• California Fire Safe Council
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
FAC12 H Ongoing Utilize NextDoor as an outreach tool Countywide NextDoor now has a public agency platform that can link citizens to their neighborhoods and view agency messaging.
Guadalupe-Coyote RCD has 1/3 of its population viewing messages and has seen an increased trend in people signing up for alerts and newsletters.
Collaborate with RCDs and PIOs on using NextDoor.
Provide county residents with a reliable and centralized outreach system.
Conduct quarterly meetings to coordinate outreach efforts through the program.
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
• BRIC
• SRA
• California Fire Safe Council
FAC 13 H Ongoing Create smoke-ready communities through facilitating smoke education and providing resources.
Countywide, focus on smoke prone areas and disadvantaged communities
County Fire Departments and Fire Safe Councils
Identify smoke-prone regions and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities that are most vulnerable to impacts of smoke.
Work with FDs and Fire Safe Councils to develop education materials
Work with County Air Quality and Extreme Heat Working Group to develop materials
Provide resources (e.g. air cleaners) to vulnerable and at-risk communities
Disseminate information through various channels, including:
• Social Media
• Public Events
• In-Person Training and Workshops
• School Curriculum integration
Provide the community with knowledge and strategies to reduce the health impacts associated with smoke form wildfires
Annual program evaluation and updates as necessary. • CWDG
• Coastal Conservancy
• CAL FIRE
• California Firesafe Council
FAC 14 M Ongoing Research the need for a Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) or a Prescribed Burn Council (PBC), and work with partners to implement a program.
Countywide SCCFSC, RCDs, CAL FIRE, county fire departments, landowners, etc.
Evaluate existing legal and regulatory framework surrounding prescribed burns in Santa Clara
Research the approach used by other existing PBAs/PBCs in California organize their efforts mitigate wildfire risk
Garner public involvement and interest, disseminate educative materials to spread awareness of the benefits of prescribes fires
Determine resource availability and additional needs to establish and operate of PBA/PBC:
• Trained personnel
• Equipment
• Funding
• Partnership
Educate communities about the use of prescribed fire
Reduce loss of life and structures through decrease fuel loads
Annual program evaluation and updates as necessary. • Coastal Conservancy
• CAL FIRE
• California Firesafe Council
FAC 15 H Ongoing Continued FAC education for people residing, working, and recreating in Santa Clara County.
County Wide County Fire Departments and Fire Safe Councils
Educating members of the community on wildfire science, fuels reduction, home hardening through:
• Training programs and workshops
• Community guidelines
• Train-the-trainer programs
• Forest health education programs
Promoting knowledge about smoke and its impact with:
• Local alerts
• Public service announcements
• Guidance for indoor air quality measure (e.g. air purifiers, closing windows)
Collaborate with FDs to develop plans and communicate strategies that will help maximize evacuation readiness
Provide those living, working, and taking part in recreation within the County with proper wildfire education
Increase community resilience to wildfire impacts
Annual program evaluation and updates as necessary. • CWDG
• CAL FIRE
• California Firesafe Council
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GOAL 3: WILDFIRE RESPONSE
Goal 3 of the Cohesive Strategy/Western Regional Action Plan is
Wildfire Response: All jurisdictions participate in making and
implementing safe, effective, efficient risk-based wildfire management
decisions:
“A balanced wildfire response requires integrated pre‐fire planning with effective, efficient, and
coordinated emergency response. Pre‐fire planning helps tailor responses to wildfires across
jurisdictions and landscape units that have different uses and management objectives. Improved
prediction and understanding of weather, burning conditions, and various contingencies during
wildfire events can improve firefighting effectiveness, thereby reducing losses and minimizing risks to
firefighter and public health and safety. Wildfire response capability will consider the responsibilities
identified in the Federal Response Framework. Local fire districts and municipalities with statutory
responsibility for wildland fire response are not fully represented throughout the existing wildland fire
governance structure, particularly at the NWCG, NMAC, and GACC levels.” (WRSC 2013:15).
This section provides recommended actions that jurisdictions could undertake to improve wildfire
response.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING FIRE RESPONSE
CAPABILITIES
Local fire departments are often the first on the scene to suppress wildland fires in the WUI in Santa Clara
County. Therefore, it is important that local fire departments train personnel and maintain equipment for
the specific purpose of suppressing wildland fire.
Based on Fire Department surveys administered as a part of this 2023 CWPP update, the San Jose,
Palo Alto, and Gilroy fire departments together employ a total of 781 fire fighters. Of these, 85% are red-
carded, with 654 red-carded fire fighters stationed in San Jose. This leaves 127 fire fighters stationed in
rural parts of the County without proper NWCG training. These departments have voiced a need for
NWCG courses and live fire exercises which will better prepare them for wildland fire operations such as
burn outs, fire line construction, and hazard tree mitigation. Santa Clara County fire departments also
recognize the importance of fuel reduction treatments for the purpose of limiting the growth of
catastrophic wildfires and subsequently lessening the burden on local wildland fire suppression
resources.
Furthermore, educating the public so they can reduce dependence on fire departments is essential
because fire department resources are often stretched thin due to limited personnel, especially during
busy periods, like what was observed during the SCU Lightning Complex. Education to enhance
community preparedness is a key factor in supporting local fire departments in fire response, particularly
educating residents about emergency notifications and evacuation protocols so that residents are able to
safely evacuate an area while emergency responders prepare to protect life and property. There are
several organizations that provide public education and outreach programs throughout the County.
The Santa Clara County and South Skyline FireSafe Councils both provide chipping and home advisory
services as well as several wildfire community education events. In addition, several fire departments
throughout the valley provide training and educational materials on wildfire prevention. To learn more
about public education and outreach programs, see Appendix B.
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Detailed descriptions of fire response across the various levels of government in the County are provided
in Appendix B, Fire Response Capabilities. This includes information on fire department resources,
evacuation, and emergency preparedness.
Table 4.3 provides recommendations for improving firefighting capabilities and emergency response.
Many of these recommendations are general in nature and are designed to be tiered to at the
jurisdictional annex level where additional specific details can be developed.
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Table 4.3. Recommendations for Safe and Effective Wildfire Response
Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
FR1 M Ongoing Reestablish protocols for preplanned water sources for fire suppression operations during times of drought.
Countywide Fire Safe Councils or Fire Wise Communities, consultation with SJW, Valley Water and other water providers
Ensure adequate water resources are placed and identified in strategic locations around the county during peak wildfire season. Locations of water resources should be cataloged in an online mapping program. Water infrastructure should be considered during permitting processes and implemented into pre-attack plans.
• Implement temporary water storage solutions on private lands (dip tanks, pumpkins, cisterns).
• Conduct portable dip tank training with fire personnel.
• Create a countywide GIS and map of temporary water resources.
• Improve existing fire flows in remote areas to meet fire flow requirements
• Make sure fire flows in new developments meet fire flow requirements
• Install water tanks where feasible. In locations water tanks cannot be installed, have tanks filled and pre-loaded to be transported to areas of need in the event of a fire
• Install additional tanks and standpipes
• Install helicopter dip tanks where appropriate
• Initiate a detailed study of feasible locations for water development improvements
• Install hand pumps or other methods independent of the grid for accessing private well water
• Ensure suppression crews have the appropriate “keys” for hydrants or standardized water fittings
• Consult with SJW, Valley Water and other water providers
Improve fire-fighting response
Alleviate public and agency concerns for limited water supply in certain areas during times of drought
Aligns with the following plans:
• Santa Clara County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan (2017)
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress and relevant statistics.
• CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
• BRIC
FR2 L Ongoing Determine the feasibility of implementing a drone program for the purpose of monitoring wildfire ignitions and Initial Attack operations.
Countywide Local and state fire agencies Conduct a cost benefit analysis determining the economic viability of a UAS program.
Identify and/or establish appropriate training protocols and certifications.
Create or identify a UAS job hazard analysis (JHA).
Emphasize to public that unauthorized UASs in active fire areas interfere with Initial Attack operations
Improve fire reporting of small and remote fires.
Notify fire suppression agencies of wildfire ignitions and spread.
Certified UAS pilots are required. Notify local civilian and fire related aviation authorities of flight operations.
• CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
• BRIC
FR3 L Ongoing Install a Countywide fire detection camera system. Countywide Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management
Determine costs, upkeep, and operational capacity of a fire detection camera system.
Consider using a combination of UAS, Landscape cameras, and satellite data.
Improve early detection of new wildfire ignitions in Santa Clara County.
Yearly testing and maintenance before peak wildfire season. • CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
FR4 H Within 1 year Develop WUI Pre-Plans for public safety agencies to utilize in fire response
Countywide County Fire Agencies Utilize Zonehaven software.
Ground truth Zonehaven information by entity.
Facilitate safe and effective wildfire response Yearly testing and maintenance before peak wildfire season. • CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
FR5 H Within 1 year Develop a Countywide evacuation plan Countywide County Fire Agencies Utilize Zonehaven software
Ground truth Zonehaven by entity.
Use Assembly Bill 2911 subdivision review for ingress/egress.
Notify citizens of evacuation plans expeditiously.
Aligns with the following plans:
• Santa Clara County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan (2017)
Yearly testing and maintenance before peak wildfire season. • CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
FR6 Ongoing M Ongoing Identify populations with disabilities or access needs during evacuations.
Countywide Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management
Integrate consideration and approaches for evacuation of vulnerable populations into the design of education and outreach programs as well as preplanning processes.
Assist in the safe evacuation of vulnerable populations
Aligns with the following plans:
• Santa Clara County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan (2017)
• Strategic Visioning Plan (EOP) (2022)
Yearly assessment of data quality. • CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
FR7 H Within 1 year Identify communities that have poor ingress and egress routes or one-way-out communities and determine potential solutions
Countywide Local Fire Protection Districts Develop a working group- outreaching to annex holders- to address community concerns
Address specific ingress concerns in appropriate annexes
Utilize existing CAL FIRE maps
Explore and implement a permitting process
Align with the Safety Element and HMP
Incorporate findings into/from jurisdictional annexes and other evacuation related studies or assessments
Improve the evacuation of remote communities and people with poor ingress and egress options.
Aligns with the following plans:
• Santa Clara County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan (2017)
• Strategic Visioning Plan (EOP) (2022)
• Santa Clara County General Plan Safety Element (2023)
Yearly meeting of annex holders to evaluate egress and ingress needs. • CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
FR8 H Within 1 year Repaint or establish new evacuation arrow markers in neighborhoods.
Countywide Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management
Paint arrows red or yellow.
Align markers with evacuation planning and identify temporary refuge areas.
Improve the efficiency and safety of evacuations.
Aligns with the following plans:
• Santa Clara County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan (2017)
• Strategic Visioning Plan (EOP) (2022)
Repaint arrows every 10 years • CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
FR9 M Ongoing Improve and provide wildland fire specific training opportunities to local firefighters.
Santa Clara County Fire Protection Districts, Fire Stations, Rural Volunteer Fire Departments.
Expand certifications and qualifications for fire department personnel. Ensure that all firefighters are trained in basic wildfire behavior, basic fire weather, and that all company officers and chief level officers are trained in the wildland command and strike team leader level.
Develop agreements between agencies to provide training opportunities for fire staff.
Ensure fire departments require all firefighters to be red carded. A red card is required for firefighters to work on an active federal fire incident.
Increase funds for volunteer Fire Department training for response to fires in the WUI.
Reach out to the National Wildfire Coordination Group (NWCG) for training materials, online courses, and instructor needs.
Provide training opportunities for firefighter trainees to meet NWCG standards.
Expand chainsaw operation training programs.
Improve local fire department wildland fire response and suppression capabilities.
Reduce the damage caused by wildfires.
Reduce the likelihood of firefighter injuries and fatalities.
Aligns with the following plans:
• Santa Clara County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan (2017)
• Strategic Visioning Plan (EOP) (2022)
Provide annual red card training/refresher/pack test events before the start of fire season.
Provide online wildfire training classes/refresher courses.
Establish Inter-agency training cooperation.
• CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
FR10 New L Ongoing Create partnerships with local ranchers. Increase cooperation between CAL FIRE, Incident Management Teams, and local landowners.
Santa Clara County FSC Rural areas, ranchlands, agricultural lands, privately owned open spaces.
Many local ranchers have private access roads, gates, and bridges that can aid Incident Management Teams with fire suppression operations and expedite Initial Attack resource response. Private access roads are not publicly mapped, and local landowners would like it to stay that way. Consider implementing an NDA to acquire private access information without making it publicly available.
Ag Pass Contacts:
Stephanie Moreno
Sheila Barry
Improve Initial attack response capabilities.
Improve fire agencies data on ingress and egress routes.
Conduct pre-fire season meetings with local ranch and agricultural leaders.
• CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
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CHAPTER 5 – MONITORING AND
EVALUATION
Developing an action plan and an assessment strategy that identifies roles and responsibilities, funding
needs, and timelines for completing highest-priority projects is an important step in organizing the
implementation of the Santa Clara County CWPP. The previous chapter identifies tentative timelines and
monitoring protocols for project recommendations, the details of which are outlined below. The CWPP
story map, hub site, and project tracking tools that accompany the CWPP are designed to help sustain
the plan and encourage frequent updates and monitoring of the recommended projects. They also
increase transparency to the public, showing the actions of land managers and agencies toward wildfire
mitigation and thereby building community buy-in and support. The FireSafe Council will be the main
entity providing CWPP coordination and encouraging long-term sustainability of project recommendations
through the project tracking tool.
All stakeholders and signatories to this CWPP desire worthwhile outcomes. It is also known that risk
reduction work on the ground, for the most part, is often not attainable in a few months—or even years.
The amount of money and effort invested in implementing a plan such as this requires that there be a
means to describe, quantitatively and/or qualitatively, if the goals and objectives expressed in this plan
are being accomplished according to expectations.
Monitoring and reporting contribute to the long-term evaluation of changes in ecosystems, as well as the
knowledge base about how natural resource management decisions affect both the environment and the
people who live in it. Furthermore, as the CWPP evolves over time, there may be a need to track changes
in policy, requirements, stakeholder changes, and levels of preparedness. These can be significant for
any future revisions and/or addendums to the CWPP and will be facilitated through use of the project
tracker.
It is recommended that project monitoring be a collaborative effort. There are many resources for
designing and implementing community based, multi-party monitoring that could support and further
inform a basic monitoring program for the CWPP (Egan 2013).
Table 5.1 Identifies monitoring strategies for various aspects of all categories of CWPP recommendations
and the effects of their implementation, both quantifiable and non-quantifiable, for assessing the progress
of the CWPP and increase sustainability of projects. It must be emphasized that these strategies are
1) not exhaustive and 2) dependent on available funds and personnel to implement them.
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Table 5.1. Recommended Monitoring Strategies
Strategy Task/Tool Lead Remarks
Project tracking system On-line web app to track hazardous fuels projects spatially, integrating wildfire risk layer to show progress towards wildfire hazard and risk reduction. Web app would include attribute tables that outline project details
FireSafe Council Interactive tool will be easily updated and identify areas that require additional efforts
Photographic record (documents pre- and post-fuels reduction work, evacuation routes, workshops, classes, field trips, changes in open space, treatment type, etc.)
Establish field global positioning system (GPS) location; photo points of cardinal directions; keep photos protected in archival location
Advisory or FireSafe Council Team member
Relatively low cost; repeatable over time; used for programs and tracking objectives
Number of acres treated (by fuel type, treatment method) GPS/GIS/fire behavior prediction system Advisory or FireSafe Council Team member
Evaluating costs, potential fire behavior
Number of home ignition zones/defensible space treated to reduce structural ignitability
GPS Property owner Structure protection
Number of residents/citizens participating in any CWPP projects and events
Meetings, media interviews, articles Advisory or FireSafe Council Team member
Evaluate culture change objective
Number of property owner contacts (brochures, flyers, posters, etc.) Visits, phone Agency representative Evaluate objective
Number of jobs created Contracts and grants Advisory or FireSafe Council Team member
Evaluate local job growth
Education outreach: number, kinds of involvement Workshops, classes, field trips, signage Advisory or FireSafe Council Team member
Evaluate objectives
Emergency management: changes in agency response capacity Collaboration Agency representative Evaluate mutual aid
Codes and policy changes affecting CWPP Qualitative Advisory Team or FireSafe Council CWPP changes
Number of stakeholders Added or dropped Advisory Team or FireSafe Council CWPP changes
Wildfire acres burned, human injuries/fatalities, infrastructure loss, environmental damage, suppression, and rehabilitation costs
Wildfire records Advisory Team or FireSafe Council Compare with 5- or 10-year average
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FUELS TREATMENT MONITORING
It is important to evaluate whether fuel treatments have accomplished their defined objectives and
whether any unexpected outcomes have occurred.
The strategies outlined in this section consider several variables:
• Do the priorities identified for treatment reflect the goals stated in the plan? Monitoring protocols
can help address this question.
• Can there be ecological consequences associated with fuels work? Items to consider include soil
movement and/or invasive species encroachment post-treatment. Relatively cost-effective
monitoring may help reduce long term costs and consequences.
• Vegetation will grow back. Thus, fuel break maintenance and fuels modification in both the home
ignition zone and at the landscape scale require periodic assessment. Monitoring these changes
can help decision-makers identify appropriate treatment intervals.
• Monitoring for all types of fuels treatment is recommended. For example, in addition to monitoring
mechanical treatments, it is important to carry out comprehensive monitoring of burned areas to
establish the success of pre-fire fuels reduction treatments on fire behavior, as well as monitoring
for ecological impacts, repercussions of burning on wildlife, and effects on soil chemistry and
physics. Adaptive management is a term that refers to adjusting future management based on the
effects of past management. Monitoring is required to gather the information necessary to inform
future management decisions. Economic and legal questions may also be addressed through
monitoring. In addition, monitoring activities can provide valuable educational opportunities for
students.
• As the CWPP, landscape, and community evolve over time, there may be a need to track
changes in policy, codes, requirements, stakeholder changes, and levels of preparedness. These
can be significant for any future revisions and/or addendums to the CWPP.
The monitoring of each fuels reduction project would be site-specific, and decisions regarding the timeline
for monitoring and the type of monitoring to be used would be determined by the project. The most
important part of choosing a fuels project monitoring program is selecting a method appropriate to the
people, place, and type of project. Several levels of monitoring activities meet different objectives, have
different levels of time intensity, and are appropriate for different groups of people. They include the
following:
Minimum—Level 1: Pre- and Post-project Photographs
Appropriate for many individual property owners who conduct fuels reduction projects on their
properties.
Moderate—Level 2: Multiple Permanent Photo Points
Permanent photo locations are established using rebar or wood posts, global positioning system
(GPS)-recorded locations, and photographs taken on a regular basis. Ideally, this process would
continue over several years. This approach might be appropriate for more enthusiastic property
owners or for agencies conducting small-scale, general treatments.
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High—Level 3: Basic Vegetation Plots
A series of plots can allow monitors to evaluate vegetation characteristics such as species
composition, percentage of cover, and frequency. Monitors then can record site characteristics such
as slope, aspect, and elevation. Parameters would be assessed pre- and post-treatment.
The monitoring agency should establish plot protocols based on the types of vegetation present and
the level of detail needed to analyze the management objectives. This method is appropriate for
foresters or other personnel monitoring fuel treatments on forested lands.
Intense—Level 4: Basic Vegetation Plus Dead and Downed Fuels Inventory
The protocol for this level would include the vegetation plots described above but would add more
details regarding fuel loading. Crown height or canopy closure might be included for live fuels. Dead
and downed fuels could be assessed using other methods, such as Brown’s transects (Brown 1974),
an appropriate photo series (Ottmar et al. 2000), or fire monitoring (Fire Effects Monitoring and
Inventory System [FIREMON]) plots. This method is ideal for foresters or university researchers
tracking vegetation changes in forested lands.
More information regarding fuel treatment types and methods can be found in Appendix F.
IMPLEMENTATION
The Santa Clara County CWPP makes recommendations for prioritized fuels reduction projects, for the
purpose of reducing structural ignitability, as well as methods with which to carry out public education and
outreach. Implementation projects need to be tailored to the specific project and will be unique to the
location depending on available resources and regulations. As aforementioned, on-the-ground
implementation of the recommendations in the Santa Clara County CWPP planning area will require the
development of an action plan and assessment strategy for completing each project. This step will identify
the roles and responsibilities of the people and agencies involved, as well as funding needs and
timetables for completing the highest-priority projects (SAF 2004). Information pertaining to funding is
provided in Appendix L.
PROJECT TRACKER
As described previously, within the hub site is a project tracking system designed to provide real-time
updates and the ability for multi-agency coordination and collaboration. The tracking system is available
for internal use and comes with the following features:
• Project database
• Project entries and sub-entries into the database
• Funding tracking
• Milestone and goal tracking
• Project constraint/opportunity tracking
• Project progress tracking
• Agency delegation
• Attach images or other files to project records
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• Spatially delineated project locations/working areas
Externally, the project tracker holds the ability to display statistics to the public, such as acres treated,
dollars spent, or the number of meetings held.
CWPP EVALUATION
CWPPs are intended to reduce the risk of wildfire for a community and the surrounding environment.
However, over time, communities change and expand, vegetation grows back, and forests and wildlands
evolve. As such, the risk of wildfire to communities is constantly changing. The plans and methods to
reduce risk must be dynamic to keep pace with the changing environment. An evaluation of the CWPP
will gather information and identify whether the plans and strategies are on course to meet the desired
outcomes or if modifications are needed to meet expectations.
Four general steps can be used to evaluate the CWPP:
1. Identify objectives: What are the goals identified in the plan? How are they reached? Is the plan
performing as intended?
a. Structural ignitability
b. Fuel treatments
c. Public education and outreach
d. Multi-agency collaboration
e. Emergency response
2. Assess the changing environment: How have population characteristics and the wildfire
environment changed?
a. Population change
i. Increase or decrease
ii. Demographics
b. Population settlement patterns
i. Distribution
ii. Expansion into the WUI
c. Vegetation
i. Fuel quantity and type
ii. Drought and disease impacts
3. Review action items: Are actions consistent with the plan’s objectives?
a. Check for status, i.e., completed/started/not started
b. Identify completed work and accomplishments
c. Identify challenges and limitations
d. Identify next steps
e. Update the project tracker
f. Convene annex holders
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4. Assess results: What are the outcomes of the action items?
a. Multi-agency collaboration
i. Who was involved in the development of the CWPP?
ii. Have partners involved in the development process remained involved in the implementation?
iii. How has the planning process promoted implementation of the CWPP?
iv. Have CWPP partnerships and collaboration had a beneficial impact on the community?
v. What is the status of CWPP annexes? Have annex holders been engaged in periodic update meetings?
vi. Have stakeholders been providing project updates for inclusion in the project tracker?
b. Risk-Hazard Assessment
i. How is the Risk-Hazard Assessment utilized to make decisions about fuel treatment priorities?
ii. Have there been new wildfire-related regulations?
iii. Are at-risk communities involved in mitigating wildfire risk?
iv. Has there been an update to the Risk-Hazard Assessment that should be integrated into the CWPP?
v. When is the last time the CWPP Management Team communicated with the Risk-Hazard Assessment authors?
c. Hazardous fuels
i. How many acres have been treated?
ii. How many projects are cross-boundary?
iii. How many residents have participated in creating defensible space?
d. Structural ignitability
i. Have there been updates to fire codes and ordinances?
ii. How many structures have been lost to wildfire?
iii. Has the CWPP increased public awareness of structural ignitability and reduction
strategies?
e. Public education and outreach
i. Has public awareness of wildfire and mitigation strategies increased?
ii. Have residents been involved in wildfire mitigation activities?
iii. Has there been public involvement?
iv. Have vulnerable populations been involved?
v. What is the traffic on the CWPP Story Map?
f. Emergency response
i. Has the CWPP continued to be integrated into relevant plans (e.g., hazard mitigation or emergency operations)?
ii. Does the CWPP remain congruent with other hazard mitigation planning efforts?
iii. Has the availability and capacity of local fire departments changed since the CWPP was developed?
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TIMELINE FOR UPDATING THE CWPP
The HFRA allows for maximum flexibility in the CWPP planning process, permitting the Planning Team to
determine the time frame for updating the CWPP. The Planning Team members are encouraged to meet
on an annual basis to review the project list, discuss project successes, and strategize regarding project
implementation funding. It is suggested that the evaluation framework above be used annually to make
plan updates, and a more formal revision be made on the fifth anniversary of signing and every 5 years
following. The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council will facilitate and oversee this process.
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ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
°F degrees Fahrenheit
AMMs avoidance and minimization measures
ATV all-terrain vehicle
BAER Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation
BLM Bureau of Land Management
BMP best management practice
BTU/ft/sec British thermal units per foot per second
CA GOPR California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research
CAL FIRE California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
California SJT California Silver Jackets Team
CalVTP California Vegetation Treatment Program
CAR community at risk
CARB California Air Resources Board
CAS Casualty Actuarial Society
CCI California Climate Investments
CCICC Central California Interagency Communications Center
CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDFA California Department of Food and Agriculture
CDFW California Department of Fish and Wildlife
CDI California Department of Insurance
CDPR California Department of Parks and Recreation
CE categorical exemption
CERT Community Emergency Response Team
CEQA California Environmental Quality Act
ch/hr chains per hour
CIG Conservation Innovation Grants
Cohesive Strategy National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy
County Santa Clara County
CPUC California Public Utilities Commission
CRS Congressional Research Service
CUSP Coalition for the Upper South Platte
CVAR community value at risk
CWA Clean Water Act
CWH classified wildfire hazard
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CWPP community wildfire protection plan
DEM digital elevation model
DHS Department of Homeland Security
EAS Emergency Alert System
EIR Environmental Impact Report
EMS Emergency Management System
EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EQIP Environmental Quality Incentives Program
ESRI Environmental Systems Research Institute
FAC fire-adapted community
FHSZ fire hazard severity zone
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FLAME Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act
FP&S Fire Prevention and Safety
FRA Federal Responsibility Area
FRI fire return interval
GAID Geographic Area Interagency Division
GIS geographic information system
GPS global positioning system
HFRA Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
HIZ home ignition zone
HMP hazard mitigation plan
HOA homeowner association
HVRA highly valued resource or asset
IBHS Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
ICC International Code Council
IFTDSS Interagency Fuel Treatment Decision Support System
ISO Insurance Services Office
JPA Joint Powers Agreement
LAFC Local Agency Formation Commission
LHMP Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
LRA Local Responsibility Area
MFI mean fire interval
Midpen Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Authority
MND mitigated negative declaration
MROCD Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
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MVFD Mountain View Fire Department
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act
ND negative declaration
NFP National Fire Plan
NFPA National Fire Protection Association
NIFC National Interagency Fire Center
NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NPS National Park Service
NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service
NWCG National Wildfire Coordinating Group
OES Office of Emergency Services
OSCC Southern California Geographic Coordination Center
PERI Public Entity Risk Institute
PFCG Post-Fire Coordination Group
PPE personal protective equipment
PRC Public Resources Code
PSPS public safety power shutoff
RAWS remote automated weather station
RCD Resource Conservation District
RFA Rural Fire Assistance
SAF Society of American Foresters
SAFER Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response
SCCFD Santa Clara County Fire Department
SE statutory exemption
SHPO State Historic Preservation Office
SJFD San José Fire Department
SOD sudden oak death
SRA State Responsibility Area
SWCA SWCA Environmental Consultants
Task Force California Forest Management Task Force
UCANR University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources
ULI Urban Land Institute
USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDOI U.S. Department of the Interior
USFS U.S. Forest Service
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USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
USGS U.S. Geological Survey
VAR value at risk
VCC Vegetation Condition Class
VDEP Vegetation Departure
VMP vegetation management program
WRS wildfire risk to structures
WRSC Western Regional Strategy Committee
WUI wildland urban interface
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GLOSSARY
Aspect: Cardinal direction toward which a slope faces in relation to the sun (NWCG 2021b).
Active Crown Fire: A crown fire in which the entire fuel complex is involved in flame, but the crowning
phase remains dependent on heat released from surface fuel for continued spread. An active crown fire
presents a solid wall of flame from the surface through the canopy fuel layers. Flames appear to emanate
from the canopy as a whole rather than from individual trees within the canopy. Active crown fire is one of
several types of crown fire and is contrasted with passive crown fires, which are less vigorous types of
crown fire that do not emit continuous, solid flames from the canopy (SWCA).
Available Canopy Fuel: The mass of canopy fuel per unit area consumed in a crown fire. There is no
post-frontal combustion in canopy fuels, so only fine canopy fuels are consumed. We assume that only
the foliage and a small fraction of the branchwood is available (Wooten 2021).
Available Fuel: The total mass of ground, surface and canopy fuel per unit area available fuel consumed
by a fire, including fuels consumed in postfrontal combustion of duff, organic soils, and large woody
fuels (Wooten 2021).
Backfiring: Intentionally setting fire to fuels inside a control line to contain a fire (Wooten 2021).
Biomass: Organic material. Also refers to the weight of organic material (e.g., biomass roots, branches,
needles, and leaves) within a given ecosystem (Wooten 2021).
Burn Severity: A qualitative assessment of the heat pulse directed toward the ground during a fire. Burn
severity relates to soil heating, large fuel and duff consumption, consumption of the litter and organic
layer beneath trees and isolated shrubs, and mortality of buried plant parts (SWCA).
Canopy: The more or less continuous cover of branches and foliage formed collectively by adjacent trees
and other woody species in a forest stand. Where significant height differences occur between trees
within a stand, formation of a multiple canopy (multi-layered) condition can result (SWCA).
Chain: Unit of measure in land survey, equal to 66 feet (20 m) (80 chains equal 1 mile). Commonly used
to report fire perimeters and other fireline distances. Popular in fire management because of its
convenience in calculating acreage (example: 10 square chains equal 1 acre) (New Mexico Future
Farmers of America 2010).
Climate adaptation: Adaptation is an adjustment in natural or human systems to a new or changing
environment. Adaptation to climate change refers to adjustment in natural or human systems in response
to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial
opportunities (CA GOPR 2020).
Climate Change: A change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters
the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed
over comparable time periods (CA GOPR 2020).
Community Assessment: An analysis designed to identify factors that increase the potential and/or
severity of undesirable fire outcomes in WUI communities (SWCA).
Communities at Risk: Defined by the HFRA as “Wildland-Urban Interface Communities within the
vicinity of federal lands that are at high risk from wildfire.”
• CAL FIRE expanded on this definition for California including all communities (regardless of
distance from federal lands) for which a significant threat to human life or property exists as a
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result of a wildland fire event. California uses the following three factors to determine at
risk communities: 1) high fuel hazard, 2) probability of a fire, and 3) proximity of intermingled
wildland fuels and urban environments that are near fire threats (CA GOPR 2020).
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT): The CERT program educates volunteers about
disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster
response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical
operations. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that
professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, allowing them to focus on more complex
tasks (Ready 2021).
Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP): A planning document that seeks to reduce the threat to
life and property from wildfire by identifying and mitigating wildfire hazards to communities and
infrastructure located in the WUI. Developed from the HFRA, a CWPP addresses issues such as wildfire
response, hazard mitigation, community preparedness, or structure protection (SWCA).
Conditional Surface Fire: A potential type of fire in which conditions for sustained conditional surface fire
active crown fire spread are met but conditions for crown fire initiation are not. If the fire begins as a
surface fire, then it is expected to remain so. If it begins as an active crown fire in an adjacent stand, then
it may continue to spread as an active crown fire (Wooten 2021).
Contain: A tactical point at which a fire's spread is stopped by and within specific contain features,
constructed or natural; also, the result of stopping a fire's spread so that no further spread is expected
under foreseeable conditions. For reporting purposes, the time and date of containment. This term no
longer has a strategic meaning in federal wildland fire policy (Wooten 2021).
Control: To construct fireline or use natural features to surround a fire and any control spot fires
therefrom and reduce its burning potential to a point that it no longer threatens further spread or resource
damage under foreseeable conditions. For reporting purposes, the time and date of control. This term no
longer has a strategic meaning in federal wildland fire policy (Wooten 2021).
Cover type: The type of vegetation (or lack of it) growing on an area, based on cover type minimum and
maximum percent cover of the dominant species, species group or non-living land cover (such as water,
rock, etc.). The cover type defines both a qualitative aspect (the dominant cover type) as well as a
quantitative aspect (the abundance of the predominant features of that cover type; Wooten 2021).
Creeping Fire: A low-intensity fire with a negligible rate of spread (Wooten 2021).
Crown Fire: A fire that advances at great speed from crown to crown in tree canopies, often well in
advance of the fire on the ground (National Geographic 2021).
Defensible Space: An area around a structure where fuels and vegetation are modified, cleared, or
reduced to slow the spread of wildfire toward or from a structure. The design and distance of the
defensible space is based on fuels, topography, and the design/materials used in the construction of the
structure (SWCA).
• In California, PRC Section 4291, “defensible space” refers to a 100-foot perimeter around a
structure in which vegetation (fuels) must be maintained in order to reduce the likelihood of
ignition. This space may extend beyond property lines, or 100 feet as required by State law as
well as local ordinances, rules, and regulations (CA GOPR 2020).
Duff: The layer of decomposing organic materials lying below the litter layer of freshly fallen twigs,
needles, and leaves and immediately above the mineral soil (SWCA).
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Ecosystem: An interacting natural system including all the component organisms together with the
abiotic environment and processes affecting them (SWCA).
Environmental Conditions: That part of the fire environment that undergoes short-term changes:
weather, which is most commonly manifest as windspeed, and dead fuel moisture content
(Wooten 2021).
Escape Route: A preplanned and understood route firefighters take to move to a safety zone or other
low-risk area. When escape routes deviate from a defined physical path, they should be clearly marked
(flagged; SWCA).
Evacuation: The temporary movement of people and their possessions from locations threatened by
wildfire (SWCA).
Federal Responsibility Area (FRA): A term specific to California, designating areas where the federal
government is responsible for fire response efforts. These areas include lands under federal ownership
(CA GOPR 2020).
Fire-Adapted Community: A fire-adapted community collaborates to identify its wildfire risk and works
collectively on actionable steps to reduce its risk of loss. This work protects property and increases the
safety of firefighters and residents (USFA 2021b).
Fire Behavior: The manner in which fuel ignites, flame develops, and fire spread and exhibits other
related phenomena as determined by the interaction of fuels, weather, and topography (Fire Research
and Management Exchange System 2021).
Fire Break: Areas where vegetation and organic matter are removed down to mineral soil (SWCA).
Fire Environment: The characteristics of a site that influence fire behavior. In fire modeling the fire
environment is described by surface and canopy fuel characteristics, windspeed and direction, relative
humidity, and slope steepness (Wooten 2021).
Fire Frequency: A broad measure of the rate of fire occurrence in a particular area. For historical
analyses, fire frequency is often expressed using the fire return interval calculation. For modern-era
analyses, where data on timing and size of fires are recorded, fire frequency is often best expressed
using fire rotation (SWCA).
Fire Hazard: Fire hazard is the potential fire behavior or fire intensity in an area, given the type(s) of fuel
present – including both the natural and built environment – and their combustibility (CA GOPR 2020).
Fire Hazard Severity Zones: Fire hazard severity zones are defined based on vegetation, topography,
and weather (temperature, humidity, and wind), and represents the likelihood of an area burning over a
30- to 50-year time period without considering modifications such as fuel reduction efforts. In California,
CAL FIRE maintains fire hazard severity zone (FHSZ) data for the entire state. There are three classes of
fire hazard severity ratings within FHSZs: Moderate, High, and Very High (CA GOPR 2020).
Fire History: The chronological record of the occurrence of fire in an ecosystem or at a specific site.
The fire history of an area may inform planners and residents about the level of wildfire hazard in that
area (SWCA).
Fire Intensity: A general term relating to the heat energy released in a fire (SWCA).
Fireline Intensity: Amount of heat release per unit time per unit length of fire front. Numerically, the
product of the heat of combustion, quantity of fuel consumed per unit area in the fire front, and the rate of
spread of a fire, expressed in kilowatts per minute (SWCA). This expression is commonly used to
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describe the power of wildland fires, but it does not necessarily follow that the severity, defined as the
vegetation mortality, will be correspondingly high (Wooten 2021).
Fire Prevention: Activities such as public education, community outreach, planning, building code
enforcement, engineering (construction standards), and reduction of fuel hazards that is intended to
reduce the incidence of unwanted human-caused wildfires and the risks they pose to life, property, or
resources (CA GOPR 2020).
Fire Regime: A measure of the general pattern of fire frequency and severity typical to a particular area
or type of landscape: The regime can include other metrics of the fire, including seasonality and typical
fire size, as well as a measure of the pattern of variability in characteristics (SWCA).
Fire Regime Condition Class: Condition classes are a function of the degree of fire regime condition
class departure from historical fire regimes resulting in alterations of key ecosystem components such as
composition structural stage, stand age, and canopy closure (Wooten 2021).
Fire Return Interval: Number of years (interval) between two successive fires in a designated area
(SWCA).
Fire Severity: A qualitative measure of the immediate effects of fire on the fire severity ecosystem.
It relates to the extent of mortality and survival of plant and animal life both aboveground and
belowground and to loss of organic matter. It is determined by heat released aboveground and
belowground. Fire Severity is dependent on intensity and residence dependent of the burn. For trees,
severity is often measured as percentage of basal area removed. An intense fire may not necessarily be
severe (Wooten 2021).
Fire Risk: “Risk” takes into account the intensity and likelihood of a fire event to occur as well as the
chance, whether high or low, that a hazard such as a wildfire will cause harm. Fire risk can be determined
by identifying the susceptibility of a value or asset to the potential direct or indirect impacts of wildfire
hazard events (CA GOPR 2020).
Flammability: The relative ease with which fuels ignite and burn regardless of the quantity of the fuels
(SWCA).
Flame Length: The length of flames in the propagating fire front measured along the slant of the flame
from the midpoint of its base to its tip. It is mathematically related to fireline intensity and tree crown
scorch height (Wooten 2021).
Foliar Moisture content: Moisture content (dry weight basis) of live foliage, foliar moisture content
expressed as a percent. Effective foliar moisture content incorporates the moisture content of other
canopy fuels such as lichen, dead foliage, and live and dead branchwood (Wooten 2021).
Forest Fire: uncontrolled burning of a woodland area (National Geographic 2021).
Fuel Break: A natural or manmade change in fuel characteristics which affects fire behavior so that fires
burning into them can be more readily controlled (NWCG 2021c).
Fuel Complex: The combination of ground, surface, and canopy fuel strata (Wooten 2021).
Fuel Condition: Relative flammability of fuel as determined by fuel type and environmental conditions
(SWCA).
Fuel Continuity: A qualitative description of the distribution of fuel both horizontally and vertically.
Continuous fuels readily support fire spread. The larger the fuel discontinuity, the greater the fire intensity
required for fire spread (Wooten 2021).
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Fuel Loading: The volume of fuel in a given area generally expressed in tons per acre (SWCA). Dead
woody fuel loadings are commonly described for small material in diameter classes of 0 to 0.25, 0.25 to 1,
and 1 to 3 inches and for large material greater than 3 inches (Wooten 2021).
Fuel Management/Fuel Reduction: Manipulation or removal of fuels to reduce the likelihood of ignition
and to reduce potential damage in case of a wildfire. Fuel reduction methods include prescribed fire,
mechanical treatments (mowing, chopping), herbicides, biomass removal (thinning or harvesting or trees,
harvesting of pine straw), and grazing. Fuel management techniques may sometimes be combined for
greater effect (SWCA). More information about fuel management and fuel reduction can be found in
Appendix F.
Fuel Model: A set of surface fuel bed characteristics (load and surface-area-to- fuel model volume-ratio
by size class, heat content, and depth) organized for input to a fire model (Wooten 2021).
Fuel Modification: The manipulation or removal of fuels (i.e., combustible biomass such as wood,
leaves, grass, or other vegetation) to reduce the likelihood of igniting and to reduce fire intensity. Fuel
modification activities may include lopping, chipping, crushing, piling and burning, including prescribed
burning. These activities may be performed using mechanical treatments or by hand crews. Herbicides
and prescribed herbivory (grazing) may also be used in some cases. Fuel modification may also
sometimes be referred to as “vegetation treatment” (CA GOPR 2020).
Fuel Moisture Content: This is expressed as a percent or fraction of oven dry fuel moisture content
weight of fuel. It is the most important fuel property controlling flammability. In living plants, it is
physiologically bound. Its daily fluctuations vary considerably by species but are usually above 80 to
100 percent. As plants mature, moisture content decreases. When herbaceous plants cure, their moisture
content responds as dead fuel moisture content, which fluctuates according to changes in temperature,
humidity, and precipitation (Wooten 2021).
Fuel Treatment: The manipulation or removal of fuels to minimize the probability of ignition and/or to
reduce potential damage and resistance to fire suppression activities (NWCG 2021d). Synonymous with
fuel modification.
Grazing: There are two types of grazing: 1) traditional grazing, and 2) targeted grazing. Traditional
grazing refers to cattle that are managed in extensive pastures to produce meat. Targeted grazing
involves having livestock graze at a specific density for a given period of time for the purpose of
managing vegetation. Even though both kinds of grazing manage fuel loading in range- and forested
lands, targeted grazing is different in that its sole purpose is to manage fuels. Targeted grazing is done by
a variety of livestock species such as sheep, goats, or cows (UCANR 2019).
Ground Fire: Fire that burns organic matter in the soil, or humus; usually does not appear at the surface
(National Geographic 2021).
Ground Fuels: Fuels that lie beneath surface fuels, such as organic soils, duff, decomposing litter, buried
logs, roots, and the below-surface portion of stumps (Wooten 2021).
Hazard: A “hazard” can be defined generally as an event that could cause harm or damage to human
health, safety, or property (CA GOPR 2020).
Hazardous Areas: Those wildland areas where the combination of vegetation, topography, weather, and
the threat of fire to life and property create difficult and dangerous problems (SWCA).
Hazardous Fuels: A fuel complex defined by type, arrangement, volume, condition, and location that
poses a threat of ignition and resistance to fire suppression (NWCG 2021e).
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Hazardous Fuels Reduction: Any strategy that reduces the amount of flammable material in a fire-
prone ecosystem. Two common strategies are mechanical thinning and controlled burning
(Wooten 2021).
Hazard Reduction: Any treatment that reduces the threat of ignition and spread of fire (SWCA).
Highly Valued Resources and Assets: Landscape features that are influenced positively and/or
negatively by fire. Resources are naturally occurring, while Assets are human-made (Interagency Fuel
Treatment Decision Support System [IFTDSS] 2021).
Ignition: The action of setting something on fire or starting to burn (SWCA).
Incident: An occurrence or event, either natural or person-caused, which requires an emergency
response to prevent loss of life or damage to property or natural resources (Wooten 2021).
Influence Zone: An area that, with respect to wildland and urban fire, has a set of conditions that
facilitate the opportunity for fire to burn from wildland fuels to the home and or structure ignition zone
(NWCG 2021a).
Initial Attack: The actions taken by the first resources to arrive at a wildfire to protect lives and property,
and prevent further extension of the fire (SWCA).
Invasive Species: An introduced, nonnative organism (disease, parasite, plant, or animal) that begins to
spread or expand its range from the site of its original introduction and that has the potential to cause
harm to the environment, the economy, or to human health (USGS 2021).
Ladder Fuels: Fuels that provide vertical continuity allowing fire to carry from surface fuels into the
crowns of trees or shrubs with relative ease (SWCA).
Litter: Recently fallen plant material that is only partially decomposed and is still discernible (SWCA).
Local Responsibility Area: A term specific to California, designating areas where the local government
is responsible for wildfire protection. The Local Responsibility Area (LRA) includes incorporated cities,
cultivated agricultural lands, and portions of the desert. LRA fire protection is typically provided by city fire
departments, fire protection districts, counties, and by CAL FIRE under contract to local government
(CA GOPR 2020).
Manual Treatments: Felling and piling of fuels done by hand. The volume of material generated from a
manual fuel treatment is typically too small to warrant a biomass sale therefore collected material is
disposed of by burning or chipping. The work can be performed by either a single individual or a large
organized crew with powered equipment (UCANR 2021a).
Mechanized Treatments: Mechanical treatments pulverize large continuous patches of fuel to reduce the
volume and continuity of material. Mechanical treatments can be applied as either mastication or chipping
treatments. Both treatments shred woody material, but mastication leaves residue on-site while chipping
collects the particles for transportation off site. Similar to hand treatments, mechanical treatments can
target specific areas and vegetation while excluding areas of concern. In addition, mechanical treatment
is easily scalable to large areas (>30 acres) with little added cost (UCANR 2021b).
Mitigation: Action that moderates the severity of a fire hazard or risk (SWCA).
Mutual Aid: Assistance in firefighting or investigation by fire agencies, irrespective of jurisdictional
boundaries (NWCG 2021f).
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Native Revegetation: The process of replanting and rebuilding the soil of disturbed land (e.g., burned)
with native plant species (USDA 2005).
Native Species: A species that evolved naturally in the habitat, ecosystem, or region as determined by
climate, soil, and biotic factors (USDA 2005).
National Cohesive Strategy: The National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy is a strategic
push to work collaboratively among all stakeholders and across all landscapes, using best science, to
make meaningful progress toward three goals:
• Resilient Landscapes
• Fire-Adapted Communities
• Safe and Effective Wildfire Response
Vision: To safely and effectively extinguish fire when needed; use fire where allowable; manage our
natural resources; and as a nation, to live with wildland fire (Forests and Rangelands 2021).
Overstory: That portion of the trees in a forest which forms the upper or uppermost layer (SWCA).
Passive Crown Fire: A type of crown fire in which the crowns of individual trees or small groups of trees
burn, but solid flaming in the canopy cannot be maintained except for short periods. Passive crown fire
encompasses a wide range of crown fire behavior, from occasional torching of isolated trees to nearly
active crown fire. Passive crown fire is also called torching or candling. A fire in the crowns of the trees in
which trees or groups of trees torch, ignited by the passing front of the fire. The torching trees reinforce
the spread rate, but these fires are not basically different from surface (SWCA).
Prescribed Burning: Any fire ignited by management actions under specific, predetermined conditions to
meet specific objectives related to hazardous fuels or habitat improvement. Usually, a written, approved
prescribed fire plan must exist, and NEPA requirements must be met, prior to ignition (USFS 2021a).
Prescribed Herbivory: Prescribed herbivory for hazardous fuel reduction is the intentional use of
domestic livestock to remove, rearrange, or convert vegetation on wildlands to reduce the costs and
losses associated with wildfires and to enhance the condition of forests, rangelands, and watersheds.
The types of domestic livestock considered include sheep, goats, and cattle.
Rate of Spread: The relative activity of a fire in extending its horizontal dimensions. It is expressed as
rate of increase of the total perimeter of the fire, as rate of forward spread of the fire front, or as rate of
increase in area, depending on the intended use of the information. Usually, it is expressed in chains or
acres per hour for a specific period in the fire's history (NWCG 2021g).
Resilience: Resilience is the capacity of any entity – an individual, a community, an organization, or a
natural system – to prepare for disruptions, to recover from shocks and stresses, and to adapt and grow
from a disruptive experience (CA GOPR 2020).
Response: Movement of an individual firefighting resource from its assigned standby location to another
location or to an incident in reaction to dispatch orders or to a reported alarm (SWCA).
Safety Element: One of the seven mandatory elements of a local general plan (a county plan that forms
the foundation for future development), the safety element must identify hazards and hazard abatement
provisions to guide local decisions related to zoning, subdivisions, and entitlement permits. The element
should contain general hazard and risk reduction strategies and policies supporting hazard mitigation
measures (CA GOPR 2020).
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Slash: Debris left after logging, pruning, thinning, or brush cutting. Slash includes logs, chips, bark,
branches, stumps, and broken trees or brush that may be fuel for a wildfire (SWCA).
Slope Percent: The ratio between the amount of vertical rise of a slope and horizontal distance as
expressed in a percent. One hundred feet of rise to 100 feet of horizontal distance equals 100 percent
(NWCG 2021h).
State Responsibility Area: A term specific to California, designating areas where the state has financial
responsibility for wildland fire protection. Incorporated cities and lands under federal ownership are not
included in the SRA. Lands under federal ownership are in the federal responsibility area (CA GOPR
2020).
Suppression: The most aggressive fire protection strategy, it leads to the total extinguishment of a fire
(SWCA).
Surface Fire: fire that typically burns only surface litter and undergrowth (National Geographic 2021).
Surface Fuel: Fuels lying on or near the surface of the ground, consisting of leaf and needle litter, dead
branch material, downed logs, bark, tree cones, and low stature living plants (SWCA).
Structural Ignitability: The ability of structures (such as homes or fences) to catch fire (SWCA).
Topography: The arrangement of the natural and artificial physical features of an area (SWCA).
Total Fuel Load: The mass of fuel per unit area that could possibly be consumed in a hypothetical fire of
the highest intensity in the driest fuels (Wooten 2021).
Tree Crown: The primary and secondary branches growing out from the main stem, together with twigs
and foliage (SWCA).
Understory: Low-growing vegetation (herbaceous, brush or reproduction) growing under a stand of
trees. Also, that portion of trees in a forest stand below the overstory (SWCA).
Understory Fire: A fire burning in the understory, more intense than a surface fire with flame lengths of
1 to 3 m (Wooten 2021).
Values and Assets at Risk: The elements of a community or natural area considered valuable by an
individual or community that could be negatively impacted by a wildfire or wildfire operations. These
values can vary by community and can include public and private assets (natural and manmade) –
such as homes, specific structures, water supply, power grids, natural and cultural resources, community
infrastructure-- as well as other economic, environmental, and social values (CA GOPR 2020).
Vulnerable Community: Vulnerable communities experience heightened risk and increased sensitivity to
natural hazard and climate change impacts and have less capacity and fewer resources to cope with,
adapt to, or recover from the impacts of natural hazards and increasingly severe hazard events because
of climate change. These disproportionate effects are caused by physical (built and environmental),
social, political, and/ or economic factor(s), which are exacerbated by climate impacts. These factors
include, but are not limited to, race, class, sexual orientation and identification, national origin, and
income inequality (CA GOPR 2020).
Wildfire: A “wildfire” can be generally defined as any unplanned fire in a “wildland” area or in the
wildland-urban interface (WUI) (CA GOPR 2020).
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Wildfire Exposure: During fire suppression activities, an exposure is any area/property that is threatened
by the initial fire, but in National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) a reportable exposure is any fire
that is caused by another fire, i.e., a fire resulting from another fire outside that building, structure, or
vehicle, or a fire that extends to an outside property from a building, structure, or vehicle (USFA 2020).
Wildfire Influence Zone: A wildland area with susceptible vegetation up to 1.5 miles from the interface or
intermix WUI (CA GOPR 2020).
Wildland: Those unincorporated areas covered wholly or in part by trees, brush, grass, or other
flammable vegetation (CA GOPR 2020).
Wildland Fire: Fire that occurs in the wildland as the result of an unplanned ignition (CA GOPR 2020).
Wildland Fuels (aka fuels): Fuel is the material that is burning. It can be any kind of combustible
material, especially petroleum-based products, and wildland fuels. For wildland fire, it is usually live, or
dead plant material, but can also include artificial materials such as houses, sheds, fences, pipelines, and
trash piles. In terms of vegetation, there are 6 wildland fuel types (Fuel Type: An identifiable association
of fuel elements of distinctive species, form, size, arrangement, or other characteristics that will cause a
predictable rate of spread or resistance to control under specified weather conditions.) The 6 wildland fuel
types are (NWCG 2021i):
• Grass
• Shrub
• Grass-Shrub
• Timber Litter
• Timber-Understory
• Slash-Blowdown
Wildland Urban Interface (WUI): The WUI is the zone of transition between unoccupied land and human
development. It is the line, area or zone where structures and other human development meet
or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels (USFA 2021a). In the absence of a CWPP,
Section 101 (16) of the Healthy Foresters Restoration Act defines the wildland urban interface as “
(I) an area extending ½ mile from the boundary of an at-risk community; (II) an area within 1 ½ miles of
the boundary of an at-risk community, including any land that (1) has a sustained steep slope that creates
the potential for wildfire behavior endangering the at-risk community; (2) has a geographic feature that
aids in creating an effective fire break, such as a road or ridge top; or (3) is in condition class 3, as
documented by the Secretary in the project-specific environmental analysis; (III) an area that is adjacent
to an evacuation route for an at-risk community that the Secretary determines, in cooperation with the at-
risk- community, requires hazardous fuels reduction to provide safer evacuation from the at-risk
community.” A CWPP offers the opportunity to establish a localized definition and boundary for the
WUI (USFS 2021a, 2021b).
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Effectiveness of fuel reduction treatments: Assessing metrics of forest resiliency and wildfire
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Westerling, A.L., H.G. Hidalgo, D.R. Cayan, and T.W. Swetnam. 2006. Warming and earlier spring
increase in western U.S. Forest wildfire activity. Science 313(5789):940–943. Accessed March
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Westerling, 2016. Increasing western US forest wildfire activity: sensitivity to changes in the timing of
spring. Available at: http://ulmo.ucmerced.edu/pdffiles/16RSTB_Westerling.pdf. Accessed March
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Western Regional Strategy Committee (WRSC). 2013. Western Regional Action Plan. Available at:
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Lettenmaier. 2019. Observed impacts of anthropogenic climate change on wildfire in California.
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Winter, G., and J.S. Fried. 2000. Homeowner perspectives on fire hazard, responsibility, and
management strategies at the wildland-urban interface. Society and Natural Resources 13:33–49.
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APPENDIX A:
Planning and Policy Background
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PLANNING PROCESS
The planning process has served to identify many physical hazards throughout the planning area that
could increase the threat of wildfire to communities. The public also has helped to identify community
values that it would most like to see protected. By incorporating public and Planning Team input into the
recommendations, treatments are tailored specifically for the planning area so that they are sensitive to
local residents’ concerns. The CWPP emphasizes the importance of collaboration among multi-
jurisdictional agencies in order to develop fuels mitigation treatment programs to address wildfire hazards.
Tribal input for the planning process is especially crucial for preserving cultural heritage and traditional
knowledge. Many Native American Tribal communities have sustainably managed wildfire and protected
natural resources through a collection of ecologically sound practices developed and passed down over
generations. It’s important for the Advisory Team and annex authors to consider TEK and engage with
tribal communities throughout the plan’s lifespan to continue building out this important knowledge base.
The SAF, in collaboration with the National Association of Counties and the National Association of State
Foresters, developed a guide entitled Preparing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan: A Handbook for
Wildland-Urban Interface Communities (SAF 2004) to provide communities with a clear process in
developing a CWPP. The guide outlines eight steps for developing a CWPP and has been followed in
preparing the Santa Clara County CWPP:
Step One: Convene Decision-makers. Form a Planning Team made up of representatives from the
appropriate local governments, local fire authorities, and state agencies responsible for forest
management.
Step Two: Involve Federal Agencies. Identify and engage local federal representatives and contact
and involve other land management agencies as appropriate.
Step Three: Engage Interested Parties. Contact and encourage active involvement in plan
development from a broad range of interested organizations and stakeholders.
Step Four: Establish a Community Base Map. Work with partners to establish a base map(s)
defining the community’s WUI and showing inhabited areas at risk, wildland areas that contain critical
human infrastructure, and wildland areas at risk for large-scale fire disturbance.
Step Five: Develop a Community Risk-Hazard Assessment. Work with partners to develop a
community Risk-Hazard Assessment that considers fuel hazards; risk of wildfire occurrence; homes,
businesses, and essential infrastructure at risk; other values at risk (VARs); and local preparedness
capability. Rate the level of risk for each factor and incorporate this information into the base map as
appropriate.
Step Six: Establish Community Priorities and Recommendations. Use the base map and
community Risk-Hazard Assessment to facilitate a collaborative community discussion that leads to
the identification of local priorities for treating fuels, reducing structural ignitability and other issues of
interest, such as improving fire response capability. Clearly indicate whether priority projects are
directly related to the protection of communities and essential infrastructure or to reducing wildfire
risks to other community values.
Step Seven: Develop an Action Plan and Assessment Strategy. Consider developing a detailed
implementation strategy to accompany the CWPP as well as a monitoring plan that will ensure its
long-term success.
Step Eight: Finalize Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Finalize the CWPP and communicate
the results to community and key partners.
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This is not an exhaustive list and SWCA strides to ensure client expectations and goals are met with a
custom CWPP that is streamlined to fit the needs of the community.
FIRE MANAGEMENT POLICY
The primary responsibility for WUI fire prevention and protection lies with property owners and state and
local governments. Property owners must comply with existing state statutes and local regulations. These
primary responsibilities should be carried out in partnership with the federal government and the private
sector. The current federal Fire Policy states that protection priorities are 1) life, 2) property, and
3) natural resources. These priorities often limit flexibility in the decision-making process, especially when
a wildland fire occurs within the WUI.
Santa Clara County has a complex arrangement of public and private fire protection organizations that
provide preparedness planning and response to wildland fires and other emergencies. These
organizations deserve commendation for the level of cooperation and coordination they employ to deliver
high level of fire protection to Santa Clara County in a complicated jurisdictional environment.
For purposes of wildland fire protection, California law segregates lands within the state into three
categories for jurisdictional and financial responsibility (Figure B.8): 1) FRAs, wherein a federal
government agency has jurisdiction for wildland fire protection on federally owned land; 2) SRAs, wherein
CAL FIRE has jurisdiction for wildland fire protection on all lands within this zone whether public or private
ownership; and 3) LRAs, wherein neither the federal government nor the state have jurisdiction for
wildland fire protection. All lands within an incorporated city, whether wildland or not, are designated
LRAs by California law. Separate from jurisdiction for wildland fire protection is the jurisdiction for “all
hazard” fire/rescue emergencies (structure fires, vehicle fires, vehicle accidents, rescues, medical
emergencies, etc.). All hazard response is usually the jurisdictional responsibility of a local government
organization. When land development occurs and population increases, a WUI fire protection situation is
created. Local government (county, special district, or city) is responsible for delivering all hazard fire
protection. Where SRA designated lands are involved, there can be dual, or layered, responsibility for
delivering fire protection to the community. This layering occurs in the unincorporated areas of the Central
Fire Protection District, Los Altos Hills County Fire Protection District, and South Santa Clara County Fire
Protection District. Additionally, there are private, not-for-profit volunteer fire companies (Spring Valley,
Casa Loma, Uvas, and Stevens Creek) in SRAs that, while having no governmental jurisdiction, are
actively involved in planning and response to emergencies in their communities.
Areas in the eastern part of the county, portions of Almaden Valley and the Stanford University campus,
are not within the normal response jurisdiction of any local fire agency (fire protection district, county
service area, or county department (see Figure 1.4). Since these are unincorporated areas, the County
Board of Supervisors has ultimate responsibility for provision of local fire protection and administration of
building/fire codes. General Plan, local hazard mitigation planning, and land use development are also
the responsibility of the County Board of Supervisors. Absent other agreement, the South Santa Clara
County Fire Protection District, the Central Fire Protection District, or CAL FIRE will normally respond as
a Good Samaritan to all hazard emergencies in these areas with no local government fire organization.
Local, State, and Federal Organizations
Santa Clara County Fire Department
Established in 1947, the Santa Clara County Fire Department has fire and life safety code responsibilities
for the communities of Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno,
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Saratoga, and all of unincorporated Santa Clara County. The Fire Chief of the Santa Clara County Fire
Department is the County Fire Marshal.
All planned construction projects within the seven cities and towns and the entire unincorporated areas of
the County are submitted to the local planning and building departments. Each of these jurisdictions
forward the proposed development and building permit applications to Santa Clara County Fire
Department's Fire Prevention Division for our review and comments. Prior to the issuance of building
permits by the communities served, projects must meet all fire department requirements, including
meeting California Building Code Chapter 7A requirements for buildings located in in any Fire Hazard
Severity Zone within State Responsibility Areas or any Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area to resist the
intrusion of flames or boring embers projected by a vegetation fire. New development also must meet
appropriate fire apparatus access and water supply requirements.
Every spring the Santa Clara County Fire Department sends defensible space letters to all residents
within the jurisdiction living in locally identified Wildland-Urban Interface Areas and within the SRA of the
District. Local engine companies perform field inspections, with follow up inspections from the Fire
Prevention Division. Enforcement of defensible space is performed in coordination with each community's
code enforcement program.
City Fire Departments
Santa Clara County contains 15 cities (Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos,
Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga, and
Sunnyvale). Most of these communities are considered to be at risk from wildfire. City fire departments
typically work within a mutual aid framework to respond to emergencies in various jurisdictions as the
incident evolves. The Milpitas Fire Department, for example, is able to respond to a wide variety of
incidents, as well as enforcing fire and life safety codes, similar to the functions of other city fire
departments.
Fire Safe Councils
Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that was chartered in
2001 and works countywide with a variety of partners at the federal, state, and local levels. Communities
served by the FireSafe Council include the designated communities at risk: Stanford, Palo Alto, Los Altos
Hills, Cupertino, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Los Gatos, Lexington Hills, San Jose, Morgan Hill, Gilroy, East
Foothills, and Milpitas, as well as parts of the region near the named communities listed that are also WUI
areas with values at risk. The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council partners with agencies, jurisdictions,
or organizations that share in its mission, which is “mobilizing the people of Santa Clara County to protect
their homes, communities and environment from wildfires.”
The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council, as a non-government organization, has no legal authority or
responsibility to enforce laws or policies adopted by agencies having jurisdiction. The FireSafe Council
serves its communities in four active program areas: Planning, Community Outreach and Education,
Hazardous Fuel Reduction, and Fundraising. Funding for the FireSafe Council’s work is provided by
federal, state, and other grants, as well as by the county, cities, fire agencies, and other community
partners and individuals. The Council builds its work plan around implementing recommended programs
and projects in this CWPP (see Section 6).
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The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council works cooperatively in the region served by the South Skyline
FireSafe Council to support and enhance its work.
South Skyline FireSafe Council
The South Skyline FireSafe Council serves communities within San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara
Counties, generally along Skyline Boulevard (California Highway 35). The area served in Santa Clara
County is from Page Mill Road to Bear Creek Road, above Palo Alto, Saratoga, and the western edges of
Lexington Hills. Its mission is to “provide education and outreach programs for fire prevention and
preparedness to all South Skyline residents within the Council area in order to prevent the loss of lives
and reduce losses of personal and public property and natural resources from wildfire” (South Skyline
FireSafe Council 2023). The South Skyline FireSafe Council is funded through grants, donations, and
in-kind contributions of time from a committed group of volunteers.
San Jose Water Company
Founded in 1866, the San Jose Water Company is an investor-owned public utility, serving over 1 million
people in the San Jose metropolitan area. It provides groundwater from more than 100 wells for 40% of
its supply and purchases treated water from the Santa Clara Valley Water District for 50% of its supply.
An additional 10% of its supply comes from its watershed in the Santa Cruz Mountains, treated at two
water treatment plants.
The San Jose Water Company owns extensive watershed lands in the WUI, including upper Los Gatos
Creek and a tributary of Saratoga Creek.
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Founded in 1929, the Santa Clara Valley Water District contains 10 reservoirs that impound water from
storm runoff, as well importing water from the Sierra Nevada and pumping water from aquifers. The water
district manages about 275 miles of creeks in Santa Clara County, or about one-third of the county’s
800 miles of creeks and rivers. In partnership with cities and Santa Clara County Parks Department,
the water district also provides open space and recreational opportunities at many of its reservoirs and
creeks.
Santa Clara County Department of Parks and Recreation
Formed in 1956, the Santa Clara Department of Parks and Recreation oversees regional parks, usually
larger than local neighborhood or community parks and often more than 200 acres. The county park
system has expanded to 28 regional parks covering approximately 52,000 acres since its first parkland,
the 400-acre Stevens Creek County Park, was acquired in 1924. Parklands of significant size in the WUI
include:
• Ed Levin County Park
• Joseph D. Grant
• Motorcycle & Field Sports
• Anderson Lake
• Coyote Lake Harvey Bear Ranch
• Mt. Madonna
• Uvas Reservoir
• Uvas Canyon
• Calero
• Almaden Quicksilver
• Santa Teresa
• Lexington Reservoir
• Villa Montalvo
• Sanborn
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• Stevens Creek • Rancho San Antonio
Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority
The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority is an independent special district and not part of county
government. Its purpose is to preserve key portions of the natural environment using a variety of tools,
including land and easement acquisition, as well as participating in planning and conservation activities.
Established in 1993 by the state legislature and Governor Wilson, its jurisdiction is all of Santa Clara
County, except Gilroy and lands and communities within the boundaries of the Midpen. The Santa Clara
Valley Open Space Authority currently protects over 28,000 acres and has four open space preserves
that are open to the public:
• Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve
• Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve
• Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve
• Máyyan 'Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge
The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority participates with the cities of Milpitas, Santa Clara,
San Jose, Campbell, and Morgan Hill.
County Roads and Airports
The County’s Roads and Airports Department operates and maintains 635 miles of rural and urban
roadways in unincorporated areas (https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rda/about/Pages/standards.aspx).
County Roads Standard Specifications state that erosion control and highway planting shall conform to
the provisions in Section 20 “Erosion Control and Highway Planting” of the most current edition of the
State Standard Specifications.
County Agriculture Weed Abatement
The mission of the Santa Clara County Department of Agriculture Weed Abatement Program is to protect
lives, property, and the environment by providing education and hazard abatement for the communities
served. The purpose of the Weed Abatement Program is to prevent fire hazards created by vegetative
growth and the accumulation of combustible debris through voluntary compliance.
See weed abatement standards at https://www.sccgov.org/sites/wap/Pages/standards.aspx.
The Department of Agriculture’s Weed Abatement Program inspects parcels that have been declared a
public nuisance and are included in the program throughout the year. Abatement work is ordered by an
inspector on properties when the minimum fire safety standards have not been satisfied or if the owner
has requested that the county contractor perform the necessary work. The abatement charges for any
work performed by the contractor and a county administrative fee are included on property tax statements
as a special assessment.
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission–owned watershed lands include the Alameda Watershed,
with 13,000 acres in northeastern Santa Clara County.
See http://www.sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=198.
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Municipal Roads Departments
Cities with significant road maintenance responsibility in the WUI include Palo Alto, Los Altos Hills,
Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, San Jose, Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and Milpitas.
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Founded in 1972, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, or Midpen, is a regional greenbelt
system, covering over 70,000 acres in 26 open space preserves in three counties. The district manages a
wide variety of vegetation, including chaparral, oak woodlands, fir and redwood forests, riparian corridors,
grasslands, and wetlands, with over 250 miles of trails. The Sierra Azul area southeast of Los Gatos is
the largest unit in the district. The following preserves are located in Santa Clara County:
• Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve
• Coal Creek Open Space Preserve
• El Sereno Open Space Preserve
• Foothills Open Space Preserve
• Fremont Older Open Space Preserve
• Los Trancos Open Space Preserve
• Monte Bello Open Space Preserve
• Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve
• Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve
• Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve
• Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve
• St Joseph’s Hill Open Space Preserve
City Parks and Open Space
Several cities own large parks and open space areas with unmaintained natural wildland environments,
including:
• Palo Alto Foothills Park and Arastradero Preserve
• Palo Alto Baylands
• City of San Jose Alum Rock Park
Regional Trail Corridors and Urban Open Space Parks
WUI is a term used to describe human development that is surrounded by natural wildland environment.
In Santa Clara County there also exists the converse arrangement: natural wildland environments that
remain but have become enveloped by the urban environment. This includes regional trails, creek
corridors, and pocket parks that have unmaintained areas with open space characteristics.
These ribbons of wildland/creek/trail corridors, as well as urban parks with unmaintained open space
characteristics, are often outside designated WUIs or FHSZs, which result in complications.
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A partial list of regional trails with wildland characteristics include:
• Bay Trail
• Penitencia Creek Trail
• Guadalupe River Parkway
• Coyote Creek Trail
• Calero/Los Alamitos Creek Trails
• Los Gatos Creek Trail
See information regarding the City of San Jose’s trail network: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-
government/departments-offices/parks-recreation-neighborhood-services/parks-trails/trail-network
Also see Santa Clara County’s regional trails system at: https://parks.sccgov.org/about-parks/plans-
projects/countywide-trails
A partial list of urban parks with unmaintained natural areas include:
• Hellyer
• Communications Hill
• Martial Cottle
• Lake Cunningham
• Vasona Lake
• Guadalupe River
• Las Animas Veterans Park
• Christmas Hill Park
• Dennis Debell Uvas Creek Preserve
• Byrne Preserve
California Department of Parks and Recreation
The California Department of Parks and Recreation (CDPR) manages 280 units. Two of these units are
located in Santa Clara County: Martial Cottle State Park, comprising 256 acres of farmland (managed by
Santa Clara County Parks Department), and Henry W. Coe State Park. The Coe unit is the largest state
park in northern California at 89,164 acres, with 22,000 acres of land designated as a wilderness area.
In August 2020, 55,000 acres of the state park were burned by the SCU Lightning Complex fires. After a
period of closure to allow for crews to clear various hazards and for the vegetation to begin recovery,
the park was re-opened in March 2021 (CDPR 2023).
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
The CDFW manages over 1 million acres of fish and wildlife habitat in 711 properties around the state,
with habitats from every major ecosystem in the state. Within Santa Clara County, the agency manages
the 5,800-acre Cañada de los Osos Ecological Reserve, near Henry W. Coe State Park. The property,
formally known as the Stevenson Ranch, was acquired by the Nature Conservancy in 2000 and sold to
the agency in 2001. The unit is a mixture of grasslands, oak and montane woodland, chaparral, and
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riparian and wetland habitats. Prescription grazing and burning may be employed if the need is
determined to exist.
University California Natural Reserve System
The University of California Natural Reserve System encompasses 41 sites covering 47,000 acres of
protected natural area throughout California, which is the largest university-administered reserve system
in the world. Within Santa Clara County, the Blue Oak Ranch Reserve is located on the slopes of
Mt. Hamilton. Covering 3,259 acres, four plant communities are found in the reserve, which are becoming
rare in California: valley oak woodland, blue oak woodland, wildflower fields, and native perennial
grassland. The Blue Oak Ranch Reserve contains a rich variety of plant families, more than 130 species
of birds, and many species of terrestrial and aquatic animals, including the rare river otter (Lontra
canadensis). Prescribed fire may play a role in facilitating valley oak regeneration, which has become
rare.
State Highways / Caltrans
The Vegetation Management Program at Caltrans is scaling up and facilitates collaboration with external
partners. Caltrans should be included in planning efforts where the state highway bisects the county priorities,
so that the Caltrans right-of-way can become part of the fire adapted community effort to ensure safe ingress
and egress during a wildfire event.
National Fire Protection Association
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a global nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating
death, injury, and property and economic loss due to fire, electrical, and related hazards. Its 300 codes
and standards are designed to minimize the risk and effects of fire by establishing criteria for building,
processing, design, service, and installation around the world (NFPA 2023).
The NFPA develops easy-to-use educational programs, tools, and resources for all ages and audiences,
including Fire Prevention Week, an annual campaign that addresses a specific fire safety theme.
The NFPA’s Firewise Communities program encourages local solutions for wildfire safety by involving
property owners, community leaders, planners, developers, firefighters, and others in the effort to protect
people and property from wildfire risks.
The NFPA is a premier resource for fire data analysis and research. The Fire Analysis and Research
division conducts investigations of fire incidents and produces a wide range of annual reports and special
studies on all aspects of the nation’s fire problem.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge is a federally managed property located on the southern end of
San Francisco Bay. The refuge comprises a 30,000-acre oasis for millions of migratory birds and
endangered species. The refuge, created in 1974, was largely the result of grassroots efforts by the local
community to protect the San Francisco Bay ecosystem.
Roads Agencies
Generally, roads are maintained primarily to serve the transportation needs of the public; however, road
rights-of-way include the vegetation adjacent to the pavement, which could be considered a type of
wildland to be managed for wildfire prevention. Roadsides are frequently the site of ignition for wildfires,
and evacuees may need to use the roadways to leave the area even if the vegetation on both sides of the
road is on fire.
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In addition, due to the critical importance of roads for providing ingress for firefighting apparatuses while
simultaneously evacuating the public, certain factors such as width, grade, and turning radius need to be
addressed.
Private Organizations
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is an independent, nonprofit, scientific
research and communications organization supported solely by property insurers and reinsurers.
The IBHS’s building safety research leads to real-world solutions for home and business owners, helping
to create more resilient communities. Its mission is to conduct objective, scientific research to identify and
promote the most effective ways to strengthen homes, businesses, and communities against natural
disasters and other causes of loss.
The IBHS conducts laboratory and field experiments in structural ignitability and has helped develop new
guidelines for defensible space zones to emphasize ember resistance and a “home ignition zone.”
Insurance and Loss Reduction Research Associations
The insurance and fire prevention industries have committed significant resources to studying wildfires
and structural ignitions. Their cutting-edge research findings help drive the adoption or modification of
new building codes.
Water Purveyor and Watershed Management Organizations
Wildfire can cause serious degradation of both watershed management infrastructure and water quality.
Burned watersheds can result in greater runoff, erosion, and sedimentation, with a loss of water quality
and increased cost of water treatment. Since heavier amounts of vegetation will burn more severely than
lighter wildland fuels, allowing an accumulation of untreated wildland fuels to occur in watersheds and
riparian areas can lead to a loss of water quality and significant environmental degradation, which can be
very expensive to repair. As is the case with property owners, risk mitigation is dependent on fuels
treatment performed before a wildfire occurs and cannot rely solely on the timely arrival of fire
suppression resources.
LEGISLATIVE DIRECTION
County Direction
Santa Clara County Fire Code
The current Santa Clara County Fire Code was amended in 2012 and became effective January 17,
2013. The Fire Code of the County is adopted from the 2010 edition of the California Fire Code and the
2009 International WUI Code and is amended to suit the needs of the county. The Fire Code is effective
within the county boundaries where a municipal code does not have jurisdiction, including private land.
Implementation, administration, and enforcement of the code are carried out by the building official of
Santa Clara County. The code pertains to all construction that will be used for human habitation including
new construction, additions, repairs, and renovations (Santa Clara County 2012).
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Santa Clara County also has specific fire standards and practices for various project types. These include
land development, construction, special events and tents/canopies, fireworks, and care facilities. Many of
the Santa Clara County Fire Standards are currently under revision. Assistance from the County Fire
Marshall’s Office is available at (408) 299-5760 (Santa Clara County 2023a).
Santa Clara County Fire Marshal
Section A33-47 of the Santa Clara County Code and Section 101 of the California Fire Code gives the
County Fire Marshal the authority to make and enforce such rules and regulations for the prevention and
control of fire and fire hazards as may be necessary to carry out the intent of the Code. The Fire
Marshal's Office also has the responsibility for enforcing Title 19 of the California Code of Regulations,
and portions of the California Building Code, as adopted by the County of Santa Clara.
The County Fire Marshal has the authority to make and enforce such rules and regulations for the
prevention and control of fire and fire hazards.
As noted by CAL FIRE, California’s building codes have two parts relevant to wildfire: remove flammable
vegetation from around the building; and construct the building of fire-resistant material.
With regard to clearance, the law requires that property owners conduct fuels modification to 100 feet or
to the property line if this distance is less than 100 feet. This provides both defensible space for
firefighters in which to work and protection for the home.
With regard to building codes, standards have been developed to improve the resistance of buildings to
ignition from airborne embers. New buildings located in any FHSZ within SRAs (building permit submitted
after January 1, 2008), in any LRA-very high FHSZ (building permit submitted after July 1, 2008), or in
any WUI fire area designated by the enforcing agency (building permit submitted after January 1, 2008)
will comply with all sections of California Code of Regulations Title 24, Part 2, 701A.3.2 (New Buildings
Located in Any Fire Hazard Severity Zone).
For LRAs, in which local government has responsibility for wildland fire protection, CAL FIRE provides
recommendations for very high FHSZs. Local government, in turn, uses these recommendations to
designate very high FHSZs within its jurisdiction. Local government may exclude fire protection
requirements prompted by the map designation and may adopt, modify, or deny the very high FHSZ
recommendation.
Taken together, these building codes are intended to improve the resilience of a building to ignition from
either direct flame contact or from airborne embers. In incidents in which the rate of wildfire spread, and
the number of homes at risk from the wildfire, exceeds suppression capacity, this resilience may
determine whether the building survives.
It is essential to know the correct municipal jurisdiction for your parcel to determine fire prevention
jurisdiction. Use the following link to find out: https://plandev.sccgov.org/how/research-property/find-
jurisdiction
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Past Amendments to the Santa Clara County Fire Code
Sec. B7-13. - Chapter 49 Amendments.
(c)
Section 4907.1 is amended to read as follows:
4907.1 General. Defensible space shall be maintained around all buildings and structures in State
Responsibility Area (SRA) as required in Public Resources Code 4290 and "SRA Fire Safe
Regulations" California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Division 1.5, Chapter 7, Subchapter 2,
Section 1270 and this section.
Buildings and structures within the Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zones of a Local Responsibility
Area (LRA) shall maintain defensible space as outlined in Government Code sections 51175 to
51189 and this section.
Defensible space shall be provided around water tank structures, water supply pumps and pump
houses.
Persons owning, leasing, controlling, operating or maintaining buildings or structures in the Wildland-
Urban Interface Fire Area Zone and persons owning, leasing or controlling land adjacent to such
buildings or structures, shall at all times:
1. Maintain an effective defensible space by removing and clearing away flammable
vegetation and combustible growth from areas within distances of such buildings or
structures as outlined below:
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Distance
Very High 50 feet
All others 30 feet
• Exception: Single specimens of trees, ornamental shrubbery or similar plants
used as ground covers, provided that they do not form a means of rapidly
transmitting fire from the native growth to any structure.
2. Maintain additional effective defensible space by removing brush, flammable vegetation
and combustible growth located 30 feet to 100 feet (9,144 mm to 30,480 mm) when
required by the fire code official due to steepness of terrain or other conditions that would
cause a defensible space of only 30 feet (9,144 mm) to be insufficient. Exception: Grass
and other vegetation located more than 30 feet (9,144 mm) from buildings or structures
and less than 18 inches (457 mm) in height above the ground need not be removed
where necessary to stabilize the soil and prevent erosion.
3. Remove portions of trees, which extend within 10 feet (3,048 mm) of the outlet of a
chimney.
4. Maintain trees adjacent to or overhanging a building free of deadwood; and
5. Maintain the roof of a structure free of leaves, needles or other dead vegetative growth.
6. Remove flammable vegetation a minimum of 10 feet around liquefied petroleum gas
tanks/containers.
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7. Firewood and combustible materials shall not be stored in unenclosed spaces beneath
buildings or structures, or on decks or under eaves, canopies or other projections or
overhangs. The storage of firewood and combustible material within the defensible space
shall be located a minimum of 30 feet (6,096 mm) from structures and separated from the
crown of trees by a minimum horizontal distance of 15 feet (4,572 mm). Exception:
Firewood and combustible materials not for consumption on the premises shall be stored
as approved by the fire code official.
8. Clear areas within 10 feet (3,048 mm) of fire apparatus access roads and driveways to of
non-fire-resistive vegetation growth. Exception: Grass and other vegetation located more
than 30 feet (9,144 mm) from buildings or structures and less than 18 inches (457 mm) in
height above the ground need not be removed where necessary to stabilize the soil and
prevent erosion.
County IPM and Pesticide Use Reduction Ordinance Division B-28
The purpose of the County Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Pesticide Use Reduction Ordinance
Division B-28 is to regulate and provide guidelines for pest control on County-owned properties, including
regional parks, roads, airports, office complexes, hospitals, prisons, and animal shelters. The ordinance
addresses various common IPM challenges, such as ants, bedbugs, flies, roaches, wasps, termites,
rodents, birds, weeds, and plant insects and diseases. It is important to note that the IPM ordinance does
not extend to private property or other jurisdictions (Santa Clara County 2018a).
State Direction
Direction from Plans
CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Fire Plan
The Santa Clara Unit of CAL FIRE provides fire protection to many areas within Santa Clara County,
as well as to Contra Costa, Alameda, and the western portions of San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties.
The 2015 CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Fire Plan uses the Seven Strategic Goals and Fire Plan Framework
identified in the California Strategic Fire Plan and translates them into work to be done within its area of
responsibility. Tactically, the Santa Clara Unit has an objective of keeping all wildland fires to 10 acres or
less. Strategically, the primary goal of wildland fire protection in the unit is to safeguard the wide ranges of
values found within the unit from the effects of wildfire.
The Santa Clara Unit employs multiple programs to accomplish this goal, including development of pre-
fire management tactics, fire prevention, a defensible space inspection (LE-100) program for fire safe
clearance around structures, information and education programs, and the vegetation management
program (VMP) to reduce hazardous fuels and achieve natural resource management goals with within
an SRA.
California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan
The 2021 California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan recognizes that California faces continued
and urgent threats from catastrophic wildfire. The purpose of this plan is to provide a foundation for
supporting healthy, resilient, fire adapted forests. The plan is organized into four overarching goals which
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break down into sub-goals and their respective action items. Some of the goals/strategies specific to
wildfire include:
1. Increase Fuel Breaks: Reduce the risk of wildfire and slow fire spread within the WUI.
2. Protect Wildfire-Prone homes and Neighborhoods: Expand and extend defensible space
programs.
3. Improve Utility related wildfire risk: Ensure electrical corporations are compliant with wildfire
regulations.
4. Create Fire-Safe Roadways: Ensuring emergency evacuation routes and acts as a fuel break.
Like the 2014 national strategy, California’s 2019 Strategic Plan, California’s Wildfire and Forest
Resilience Action Plan, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Mitigation Act of
2000, all mandate community-based planning efforts with full stakeholder participation, coordination,
project identification, prioritization, funding review, and multiagency cooperation. In compliance with Title
1 of the HFRA, a CWPP must be mutually agreed upon by the local government, local fire departments,
and the state agency responsible for forest management. As outlined in HFRA, this CWPP is developed
in consultation with interested parties and the federal agencies managing land surrounding the at-risk
communities. See Figure A.1 for an overview of California’s wildfire regulatory environment.
Figure A.1. California’s wildfire regulatory framework. Source: California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (CA GOPR 2022)
California Bills and Regulations
Assembly Bill 179: In September of 2022, Governor Newsom signed budget bill AB 179 authorizing
$1.3 billion dollars over the next two years to build wildfire resilience and bolster forest health throughout
the state. The bill allocates $472 million dollars toward forest health and fire prevention planning,
$130 million toward state-owned land stewardship, $50 million for post-fire reforestation, $170 million for
state conservancy forest health projects, $70 million for fire crews and prescribed burning activities,
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$40 million for the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program, $30 million for workforce development,
and $25 million to assist small landowners (California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force 2022).
This plan is part of the governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action plan which aims to increase and
expedite forest health projects to sustain and protect communities and meet economic and environmental
goals (Department of Water Resources 2021).
Assembly Bill 1823: The Bill amended PRC 4290.1 to require that on or before July 1, 2022, the State
Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to develop criteria for and maintain a “Fire Risk Reduction
Community” list of local agencies located in a State Responsibility Area (SRA) or a very high hazard
severity zone that meet best practices for local fire planning. The existing law requires the State board to
consider specific factors when developing the criteria for the list, including recently developed or updated
community wildfire protection plans (CWPPs) (CA GOPR 2022a). This CWPP is in alignment with the
requirement stipulated by Assembly Bill (AB) 1823 (2019).
PRC 4124.7: Public Resources Code 4124.7 requires CAL FIRE to prioritize local agencies in the “fire risk
reduction community” list for Fire Prevention Grants. (CAL FIRE 2023b).
Senate Bill 1241: Senate Bill 1241 (2012) revised the safety element stipulations in State law to instruct
all cities and counties whose planning area is within the SRA or a very high fire hazard severity zone to
address and include specific information concerning wildfire hazards and risk, and strategies and policies
to address and minimize unreasonable risks associated with wildfire. The specific requirements are
codified in chapter 311 of the Bill. As a result, CAL FIRE maintains fire hazard severity zone maps and
data for the entire State. Three classes of fire hazard severity classifications exist: moderate, high, and
very high. Fire hazard severity considers the amount of vegetation, temperature, wind, humidity, and
topography, and represents the likelihood of an area burning over a 30 to 50-year interval (CA GOPR
2022a).
Senate Bill 379: Senate Bill 379 (2015) amended Government Code Section 65302(g)(4) to require that
all general plans in California address climate change adaptation and resilience as part of the safety
portion of the plan. This amendment requires local jurisdictions to add this change as part of the next
revision to their local hazard mitigation plan or, if a local hazard mitigation plan has not been adopted,
the safety element must be reviewed and updated to include applicable climate adaptation and resilience
strategies (CA GOPR 2022a). This CWPP may be integrated into the Safety Element of the City General
Plan during the next scheduled revision.
Senate Bill 246: As established by Senate Bill 246 in 2015, the Integrated Climate Adaptation and
Resiliency Program (ICARP) is the leading program responsible for coordinating response to climate
change impacts on a local, regional, and state scale. ICARP utilizes the Adaptation Clearing House,
an online database of climate resources, and coordinates with the Technical Advisory Council to aid in
facilitation of resiliency efforts. CA GOPR recommends that climate change–related safety updates be
made in alignment with ICARP vision, principals, definitions, and wildfire requirements where applicable
(CA GOPR 2022a).
Senate Bill 901: Senate Bill 901 (2018) requires the State Board to regularly update regulations for fuel
breaks and greenbelts close to communities to enhance fire safety within the State Responsibility Area or
areas designated as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. The Bill also requires that the updated
regulations include measures to maintain undeveloped ridgelines to minimize fire risk and enhance fire
protection (CA GOPR 2022a).
PRC 4290: Public Resources Code Section 4290 confers the State Board with the authority to adopt
regulations for base level fire safety standards with respect to State Responsibility lands and to lands
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designated as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. The fire safety standards address multiple issues,
including fuel modification standards for fuel breaks and greenbelts; road and driveway standards for
emergency response access and public evacuation; minimum private water supply reserves for fire
suppression; and standards for street, road, and building signage. However, these standards do not
replace local regulations that meet or exceed minimum requirements adopted by the State Board
(CA GOPR 2022a).
PRC Section 4291: Public Resources Code Section 4291 details mandatory defensible space
requirements for any person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building in an SRA or
very high FHSZ within a Local Responsibility Area (LRA). The requirements include, but are not limited to,
100 feet of defensible space around homes, removal of vegetation debris from the perimeter and the roof
of homes/structures, and removal of vegetation from chimneys or stovepipes. This code was updated in
January 2021 to require an ember-resistant zone within 5 feet of a home/structure on or before January 1,
2023 (CA GOPR 2022a).
Assembly Bill 38: Assembly Bill 38 (2019) amended sections of the Civil, Government, and Public
Resources Codes to set forth a comprehensive wildfire mitigation financial support program, which
facilitates cost-effective home/structure hardening and retrofitting to create fire-resistant homes,
businesses, and public structures. The amendments require the State Fire Marshal, in consultation with
the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Director of Housing and Community Development, to
identify building retrofits and hardening measures eligible for financial assistance under the program.
Additionally, the amendments require that CAL FIRE identify defensible space, vegetation management,
and fuel treatment procedures eligible for financial assistance. Wildfire hazard areas eligible for financial
assistance under the program include LRAs situated within very high FHSZs and SRAs within any FHSZ
(CA GOPR 2022a).
Senate Bill 1035: Senate Bill 1035 (2018) amended Section 65302 of the California Government Code to
require local agencies to update the climate adaptation section (safety element) of the general plan at
least every eight years. This mandate would require local agencies to identify new information relating to
fire hazards, climate adaptation, and resiliency measures that were not available during the last revision
of the safety element (CA GOPR 2022a).
Senate Bill 535: Senate Bill 535 (2012) outlines the initial funding requirements to communities that have
been identified as “Disadvantaged Communities” (DACs). The designation is based on pollution burden,
prior designation as a disadvantaged community, and federal land status (i.e., federally recognized tribes)
(California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment 2023). 6,936 people have been
designated under a disadvantaged community within the City of Santa Clara, census tract number
6085505202, by CalEPA (COEHHA 2022). Through their designation as a DAC, these communities will
receive priority for funding through the California Climate Investments Program (CCIP), including the
Wildfire Prevention Grants Program, which is a part of the CCIP and is administered by CAL FIRE (State
of California 2022).
Evacuation Planning Requirements: Assembly Bill 747 (2019), Assembly Bill 1409 (2020), and Senate
Bill 99 (2019) were signed into law to enhance evacuation planning at the local level. Assembly Bills 747
and 1409 require local agencies to assess evacuation routes and locations under a variety of emergency
scenarios. Whereas Senate Bill 99 requires municipalities to identify communities with less than two
evacuation routes. These planning mandates should be considered when assessing wildfire risk in the
safety element of the general plan (CA GOPR 2022a).
PRC 4290.5: Assembly Bill 2911 (2018) added Section 4290.5 to the PRC, which requires the State
Board, in consultation with the State Fire Marshal and the local jurisdiction, to identify existing
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subdivisions with more than 30 dwelling units in the State Responsibility Area or areas designated as
Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones without secondary egress routes, that are at high risk for fire.
Following identification of subdivisions without secondary egress routes, the State Board must provide
recommendations to the local government to enhance public safety in such subdivisions. This process
must begin on or before July 1, 2021 and repeat every five years thereafter. If available,
recommendations made by the Board should feed directly into the community’s general plan update
(CA GOPR 2022a).
Agricultural Pass Program: Section 2350 of California Food and Agricultural Code provides local
government authorities with the ability to set up pass programs with the aim of allowing vetting agricultural
operators with the necessary access to closed areas during emergency or for conducting eligible
activities. The decision-making process for agriculture pass considerations will be carried out by incident
commanders and law enforcement that have jurisdiction for the site. Eligible activities that prompt access
to these restricted zones include livestock care and evacuation, water system management, access to
agricultural properties or facilities, and the transportation of necessary equipment for reestablishing water
systems (UCANR 2022).
PRC 4202: Public Resources Code Section 4202 mandates that the State Fire Marshal classify lands
within the planning area into FHSZs. There are three classes of fire hazard severity ratings within FHSZs:
Moderate, High, and Very High (CA GOPR 2022a). FHSZs are used for many purposes, such as to
identify areas where California’s defensible space standards, WUI codes, and the State Minimum Fire
Safe Regulations are mandated as well as to identify the level of hazard in a specified area or region.
It’s important to note that mitigation requirements apply to all zones within the planning area (CAL FIRE
2022c).
CAL FIRE 2022 Fire Hazard Severity Zones Update: In accordance with PRC 4202, CAL FIRE
maintains fire hazard severity zone (FHSZ) data for the entire state. FHSZs were originally determined
and released in 2007; however, CAL FIRE recently updated these zones for the SRA in December 2022.
The new FHSZs are currently in the public review process. Fire hazard severity zones are defined based
on vegetation, topography, and weather, and represent the probability of the area burning and potential
fire behavior in the area. The new iteration of the FHSZs also accounts for land use changes, recent fire
history, new wind data, and local climate data. FSHZs for the LRA are currently in development and
expected for release in summer of 2022 (CAL FIRE 2022b, 2022c).
Federal Direction
In response to a landmark fire season in 2000, the National Fire Plan (NFP) was established to develop a
collaborative approach among various governmental agencies to actively respond to severe wildland fires
and ensure sufficient firefighting capacity for the future. The NFP was followed by a report in 2001 entitled
A Collaborative Approach for Reducing Wildland Fire Risks to Communities and the Environment:
A 10-year Comprehensive Strategy, which was updated in 2002 to include an implementation plan. This
plan was updated once more in 2006, with a similar focus on using a collaborative framework for restoring
fire-adapted ecosystems, reducing hazardous fuels, mitigating risks to communities, providing economic
benefits, and improving fire prevention and suppression strategies. The 2006 implementation plan also
emphasizes information sharing and monitoring of accomplishments and forest conditions, a long-term
commitment to maintaining the essential resources for implementation, a landscape-level vision for
restoration of fire-adapted ecosystems, the importance of using fire as a management tool, and continued
improvements to collaboration efforts (Forests and Rangelands 2006). Progress reports and lessons
learned reports for community fire prevention are provided annually.
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In 2003, the U.S. Congress recognized widespread declining forest health by passing the Healthy Forests
Restoration Act (HFRA), and President Bush signed the act into law (Public Law 108–148, 2003).
The HFRA was revised in 2009 to address changes to funding and provide a renewed focus on wildfire
mitigation (H.R. 4233 - Healthy Forest Restoration Amendments Act of 2009). The HFRA expedites the
development and implementation of hazardous fuels reduction projects on federal land and emphasizes
the need for federal agencies to work collaboratively with communities. A key component of the HFRA is
the development of Community Wildlife Protection Plans (CWPPs), which facilitate the collaboration
between federal agencies and communities in order to develop hazardous fuels reduction projects and
place priority on treatment areas identified by communities in a CWPP. A CWPP also allows communities
to establish their own definition of the WUI, which is used to delineate priority areas for treatment.
In addition, priority is placed upon municipal watersheds, critical wildlife habitat, and areas impacted by
wind throw, insects, and disease. Communities with an established CWPP are given priority for funding of
hazardous fuels reduction projects carried out in accordance with the HFRA.
In 2014, the final stage of the development of a national cohesive strategy for wildfire was developed:
The National Strategy: The Final Phase in the Development of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire
Management Strategy (Forests and Rangelands 2014). The national strategy takes a holistic approach to
the future of wildfire management:
To safely and effectively extinguish fire, when needed; use fire where allowable; manage our
natural resources; and as a Nation, live with wildland fire.
In order to achieve this vision, the national strategy goals are:
1. Restore and maintain landscapes: Landscapes across all jurisdictions are resilient to fire-related
disturbances in accordance with management objectives.
2. Fire-adapted communities: Human populations and infrastructure can withstand a wildfire without
loss of life and property.
3. Wildfire response: All jurisdictions participate in making and implementing safe, effective, efficient
risk-based wildfire management decisions (Forests and Rangelands 2014:3).
PAST PLANNING EFFORTS
Local
Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP): The Santa Clara CWPP was
originally developed in 2016 in response to the federal Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) of 2003.
The plan is designed to assist in protecting human life and reducing property loss due to wildfire and
emphasizes the importance of collaboration among multi-jurisdictional agencies in order to develop fuels
mitigation treatment programs to address wildfire hazards (Santa Clara County 2016).
Community Scale CWPPs
Several community scale CWPPs have been developed throughout the County over the last 2 decades.
Most of these plans have since been transitioned to annex documents that tier from the County CWPP
and provide more fine scale data and recommendations that can be applied at a local level, but these
documents still contain information that can inform future planning and should be considered a resource
for annex authors.
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Lexington Hills Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP): The Lexington Hills CWPP was
developed in 2009 in accordance with the requirements set forth by the HFRA. The plan is an example of
a community scale document, based on a scientifically rigorous analysis of wildfire hazards and risks and
provided recommendations to help stakeholders effectively prevent and mitigate the threat of wildfires to
the area's assets. The analysis and content of this plan have since been updated through the 2016 Santa
Clara CWPP Annexes. Hazard conditions in some Lexington Hills communities have elevated since the
completion of the 2009 CWPP and many recommendations are still applicable and should play a role in
guiding future mitigation actions in the Lexington Hills Annex (Annex 1- Chapter 1).
Santa Clara County General Plan: The Santa Clara County General Plan was developed in 1994 and
serves to guide land use changes in a manner that provides for proper and safe community development.
Several “elements” in the General Plan (e.g., safety, housing, circulation, and open space) have a direct
relationship to the WUI fire problem. The General Plan can serve to reduce the threat of natural or
human-caused disasters by directing land use policies for hazard prone areas (i.e., proper community
design, open space land use, and reducing population in areas prone to wildfire). Its policies can direct
government agencies to carry out community and agency education programs, alerting citizens and staff
as to what to do in the event of an emergency. The Plan also identifies that much of the mountainous
areas of Santa Clara County are considered “high or extreme fire hazard areas,” and identifies that
access issues, water supply, building requirements, and defensible space are the most critical wildfire
hazards that should be addressed through policy and planning. These areas are identified as “Resource
Conservation Areas” where new development is limited to low density and low intensity uses. (Santa
Clara County 1994). The General Plan Safety Element is being revised concurrently with this planning
effort and alignment between these efforts has been a goal of the CWPP Planning Team. The Housing
Element is also undergoing an eight-year periodic review, and the County has identified areas for housing
growth that are outside of the WUI.
Emergency Operations Plan: The 2022 Santa Clara County Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is an
all-hazards document that is an update to the previous 2017 EOP and describes the County’s incident
management structure, relevant guidelines, community engagement, and compliance with relevant legal
statutes. The plan also states the County of Santa Clara as the Operation Area lead agency regarding
Califorina’s standardized Emergency Management Systems (SEMS). The EOP establishes an incident
management organization for the County and overall operational concepts associated with emergency
management. The EOP provides a flexible platform for planning and response to all hazards and
incidents important to the operational area including wildfire. A comprehensive hazard analysis overview
of wildfire is provided including purpose, scope, assumptions, and a situational overview of wildfire
hazards.
Multi-Jurisdictional Local Government Hazard Mitigation Plan: In 2005, the Association of Bay Area
Governments adopted Taming Natural Disasters: A Multi-Jurisdictional Local Government Hazard
Mitigation Plan for the San Francisco Bay Area. This plan addresses methods to mitigate the risk from
several types of hazards on eight commitment areas (infrastructure, health, housing, economy,
government services, education, environment, and land use). The 2005 plan was updated in 2010 with
the participation of 116 cities, counties, and special districts. The update was supported by numerous
regional and sub-regional workshops, forums, and public outreach campaigns, and further enhanced both
the consistency in approach to hazard mitigation planning and the participation rate of local jurisdictions
(Association of Bay Area Governments 2010).
Santa Clara County Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP): In response to the Multi-Jurisdictional Local
Government Hazard Mitigation Plan for the San Francisco Bay Area, the Association of Bay Area
Governments counties, including Santa Clara County, developed an LHMP as an annex to the
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Association of Bay Area Governments plan. The LHMP was last updated in 2017 and a 2022 update is
currently under way with a renaming of the plan to Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP)
per new guidance from FEMA (Santa Clara County 2017). Many of the mitigation strategies identified in
the plan have been, or can be, used in CWPPs, and the responsible entities are also identified. Items
include ensuring reliable sources of water for existing and new developments, developing defensible
space programs, providing adequate access roads that meet California Fire Code standards, tying public
education on defensible space with a defensible space ordinance and field enforcement, adopting or
amending California Building and Fire Codes, and expanding VMPs (Santa Clara County 2017).
The MJHMP is being revised concurrently with this planning effort and alignment between these efforts
has been a goal of the CWPP Planning Team.
City General Plans and city LHMPs: General Plans exist for cities throughout Santa Clara County.
These Plans provide a general overview of wildfire hazard in terms of emergency response and direction
for local and county hazard planning. They contain information on the local wildfire situation and
associated hazards, although the level of detail varies among cities. The Los Gatos 2021 General Plan,
for example, lists wildfire-related goals in its Safety Element that are associated with planning for both fire
safety and fire risk reduction. These, in turn, are further developed into general policies and actions
(Town of Los Gatos 2021). Cities within Santa Clara County also have LHMPs, which are annexes to the
County’s LHMP. The various city LHMPs, following a standard template, discuss the local nature of
various hazards, values at risk from these hazards, and actions to take to mitigate this risk.
Santa Clara County Department of Parks and Recreation 2018 Strategic Plan: The department’s
mission is to “Provide, protect, and preserve regional parklands for the enjoyment, education and
inspiration of this and future generations.” (Santa Clara County 2018b). The 2018 SCC Department of
Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan includes the planning process, a needs assessment, goals &
strategies, an action plan with 66 items, and fiscal planning for a sustainable future; the Department has
been funded by the Park Charter Fund since 1972 (Santa Clara County 2018b).
Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan: The Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency is responsible for administering
and implementing the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan, a federally approved Habitat Conservation Plan
and state approved Natural Communities Conservation Plan. Chapter 3 in the Habitat Plan provides for
the protection and recovery of 18 plant and animal species of special conservation concern e.g., species
listed by the federal or state government as threatened or endangered. In depth conservation strategies
are provided in chapter 5 such as the creation of reserve units with corresponding management plans
that will outline objectives contributing to “reducing the fuel load of the reserve so that the risk to biological
resources of catastrophic wildfire is at an acceptable level and the risk to adjacent urban areas is
minimized”. Each reserve unit management plan will include a section on fire management that will
include a description of “minimum impact suppression techniques” to accomplish fire management
objectives. The jurisdictions participating in the Habitat Plan include the cities of Gilroy, Morgan Hill and
San Jose, Santa Clara County, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and the Santa Clara
Valley Water District (Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency 2012).
Santa Clara County Wildfire Preparedness Guide: In 2021 The Santa Clara County Office of
Emergency Management created a wildfire preparedness guide to be hosted on the County website.
The Guide is designed to provide residents and visitors with information on preparing for wildfires.
Preparedness resources include home hardening and defensible space, tips to strengthen financial
capabilities, evacuation planning, guidance on staying safe during a wildfire and returning home after a
wildfire. The guide also outlines resources for livestock owners, hazardous waste and debris
management, and wildfire recovery. Several links, brochures, and a FAQ are available to help with
questions regarding wildfire preparedness and recovery.
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DRAFT Unincorporated Santa Clara County Climate Vulnerability Assessment: The Santa Clara
County Department of Planning and Development is currently preparing an assessment on various
climate induced hazards that affect the residents and environment throughout Santa Clara County.
The bulk of the plan is dedicated to describing local climate trends and how changes in temperature,
precipitation, and vegetation when paired with wildfire hazards can contribute to increased wildfire
danger. Critical data on vulnerable populations is included along with detailed health impacts as a result
of exposure to wildfire hazards. Also included are narratives describing the direct and indirect impacts of
wildfire on major community elements such as transportation systems, lifeline utility systems, economic
elements, and natural resource areas. This document will inform the Safety Element update of the
General Plan. The document was in drafting stages during the CWPP development and therefore content
may be revised.
State
Strategic Fire Plan for California: In 2018, CAL FIRE, along with the State Board of Forestry and Fire
Protection, developed the Strategic Fire Plan for California (CAL FIRE 2018). The plan was developed to
create a more wildfire resistant environment and community, to increase the understanding of wildfires,
and increase cooperation amongst local, state, federal, tribal, and private partnerships. Goals outlined
within the plan include identifying natural resources at risk, integrating fire and fuels management tactics
with landowners, and implementing post-fire assessments and programs (CAL FIRE 2018).
California State Hazard Mitigation Plan: In 2018 the CA OES released the latest California State
Hazard Mitigation Plan. The intention of the plan was to provide a current update of all past and potential
hazards and disasters within California and outline mitigation strategies, risk reduction methods, goals,
objectives, strategies, and priorities (CA OES 2018). Mitigation strategies recommended include
strengthening interagency coordination, incorporating climate change into future planning efforts, and
establishing a mitigation registry (CA OES 2018).
Fire Hazard Planning Technical Advisory: In 2022, the California Office of Planning and Research
updated the Fire Hazard Planning Technical Advisory. The goal of the guide is to provide a framework for
planners and decision makers in addressing hazards, increasing resilience, and reducing risks associated
with fire. This guide provides a brief history of fire in the state, impacts to communities, and implications of
climate change as well as describes several local, state, and federal wildfire policies and regulations to
inform on required planning elements and available resources. This regulatory overview sets the stage for
the fire hazard planning guidance chapter, which has recommendations regarding the integration of fire
hazard specific elements into general plans. This guide also contains directions to align hazard plans with
broader plans and connect fire hazard planning to relevant matters such as climate adaptation
(CA GOPR 2022a).
Wildland Urban Interface Planning Guide: In 2022, in accordance with the requirements of AB 75, the
California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, with the Community Wildfire Planning Center and
CAL FIRE, created the WUI planning guide to provide recommendations and examples to aid
communities in planning for living in the WUI (CA GOPR 2022a). The guide serves as a supplement to
the Fire Hazard Planning Technical Advisory and discusses several plan categories, detailing their
respective purpose, and how they relate to WUI planning. Some plan types referenced include, general,
hazard, climate, and wildfire plans. The regulation section of the guide provides required and
recommended codes for resilient WUI planning and rationale for how these measures promote a fire safe
community. Additional tools and programs that enhance community resilience are detailed in the plan
(CA GOPR 2022a).
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California Cooperative Forest Management Plan: In 2020 the California Cooperative Forest
Management Plan was developed to be used by CAL FIRE, the USFS, and the Natural Resources
Conservation Service. This plan is more of a template for fire management plans. The plan outlines topics
that should be discussed while planning for fires, such as road systems, property history and conditions,
wildlife, water resources, and others (CAL FIRE 2020b).
California’s Forests and Rangelands 2017 Assessment: In 2017, CAL FIRE published California’s
Forests and Rangelands 2017 Assessment. CAL FIRE’s Fire and Resource Assessment Program
evaluates the amount and size of California’s forests and rangelands and analyzes their conditions to
establish management and regulatory guidelines. The assessment is used to delineate priority
landscapes that aid in focusing investments and other programs to ameliorate issues. The goal of the
assessment is to meet both state and federal mandates for natural resource inventories and planning
(CAL FIRE 2018a).
Community Wildfire Prevention & Mitigation Report: In 2019 CAL FIRE published the Community
Wildfire Prevention & Mitigation Report in response to Executive Order N-05-19, which directs CAL FIRE
and other state agencies to recommend administrative, regulatory, and policy changes to prevent and
mitigate wildfires. The order stresses taking necessary actions to protect vulnerable populations and to
identify backlogs in fuels treatments projects. CAL FIRE identified 35 priority projects that could be
implemented right away to reduce public safety risk for over 200 communities. Potential projects included
removal of dead trees, vegetation clearing, creation of ingress and egress paths, and creation of fuel
breaks and community defensible spaces (CAL FIRE 2019a).
California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan: In 2021 the California Forest Management
Task Force (CA FMTF) developed California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan (CA FMTF
2021). The purpose of the plan was to sustain economic strength of the forests, improve forest health and
resilience, and increase the level of fire safety within communities. The plan is broken up into four major
goals and strategies to achieve said goals (CA FMTF 2021). The goals include increasing the pace and
scale of forest health projects, strengthening the protection of communities, managing the forest to
achieve the state’s economic and environmental goals, and driving innovation while measuring progress.
Strategies for increasing community fire safety include increasing fuel breaks, creating fire-safe roadways,
and supporting community risk reduction (CA FMTF 2021).
Vegetation Management Program: In addition to the Strategic Fire Plan, CAL FIRE operates a VMP
that focuses on addressing resource management and wildfire fuel hazards within SRA lands (CAL FIRE
2022e). The program has three management objectives with various sub-goals. The management
objectives are the reduction of conflagration of fires, optimization of soil and water productivity, and the
protection and improvement of intrinsic floral and faunal species (CAL FIRE 2022e).
California Vegetation Treatment Program: In addition to planning documents, the State of California
operates the California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP). This program was developed by the
Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to create healthy fire regimes, reduce hazardous vegetation that
increases wildfire risk, and reduce risk within communities. Prescribed burning, prescribed herbivory,
herbicides, mechanical treatments, and manual treatments are used for vegetation management.
In addition, you can visit the CalVTP Implementation Database to find current and approved projects.
To learn more about this program, visit the following URL: https://bof.fire.ca.gov/projects-and-
programs/calvtp/
Safer from Wildfire Initiative: This partnership program was established to increase home hardening
and defensible space efforts on homes that were not built to current CAL FIRE Standards. The program
was developed in a partnership with the CA OES, Planning and Research, Department of Insurance,
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Public Utilities Commission, and CAL FIRE to create pathways for more accessible home insurance by
requiring insurers to reward safety and mitigation actions (CDI 2023b). The program works within the
three mitigation topics of protecting the structure, protecting the surroundings, and working as a
community to identify actionable steps to improving community resilience in a cost-effective way. Each
topic has specific measures, such as upgrading to ember resistant vents, clearing under deck vegetation,
or working as a community to achieve a Firewise rating (CDI 2023b). The list of actions creates
consistency in home hardening. This program has been used to negotiate insurance discounts for
individuals and communities based on mitigation achievements at each level. For example, State Farm
offers a discount to communities that achieve a Firewise Community rating (CDI 2023b). More information
about the Safer from Wildfires initiative and currently available insurance discounts are available at the
following URL: https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/200-wrr/saferfromwildfires.cfm
Federal
The National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy: The Strategy outlines a holistic approach
to the future of wildfire management, with the goal of managing forests to coexist with wildland fire but
containing incidents when necessary. The Strategy maintains that this goal will be achieved by restoring
and maintaining landscapes, developing fire-adapted communities, and maintaining sufficient wildfire
response capabilities (Forests and Rangelands 2021).
A Collaborative Approach for Reducing Wildland Fire Risks to Communities and the Environment:
A 10-year Implementation Strategy: This Plan was most recently updated in 2006 and focuses on using
a collaborative framework for restoring fire-adapted ecosystems, reducing hazardous fuels, mitigating
risks to communities, providing economic benefits, and improving fire prevention and suppression
strategies. The Plan also emphasizes information sharing, monitoring of accomplishments and forest
conditions, a long-term commitment to maintaining the essential resources for implementation, a
landscape-level vision for restoration of fire-adapted ecosystems, the importance of using fire as a
management tool, and continued improvements to collaboration efforts (Forests and Rangelands 2006).
National Fire Plan: The National Fire Plan (Managing the Impact of Wildfires on Communities and the
Environment) was implemented by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the USFS in 2000. The Plan
was established to develop a collaborative approach among various governmental agencies to actively
respond to severe wildland fires and ensure sufficient firefighting capacity for the future. Focuses of the
Plan are on firefighting preparedness and accountability, forest restoration, hazardous fuels reduction,
community assistance, and research (Forests and Rangelands 2000).
Bureau of Land Management: The BLM does not have a general fire management plan; however, the
BLM has a fire management program in California and is a member of the California Forest Management
Task Force (BLM 2022a; California Wildfire and Forest Management Task Force 2023). The BLM also
collaborates with several federal, state, and local organizations to develop and implement wildland fire
programs. For instance, the BLM’s fuels management program directs a wide range of active
management vegetation treatments using mechanical, biological, and chemical tools, and prescribed fire.
The program consists of creating fuel breaks, reducing fuel loads, reducing fire risk near communities,
targeted grazing, and herbicide to break fire-grass cycles. Fuels treatments are planned and implemented
jointly with other BLM programs, and with federal, state, local, and non-governmental collaborators (BLM
2022b). Within Santa Clara County, the BLM manages a patchwork of small land parcels in the Diablo
Range.
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PUBLIC LAND MANAGEMENT
LAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
Forest managers in the region are addressing land management objectives through the use of prescribed
fire, mechanical, and manual treatments to promote more resilient forest lands. Private, state, and federal
lands are interspersed creating a matrix of land ownership, which is often a hurdle to implementation of
landscape level treatments. By working with private landowners, forest managers are enhancing
landscape-scale efforts to create more resilient forest communities.
Local Land
Santa Clara County Department of Parks and Recreation
The Santa Clara County Department of Parks and Recreation manages 52,000 acres of County Park
lands in 28 different parks comprising 27% of the open space within Santa Clara County. The Department
uses the 2018 Santa Clara County Strategic Plan as a guiding land management document (Santa Clara
County 2018b). A key wildfire mitigation item in the plan’s action list is action item number 35 which
directs the preparation and execution of Natural Resource Management and Grazing Management plans.
These guiding documents will help facilitate better management of annual grasslands, serpentine
habitats, oak woodlands, forests, and aquatic habitats. This will create healthier vegetation communities
with greater resilience to wildfire. Additionally, the County has stressed that all natural resource
management actions should align with the objectives and strategies of the Valley Habitat Plan (Santa
Clara County 2018b).
Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency
The Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency uses the 2012 Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan as a guiding
document. The Agency has prepared guidelines for fuel treatments that incorporate the Habitat Plan’s
requirements for protecting covered habitats and species (Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency 2012).
The guidelines will be used to plan fuel treatments within conservation reserves. They may also be used
to plan fuel treatments outside of reserves or to place conditions on discretionary projects if fuel reduction
is proposed as part of the project. The following projects may be subject to the permit requirements of the
Habitat Plan:
• Land development within the Habitat Plan boundaries requiring discretionary approval from
participating jurisdictions.
• Vegetation management projects subject to environmental analysis pursuant to the CEQA.
• Vegetation management is covered activity under the Habitat Plan such as management within
county parks and land managed by the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority.
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Figure 1A.2. Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan permit area.
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Fuel treatments proposed by the CWPP may be subject to the Habitat Plan permit requirements if they
are funded by public agencies such as CAL FIRE or otherwise require discretionary permits from
participating jurisdictions. Permits are required for discretionary projects affecting habitat and species
covered by the Habitat Plan. Fees are collected to compensate for impacts on covered species and
habitats. The fees in turn, are used to acquire properties with equivalent habitat to compensate for the
losses. These properties become part of the conservation reserve system that will eventually encompass
over 46,000 acres of oak woodland, serpentine grassland, annual grassland and other habitat types
(Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency 2012). It is the intent of this CWPP that if and when fuel treatments
are planned within the conservation plan area and/or within habitats or potentially affecting species
covered by the Habitat Plan that those treatments will conform to the degree possible to the
recommendations of the Habitat Agency’s guidelines (Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency 2012).
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Authority (Midpen)
Midpen reduces wildland fire severity and risk throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains by managing
vegetation in preserves with a focus on ecological health and wildland fire resilience. “Wildland fire
prevention, preparation and response are part of Midpen's ongoing land stewardship” (Midpen 2021a).
Wildland Fire Resiliency
In 2021 Midpen’s Wildland Fire Resiliency Program was approved. This program aims to increase
vegetation management actions by six-fold over the course of 10 years (Midpen 2021a).
Goals and Objectives:
• Promote healthy, resilient, fire-adapted ecosystems
• Reduce wildland fire risk
• Facilitate the response of fire agencies
The program outlines the creation of a Vegetation Management Plan (Midpen 2021b) that will expand
management of environmentally sensitive vegetation into new areas of Midpen preserves for the purpose
of preserving ecological health and public safety. Preserve maps will be updated and expanded to
provide critical information to fire agencies responding to wildland fire events, including water resources,
roads and gates, and sensitive natural and cultural resources. A monitoring plan will also be developed
for the purpose of collecting scientific data to ensure the program is adaptable and meets goals. Finally,
in partnership with CAL FIRE, Midpen will be reintroducing prescribed fire as a land management tool in
2023.
Watch a presentation on the prescribed fire aspect of the program from a July 2022 virtual community
open house event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3LRwfdGjr
Current Projects
• Los Gatos Creek Watershed Forest Health Project: The project will include removing and
reducing vegetation to meet forest health and wildfire fuel management goals. Work may involve
using heavy machinery, including, but not limited to, masticators, mowers, chainsaws, and
woodchippers.
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• Chamise Trail Shaded Fuel Break: Work is planned along the Chamise Trail from Rhus Ridge
junction to Ravensbury junction and will generally follow close to the ridge line where fuel breaks
are most effective to reduce heavy fuel loads of brush, small trees, and accumulated, dead
vegetation.
Ongoing Wildland Fire Prevention and Response
• Maintaining hundreds of miles of fuel breaks and fire roads throughout our preserves, some of
which are used as emergency ingress and egress routes for neighbors.
• Annually training Midpen field staff as fire first responders
• Outfitting ranger trucks with water pumpers during fire season
• Reducing vegetation using conservation grazing on more than 6,500 acres on the San Mateo
County Coast
• Enforcing regulations against smoking, fires and guns in the preserves
Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority
Tribal Partnerships
The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority is partnering with local Tribes to reconnect them with their
ancestral and traditional lands, to promote their role as partners in land stewardship, and to find shared
solutions to today's conservation challenges for future generations. The Santa Clara Valley Open Space
Authority recognizes that the lands of the Santa Clara Valley along with the Santa Cruz and Diablo Range
Mountains are the ancestral and unceded territories of the Awaswas-, Chochenyo-, Mutsun-, Tamien, and
Yokuts-speaking peoples. Tribal partners are currently engaged in active research and conservation
work. Tribes offer traditional ecological knowledge that contributes to sustainable managing open spaces
and addressing climate challenges such as fire (Open Space Authority 2023).
The Goals of the Open Space Authority Tribal Partnership are as follows:
• Acknowledge and learn from the past, and listen to current and future Indigenous voices and
perspectives
• Make sure Tribal partners have a voice in public processes that affect open spaces within the
Authority's jurisdiction
• Provide Tribes with access to culturally significant lands
• Identify opportunities to support Tribal stewardship of these lands in the future
• Amplify the voices of Indigenous Peoples and their role as leaders in conservation in our region
and the Bay Area
State Land
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
A part of CAL FIRE’s mission is protecting California’s resources, including the health of the state’s
woodlands and forests. Charged with protecting the forest resources of all the wildland areas of
California that are not under federal jurisdiction is the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, a
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government-appointed body within CAL FIRE. It is responsible for developing the general forest policy of
the state, determining the guidance policies of CAL FIRE, and representing the state’s interest in federal
forestland in California. Together, the Board and the Department work to carry out the California
Legislature’s mandate to protect and enhance the state’s unique forest and wildland resources.
State Responsibility Area (SRA) is a legal term defining the area where the State has financial
responsibility for the prevention and suppression of wildfire. The majority of Santa Clara County (67.5%)
is within SRAs (CAL FIRE 2022h).
In California, CAL FIRE maintains fire hazard severity zone (FHSZ) data for the entire state. There are
three classes of fire hazard severity ratings within FHSZs: moderate, high, and very high (CA GOPR
2020). Fire hazard severity zones are defined based on vegetation, topography, and weather, and
represent the probability of the area burning and potential fire behavior in the area. A significant portion of
Santa Clara County falls under high and very high FHSZs. FHSZs within the County are contained in two
distinct areas. The first is in the northern and eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains where fire
hazard is very high from the Santa Clara Valley to the Santa Cruz County border in the Santa Cruz
Mountains. Continuing, fire hazard severity is high to very high from Stevens Creek Park south of
San Jose to the unincorporated lands immediately west of Gilroy. The second area of very high FHSZ
within the county is located along and throughout the Diablo Hills; fire hazard severity becomes less in
areas bordering the valley floor.
CAL FIRE 2019 Strategic Plan: The 2019 Strategic Plan, a guiding document in regard to land
management strategies, states that a key objective of CAL FIRE is to “Expand forestry and fire prevention
through effective natural resource management programs, education, inspections, and land use planning”
(CAL FIRE 2019b). The following land management action items are outlined in the Strategic Plan:
• Increase by 20% the acreage of projects implemented under the California Forest Improvement
Program.
• Implement fuels reduction projects on at least 50,000 acres annually.
• Continue to work with the Stewardship Council, conservation easement holder designees, other
collaborators, and stakeholders to complete the successful donation and transfer of designated
watershed lands to CAL FIRE for management as Demonstration State Forests.
Vegetation Management Program (VMP): The VMP is a cost sharing program that allows private
landowners to enter a contract with CAL FIRE to use prescribed fire and mechanical treatments to
accomplish management goals. The program utilizes prescribed fire and mechanical treatments for
managing wildland fire fuel hazards and other resource management issues regarding vegetation on
SRA lands. The program has treated about 25,000 acres per year since 1982 (CAL FIRE 2022e).
The goal of the program is to reduce the change of large, damaging wildfires in California. To accomplish
this the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has established 3 management objectives:
• Reduction of conflagration fires.
• Optimization of soil and water productivity.
• Protection and improvement of intrinsic floral and faunal values.
Additionally, the VMP also aims to increase water quantity and maintain water quality in managed
watersheds, protect and improve soil productivity, propagate rare or endangered fire adapted plant
species, and decrease the risk to firefighters and other responders during wildland fires.
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The laws enacted in support of this program are found in Title 14, California Code of Regulations,
Chapter 9.8 Chaparral Management, Sections 1560 to 1569.6. The program is further defined in the
Public Resources Code Sections 4461 to 4473, 4475 to 4480 and 4491 to 4494 (CAL FIRE 2022e).
California Department of Fish and Wildlife Lands
The CDFW manages well over 1 million acres of fish and wildlife habitat across 749 properties throughout
California. These properties serve as habitat for a great diversity of fish, wildlife, and plant species and
include varied habitats from major ecosystems in the state. Furthermore, various private land
conservation programs assist landowners with the management of riparian environments, native
grasslands, wetlands, and wildlife-friendly farmlands (CDFW 2023).
In 2021, the CDFW initiated the largest wildfire protection and resiliency endeavor in its history, with a
focus to improve wildfire protection and resiliency in most of its ecological reserves, wildlife areas, and
surrounding communities. Methods employed by the CDFW to accomplish its wildfire resiliency goals
include the installation of fire breaks, brush removal, vegetation thinning, utilizing livestock grazing, and
controlled burns (CDFW 2021a).
Federal Land
Bureau of Reclamation
Reclamation Manual – Directives and Standards 2010 (D&S)
Wildland Fire Management (WFM): The purpose of the WFM Directives and Standards is to provide
direction for implementing and managing the Bureau of Reclamation’s WFM Program in compliance with
existing law and Department of the Interior requirements. The Bureau of Reclamation outlines WFM
activity standards in compliance with the Department of the Interior standards on fuels management,
burned area rehabilitation, prescribed fire, and wildfire suppression work. The Bureau of Reclamation
outlines the following activities in their WFM (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 2010):
• Environmental Compliance - Reclamation will complete and submit the necessary National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation and verify compliance with the National Historic
Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA)
• Fuels Management - Reclamation will establish fuels management programs, especially in WUI
areas and near at-risk Reclamation facilities.
• Post-Fire Recovery - Associated activities are intended to protect and sustain ecosystems,
public health and safety, community infrastructures, and operational and water
storage/conveyance facilities or features.
• Prescribed Fire Activities - All prescribed fire planning, preparation, and implementation will
adhere to the Department’s approved standards. No prescribed fire ignition will be undertaken
without an approved burn plan
• Wildfire Response Strategies and Suppression – Reclamation will establish agreements or
contracts with federal agencies, non-federal land management entities, or other wildland
firefighting organizations for wildfire response strategies and suppression on Reclamation land.
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The USFWS has three primary areas of focus regarding fire management strategies, including: fuels
management, wildfire management, and wildfire prevention. The USFWS aims to carryout out fire
management and land improvements in a safe a cost-effective manner to benefit both people and the
landscapes. This will be achieved through the prioritization of fuel management programs such as
prescribed burns, fuel treatment projects, maintaining previous projects, leveraging funding, and
promoting safety and security.
Private Land
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
PG&E launched their Community Wildfire Safety Program in 2018 to help keep customers and
communities safe (PG&E 2023). They have recognized that wildfire risk is increasing in California and are
working to make their system safer.
PG&E is taking action on the following items:
• Underground powerlines: powerlines are being moved underground in high fire-threat areas.
• Electric grid: electric systems are being made safer with stronger poles and covered powerlines.
• Enhancing powerline safety settings: power lines turn off within one-tenth of a second if a
problem is detected.
• Public safety power shutoff (PSPS): A PSPS follows a detailed stepwise process. Once severe
weather is forecasted, addresses that may be affected by a power shutoff will be notified.
Warning notifications are issued 1 to 2 days before power is shut off. Once power is shut off,
“power is off” notifications will be sent 24 hours per day. After severe weather passes a weather
“all-clear” notification is issued closely followed by an estimated restoration notification. Finally,
customers will be notified once power is restored.
• Installing microgrids: distribution microgrids can safely power some areas during a PSPS event.
Distribution microgrids are used to power central community corridors, gas stations, schools, and
grocery stores. These microgrids are used in targeted areas that are served by underground
power lines, outside of high fire-threat areas, and outside of the PSPS weather footprint.
• Vegetation management: PG&E is conducting enhanced vegetation safety work in High Fire-
Threat District, which are designated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
The goal of our Enhanced Vegetation Management (EVM) Program is to keep trees, limbs,
and branches away from powerlines and electric equipment.
Stewardship Agreements
In 2020, California and the federal government signed an agreement of the shared stewardship for
California forests and rangelands. The agreement sets many goals for the state of California and the
federal government to accomplish together (CA Office of the Governor 2020).These goals include treating
at least 1 million acres of California lands per year to reduce the risk of wildfires, developing a 20-year
cooperative forest management plan which will outline projects and priorities, encouraging and increasing
the use of sustainable land management practices such as prescribed fire, increase the forest
management workforce and in turn increase the pace and scale of forest management, and prioritizing
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forest health benefits such as carbon sequestration and healthy watersheds. Funding for this agreement
will be provided from the Great American Outdoors Act (CA Office of the Governor 2020).
The shared stewardship agreement includes a commitment to coordinate and share tools, processes,
and innovative approaches in respect to fire management. You can find the stewardship agreement here:
https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/8.12.20-CA-Shared-Stewardship-MOU.pdf
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APPENDIX B:
Community Background and Resources
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CONTENTS
Location and Geography .................................................................................................................... B-1
Topography .................................................................................................................................. B-2
Roads and Transportation ........................................................................................................... B-2
Water Availability and Supply ...................................................................................................... B-4
Population .................................................................................................................................... B-6
Recreation .................................................................................................................................... B-8
Wildlife ........................................................................................................................................ B-10
Forest Health Considerations ........................................................................................................... B-11
Insects ........................................................................................................................................ B-11
Diseases .................................................................................................................................... B-12
Environmental Challenges ................................................................................................................ B-12
Drought and Climate .................................................................................................................. B-12
Tree Mortality ............................................................................................................................. B-13
Ecosystem Services ......................................................................................................................... B-15
Fire Response Capabilities ............................................................................................................... B-17
Local Response ......................................................................................................................... B-18
State Response .......................................................................................................................... B-23
Federal Response ...................................................................................................................... B-24
Mutual Aid .................................................................................................................................. B-26
Evacuation Resources ............................................................................................................... B-26
Public Education and Outreach Programs ....................................................................................... B-32
Local and State Programs ......................................................................................................... B-32
National Programs ..................................................................................................................... B-34
Figures
Figure B.1. Photograph showing a winding rural road with blind turns. .................................................... B-3
Figure B.2. A washed-out road (due to heavy rain and snow storms) within a residential community. ... B-4
Figure B.3. A view of a partially filled Alamitos Pond at Valley Water headquarters on Almaden Expressway (Source: Valley Water 1/23/23). .............................................................................. B-6
Figure B.4. Slides from a promotional film created by a real estate company for the Redwood Estates in 1926 (Source: YouTube). ............................................................................................ B-7
Figure B.5. Fire agency service areas. ................................................................................................... B-17
Figure B.6. Map of suppression difficulty index. ..................................................................................... B-21
Figure B.7. Fire station service areas. .................................................................................................... B-22
Figure B.8. Fire responsibility areas and fire station locations. .............................................................. B-25
Figure B.9. Example of a narrow mountain community road. ................................................................. B-30
Figure B.10 Some areas have been identified as having extremely limited ingress and egress, and in an emergency, residents may need to evacuate through locked gates. ................................ B-31
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Tables
Table B.1. Breakdown of Land Ownership in Santa Clara County. .......................................................... B-1
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LOCATION AND GEOGRAPHY
Santa Clara County encompasses 835,449 acres (1,305 square miles) and is located at the southern
end of the San Francisco Bay (Santa Clara County 2016). Santa Clara County borders six other
California counties: San Mateo, Alameda, Stanislaus, Merced, San Benito, and Santa Cruz. The Santa
Clara Valley is generally divided into two geographic regions, the North Valley and the South Valley.
The predominantly urban North Valley houses approximately 90% of the county’s residents and 13 of its
15 cities (Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency 2012). The South Valley is primarily rural, except for Morgan
Hill, Gilroy, San Martin (unincorporated community), and scattered low-density residential areas.
Until the mid-twentieth century, orchards and other agriculture dominated the area, but in recent decades
the valley has been transformed into “Silicon Valley,” a global center for high-tech development resulting
from the 1990s internet boom. Since that time the county has seen extensive population growth, focused
mostly within the North Valley cities of Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos,
Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Saratoga, and Sunnyvale; nearly 95% of
the county population lives in its cities (Santa Clara Local Agency Formation Commission [LAFC] 2019).
The county has the largest population of any of the nine Bay Area counties, and it provides more than
25% of all jobs in the Bay Area (Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency 2012).
Although the population is expected to continue to grow, the rate of growth is projected to slow (Santa
Clara Valley Habitat Agency 2012). Recognizing the population boom in the 1970s, Santa Clara County
implemented policies to help curtail potential sprawl and protect the county’s natural resources. Policies
were enacted that focused growth inside of cities, controlling sprawl into unincorporated areas of the
county. At the same time, the Midpen, Santa Clara County Parks, and the Santa Clara Valley Open
Space Authority began acquiring undeveloped land in the foothills for a permanent greenbelt of wildlands.
Santa Clara County’s General Plan includes many measures to address land use issues involving the
rural unincorporated areas of the county over which Santa Clara County has direct land use authority.
Policy direction is to maintain the scenic rural character of these areas and to promote conservation and
productive use of their natural resources for agriculture, ranching, watershed, public recreation, and
wildlife habitat (Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency 2012).
The county has a rich culture and many community facilities and attractions that serve the residents and
attract visitors, including museums and art galleries, performing arts venues, educational facilities, cultural
and recreational opportunities, vineyards, orchards, and abundant natural resources.
Table B.1. Breakdown of Land Ownership in Santa Clara County
Landowner Portion of Santa Clara County
Private 73.66%
Local Government 15.20%
CDPR 7.20%
Other State Lands 1.33%
CDFW 1.09%
USFWS 0.96%
Non-Profit Conservancies and Trusts 0.39%
BLM 0.17%
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Landowner Portion of Santa Clara County
Department of Defense 0.01%
Bureau of Reclamation 0.00%
TOPOGRAPHY
Santa Clara County encompasses the fertile Santa Clara Valley, which runs from south to north and
contains large swathes of agricultural and urbanized land. The valley is split into two regions, the
North Valley and the South Valley. The North Valley is adjacent to San Francisco Bay and contains
braided creeks and stream channels that spill into several tidal wetlands, salt marshes, and abandoned
salt ponds. The South Valley is slightly higher in elevation at approximately 350 feet above sea level and
contains many agricultural lands, which are flanked by deep narrow lakes and reservoirs. The valley is
approximately 93 miles long. At its widest in the north, the Santa Clara Valley is about 11 miles wide; at
its narrowest in the south, the valley is about 2.5 miles wide. A low saddle near the middle of the valley
represents the watershed divide between the Coyote Valley Watershed with its pour point located in
San Francisco Bay and several watersheds to the south in which streams flow southward ultimately
terminating in Monterey Bay (Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency 2012).
The Santa Clara Valley is surrounded by the rolling Diablo hills to the east and the Santa Cruz Mountains
to the west. The Santa Cruz Mountains rise to a maximum elevation of 4,000 feet and are characterized
by steep and rugged country that is carved by deep draws and drainages. The foothills of these
mountains roll gently downslope to the alluvial fan geomorphology of the flatter valley below. The Diablo
Mountain range contains several high points, ranging from 2,500 feet to the highest peak of Mt. Hamilton
at 4,213 feet tall. The Diablo Range is skirted by dissected hills, but the interior of the range still contains
alpine features like those of the Santa Cruz mountains. The two mountain ranges in Santa Clara County
greatly influence diurnal and orographic winds and dictate precipitation distribution from incoming
moisture sourced from the nearby Pacific Ocean to the west (Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency 2012).
ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION
As outlined in the Santa Clara County General Plan, an adequate transportation system is essential to the
county’s economy, environment, and overall quality of life (Santa Clara County 1994). The Transportation
section of the General Plan provides measures to reduce congestion in the county, improve air quality,
encourage compact urban development, and improve social and economic well-being. Specific to the
CWPP, roads and transportation are important for evacuation purposes and emergency response,
providing ingress and egress to emergency responders. Conversely, they also contribute to patterns of
ignition, by bringing people in contact with the wildlands. Santa Clara County has updated the Circulation
and Mobility Element of the General Plan, which will provide updates and policies to support and
implement road improvements to the county’s expressways and unincorporated road system. These
updates were enacted to create consistency with the California Streets Act of 2008. Santa Clara County’s
main airport is Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport with numerous international connections.
Santa Clara Train Station is served by Caltrans and provides service throughout Santa Clara Valley and
the Bay Area. The San Jose Diridon Station is the transit hub for Santa Clara County/Silicon Valley.
This station serves Altamont Commuter Express (ACE), Amtrak Capitol Corridor, Amtrak Coast Starlight,
VTA, Light Rail, Highway 17 Express) and Monterey-San Jose Express. The Santa Clara Valley
Transportation Authority operates the regional light rail system connecting towns throughout the valley.
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Santa Clara County has an extensive freeway system and separate expressways. The expressways are
maintained as county roads, not by Caltrans. The major state highways in the county are U.S. Route 101
that runs through the center of the valley, State Route 17 that runs from San Jose through the Santa Cruz
Mountains to Santa Cruz, Interstate 280 that connects San Jose to San Francisco, Interstate 880 that
connects San Jose with Oakland to the north, Interstate 680 that connects San Jose to communities to
the northeast and State Route 85 (West Valley Freeway) that connects south San Jose to Mountain View
and all the West Valley cities.
Many arterial roads and highways are critical to transportation in the WUI. These include Skyline/Highway
35, Summit Road, Junipero Serra Blvd/Foothill Expressway, Blossom Hill Road, Almaden Road, Old
Monterey Highway, Page Mill Road, Black Road, Stevens Canyon Road, Highway 9, Highway 17, Old
Santa Cruz Highway, Watsonville Road, Hecker Pass/Highway 152 West, Pacheco Pass/Highway 152
East, and Mt. Hamilton Road/Highway 130. Many subdivisions in the county are located within a private
road network. Maintenance of these private roads is a concern for emergency response because poorly
maintained roads, steep grades, and unsurfaced routes may be inaccessible to some emergency
apparatuses. Some of these communities have a road committee that provides oversight of road
conditions.
Rural areas such as Croy and in the Hamilton Range have critical access routes for residents that are on
private land and maintenance and improvements are the responsibility of the landowner. Inholdings with
access easements on these roads may have limited influence on improving road conditions or opening
locked gates for alternate escape routes if no road association or agreement exists.
Figure B.1. Photograph showing a winding rural road with blind turns.
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Figure B.2. A washed-out road (due to heavy rain and snow storms) within a residential community.
WATER AVAILABILITY AND SUPPLY
Water supply is variable around the county and may be provided by hydrants, wells, cisterns, and
reservoirs. However, many fire planning documents developed by various entities in the county on the
wildfire issue commonly cite water availability as a concern. The 2010 Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard
Mitigation Plan for the San Francisco Bay Area, for example, calls for the development of “a coordinated
approach between fire jurisdictions and water supply agencies to identify needed improvements to the
water distribution system, initially focusing on areas of highest wildfire hazard” (Association of Bay Area
Governments 2010). All new structures in the county are required to have a reliable water supply,
whether by a water purveyor or private tanks. According to the Santa Clara County Fire Department,
10 fire hydrants are added to the county network on average each year. The fire department also
coordinates with neighboring jurisdictions annually to update fire resource information.
Compatibility of cistern connections to fire apparatuses and vegetation clearance to allow fire apparatus
to access cisterns are other common water supply issues. However, as was noted previously, homes are
more likely to survive a wildfire due to existing fire-resistant building materials and designs, and
vegetation clearance around the dwelling, than by a reliance on suppression resources. However, it must
be noted that a lack of access to water supply, and roads that are too narrow to allow transport of water
by fire apparatus to structures threatened by wildfire, will complicate the suppression of wildfire and the
protection of structures.
The Santa Clara County Operational Area Mitigation Plan identifies water availability in high-risk wildfire
areas as a major issue and recognizes climate change as a potential threat to overall water supply within
the county. Increased occurrence of drought events leading to lower levels of precipitation could reduce
the county’s snowpack runoff and groundwater storage. Rising global atmospheric heating could lead to
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sea level rise and saltwater intrusion into freshwater systems, thus decreasing freshwater supply.
Escalating temperatures may also cause an increase in net evaporation losses from the county’s
reservoirs by as much 37 percent (Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management 2017).
Watersheds
Healthy watersheds consist of the natural land cover that supports and facilitates naturally occurring
hydrologic and geomorphic processes (EPA 2022). Additionally, a watershed’s land cover and its
hydrologic and geomorphic processes also promote the physical and chemical conditions that are
necessary to support the habitat requirements for its native ecological communities. Healthy watersheds
typically consist of functioning headwater streams, floodplains, riparian corridors, biotic refugia, instream
habitat, biotic communities, and the natural vegetation of the landscape. These healthy watershed
components should support the hydrology, sediment transport, fluvial geomorphology, and disturbance
regimes that are required to maintain a healthy aquatic ecosystem (EPA 2022). For societal purposes,
healthy watersheds provide invaluable ecosystem services, such as clean drinking water and predictable
water supplies. Additionally, they also provide invaluable recreation opportunities and can bolster property
values (EPA 2022).
Under certain conditions, wildfires can have substantial impacts on the health of a watershed.
For instance, if a watershed experiences a large and unnatural high severity wildfire, watershed health
indicators, such as native vegetative land cover, sediment transport, stream flows, and aquatic habitat,
can differ dramatically compared to the pre-fire environment. These changes can result in deleterious
impacts to watershed health (Wildfire Ready Watersheds 2023). As such, when considering wildfire and
watershed planning, it is important to consider the current watershed environment’s health and assess
and the potential impacts from wildfire to it.
Reservoirs and Percolation Ponds
Water is a precious resource in the Santa Clara Valley, and systems and infrastructure are in place to
protect and maintain water resources, as well to mitigate potential disasters like floods. 50% of the water
supplies in Santa Clara County is imported from the San Joaquin Delta and Hetch Hetchy water system.
The other 50% of water supplies comes from local reservoirs and ground water (30%), recycled water
(5%), and water conservation (15%) (Valley Water 2023b). Valley Water operates 10 reservoirs
throughout the county with a total storage capacity of 170,000 acre-feet. These reservoirs were
constructed in the 1930s and 1950s and catch storm runoff that would otherwise flow into the San
Francisco Bay. “The reservoirs do also provide incidental flood protection by containing runoff early in the
rainfall season, serve recreational needs, and benefit the environment by storing water to maintain flow in
the creeks” (Valley Water 2023c). In the event of a watershed wide wildfire, impacts to water
infrastructure and resources are possible. Sedimentation of water intake locations can occur and may
result in flooding due to blocked drainage pipes.
Percolation ponds are a passive water saving and ground water recharging strategy utilized by Valley
Water. Imported water supplies and surplus water in reservoirs are funneled into 102 percolation ponds
across the county for the purposes of recharging groundwater and reducing losses to evapotranspiration
(Valley Water News 2023). The floor of a percolation pond is made of well-draining substrate suitable for
percolating and filtering large quantities of water in groundwater aquifers. Water can be captured and
stored during the rainy season to later be used during the summer and under drought conditions.
Sediment and debris can clog percolation ponds (Valley Water News 2023). Severe wildfire can create
conditions favorable for mass wasting events, which can inundate waterways with sedimentation, causing
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an extreme increase in turbidity. This can cause issues for percolation ponds as fine sediments can clog
drainage pipes and even reduce the effectiveness of percolation.
See the Values at Risk section in Chapter 3 for additional information on water resources.
Figure B.3. A view of a partially filled Alamitos Pond at Valley Water headquarters on Almaden Expressway (Source: Valley Water 1/23/23).
POPULATION
According to census estimates (U.S. Census Bureau 2021), the population of Santa Clara County is
1,885,508 people, with a 5.8% increase in population from 2010 to 2021. Population density is
1,499 persons per square mile. As of 2021, there were an estimated 646,847 households in the county,
with an average 2.93 persons per household. Over half (54.4%) of the population aged 25 years or older
hold a bachelor’s degree or higher; the tech industry is a considerable employer and draw to the area.
At $140,258, Santa Clara County has a median household income that is among the highest in the nation
and nearly twice the national average (U.S. Census Bureau 2021, 2022).
Urban Encroachment
Santa Clara County has been a leader in urban planning for decades, starting with the adoption in the
early 1970s of the Countywide Urban Development Policies and the use of city USA boundaries. In the
1990s, Santa Clara County and interested cities worked together to adopt urban growth boundaries for
several cities, delineating areas intended for future urbanization (Santa Clara LAFC 2015). Though strong
efforts have been implemented by many cities in Santa Clara County to prevent geographic expansion,
many have still accommodated substantial residential growth.
The WUI is closely interrelated to urban sprawl, which, according to the American Planning Association,
is characterized by low-density residential and commercial development at the urban fringe (Santa Clara
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LAFC 2015). Sprawl is often contrasted with “smart growth,” which is generally defined as focusing
moderate to higher density development near existing infrastructure, especially transit. Smart growth has
been promoted throughout the county to counter the effects of urban sprawl on the county’s natural
resources; this in turn helps to prevent the expansion of the WUI. Because of the economic draw of the
Santa Clara Valley, however, reduced expansion has led to housing production being out of pace with the
expansive job market. As a result, commuting through the WUI from distant housing in areas such as
Santa Cruz County brings wildfire-related concerns with motorist entrapment on highways and increased
evacuation concerns due to congestion of arterial roads in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Conversion of Historical Summer Vacation Homes
A large number of homes, particularly in the Lexington Basin, originated as summer homes that were built
in the last century that are now being used as full-time residences. Redwood Estates, for example, was
established as a summer home community in the mid-1920s designed for wealthy Bay Area residents to
escape to the cooler Santa Cruz Mountains during the summer.
Figure B.4. shows two still captures taken from a real estate promotional video for Redwood Estates
filmed in 1926.
Figure B.4. Slides from a promotional film created by a real estate company for the Redwood Estates in 1926 (Source: YouTube).
The implication of this twentieth-century summer home development to wildfire management is that many
of these homes were built in the WUI before WUI codes were enacted and many have structural
ignitability issues related to construction materials and close adjacency to neighboring properties.
Nonpermitted Homes
In addition, many homes have been built on parcels without planning permission and, as such, are not
documented in county assessor records, particularly in remote areas in the Lexington Hills and Croy area.
These inhabited and agricultural/industrial structures are a concern for emergency responders, who may
fear for their safety when approaching or entering illegal facilities due to the possibility of poor structural
integrity or other hazards presented by unlicensed construction. In addition, the roads leading to these
structures are often substandard, unmarked, and blocked by locked gates without fire access keys. All of
these factors create serious concerns around the issue of notifying residents and workers and effectively
conducting mandatory evacuations.
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RECREATION
Outdoor recreation is extremely popular in the county, with the regional park’s recreation area spanning
52,000 acres of urban and mountain parks, trails, lakes, streams, and open space. Santa Clara County is
home to many county and state parks, cultural attractions, and other park spaces attracting thousands of
visitors. The county offers a diverse natural environment, with the park system encompassing woodlands
in the Diablo Range to wetlands in the San Francisco Bay, the redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Camping, swimming, and fishing are popular on public land (Figure B.5) (Santa Clara County Parks
2022). During peak seasons and large events, a significant number of people can congregate in relatively
small areas, which results in large populations potentially needing to evacuate should an emergency
occur.
Description of the state parks and federally managed recreation sites within the county are listed below.
In addition, there are 28 regional parks within the county. Recreation is crucial to the Santa Clara County
economy as it draws in thousands of tourists and recreationalists, and therefore, their spending dollars.
Increased recreation and tourism may also pose as additional risk due to incidental human-caused
ignitions in wildland areas.
Castle Rock State Park
Castle Rock State Park encompasses 5,150 acres of wilderness and 34 miles of trails, providing visitors
with panoramic views of Monterey Bay from one of the highest ridges of the Santa Cruz mountains.
The park houses a variety of native and non-native vegetative communities, ranging from chaparral and
grassland to black oak and mixed evergreen forests. Throughout its rich history, the park has provided
spiritual and natural resources for Indigenous communities, logging resources for Gold Fever immigrants,
and more recently, arable land for nearby residents. Today the park provides recreational opportunities
such as picnics, hiking and backpacking, camping, and rock climbing.
To learn more about Castle Rock State Park, please visit:
https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/538/files/CastleRockSPFinalWebLayout082117.pdf
Henry W. Coe State Park
Henry W. Coe State Park is the largest state park in northern California, with over 87,000 acres of open
spaces including 22,000 acres of wilderness areas. The park is found in the Diablo Range east of Morgan
Hill deep in the backcountry (CDPR 2023). The terrain of the park is rugged, varied, and beautiful, with
lofty ridges and steep canyons. Once the home of Ohlone Indians, the park is now home to a fascinating
variety of plants and animals, including the elusive mountain lion. The park is home to a wide variety of
trees including giant live oaks, large stands of blue oaks, and gray pines. Ponderosa pine dominates the
western ridges while blue oak is the most common and widespread. Pacific madrone, western Sycamore,
California bay laurel, and California buckeye are also present (Pine Ridge Association 2023).
The expansive Santa Clara (SCU) Lightning Complex fire burned through a majority of Henry W. Coe
State Park lands in 2020. However, East Bay Regional Park District and Save Mount Diablo monitored
the fire impact in park district lands and found that the burn was mostly beneficial for the ecology of the
region (The Independent 2021).
The park encompasses parts of three watersheds: Orestimba Creek, Coyote Creek, and Pacheco Creek.
All the park's creeks are ephemeral, although ponds and riparian areas can be found year-round
depending on annual rainfall. The park contains many water sources in the form of reservoirs that were
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created by former ranch owners. The largest of these is Mississippi Lake, measuring about 32 acres
(Pine Ridge Association 2023).
Canada de los Osos Ecological Reserve
Santa Clara County is also home to the Canada de los Osos Ecological Reserve located southeast of
Henry W. Coe State Park. The property was designated as an ecological reserve in 2003 and
encompasses 5,800 acres of grasslands, oak and montane woodland, chaparral, and riparian habitats.
You can read more about the Canada de los Osos Ecological Reserve here:
(https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Canada-de-los-Osos-ER)
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Where Santa Clara County meets the San Francisco Bay, there is the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay
National Wildlife Refuge. Established through local activism in 1972 and encompassing 30,000 acres of
protected habitat, the landscape provides sanctuary for migratory birds and other endangered species.
In addition to serving wildlife, the refuge provides opportunities for people to enjoy the region's natural
beauty.
Regional Parks
The regional parks offering outdoor recreational opportunities for residents and visitors of Santa Clara
County include:
• Almaden Quicksilver County Park, San Jose
• Alviso Marina County Park, San Jose
• Anderson Lake County Park, Morgan Hill
• Calero County Park, San Jose
• Chesbro Reservoir County Park, Morgan Hill
• Chitactac-Adams Heritage County Park, Gilroy
• Coyote Creek Parkway, San Jose
• Coyote Lake Harvey Bear Ranch County Park, Gilroy
• Ed R. Levin County Park, Milpitas
• Field Sports Park, San Jose
• Hellyer County Park, San Jose
• Joseph D. Grant County Park, San Jose
• Lexington Reservoir County Park, Los Gatos
• Los Gatos Creek County Park, Campbell
• Martial Cottle Park, San Jose
• Metcalf Motorcycle County Park, San Jose
• Mt. Madonna County Park, Watsonville
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• Penitencia Creek, San Jose
• Rancho San Antonio County Park, Cupertino
• Sanborn County Park, Saratoga
• Santa Teresa County Park, San Jose
• Stevens Creek County Park, Cupertino
• Sunnyvale Baylands Park, Sunnyvale
• Upper Stevens Creek County Park, Palo Alto
• Uvas Canyon County Park, Morgan Hill
• Uvas Reservoir County Park, Morgan Hill
• Vasona Lake County Park, Los Gatos
• Villa Montalvo, Saratoga
WILDLIFE
Vegetation management treatments are commonly applied throughout the county to benefit habitat for
general wildlife species or game habitat. Most native wildlife species found in the region evolved with a
frequent fire regime. However, impacts to wildlife should still be considered when planning fuel
treatments. For more understanding about fuel management practices, please see Appendix F.
Wildfire management is an important component of wildlife management because of the impacts, both
adverse and beneficial, that wildfire can have on wildlife habitat. The focus of most wildlife management
is on the preservation of biodiversity and healthy functioning ecosystems; fire management and the
application of prescribed fire can play an integral part in the preservation of biodiversity.
Projects to reduce wildfire risk that involve physical changes to the landscape such as creating fuel
breaks or modifying vegetation types can have positive or negative impacts to wildlife. These impacts
should be evaluated when projects are proposed and plans to implement the projects are developed.
The National Audubon Society is an organization advocating for healthy bird populations through
conservation plans, actions, and policies. Over the past half century, a multitude of environmental threats
such as land conversions, poor management, invasive species, and climate change have all contributed
to a severe decline in bird populations. This trend has prompted the development of the Audubon
Conservation Ranching Initiative. The National Audubon Society hopes to improve the health of grassland
bird populations Santa Clara County by creating market-based incentives that encourage ranchers to take
part in protecting and enhancing bird habitats.
Threatened and Endangered Species
Several threatened and endangered species reside in and around Santa Clara County. The County
has designated habitat for five endangered species: California clapper rail, salt marsh harvest mouse,
California tiger salamander, Bay checkerspot butterfly, and the San Joaquin kit fox (Santa Clara County
2023b). Additionally, the Almaden Quicksilver and Calero County Parks provide prime habitat for
mountain lions, an apex predator in the region. The California Fish and Wildlife Commission is
considering listing the Central Coast mountain lions under the state’s Endangered Species Act
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(Santa Clara County Parks 2023). In addition to mammals, amphibians, fish, lizards, and birds, many of
the natural areas (e.g., county parks and conservation areas) contain various listed plants.
FOREST HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS
INSECTS
Native insect epidemics within plant communities are usually part of a natural disturbance cycle similar to
wildfire. They are often cyclic in nature and are usually followed by the natural succession of vegetation
over time. Of primary interest are those that attack tree species because of the implications for fire
management.
In addition to native insect epidemics, exotic pests also pose a significant threat to forest ecosystems.
Invasive species are organisms that are introduced into an area beyond their natural range and become
pests in the new environment. They are also referred to as exotic pests, alien, non-native, or introduced
pests. The majority of introductions have been unintentional and accidental. Having evolved in a different
environment, these invasive species may have few natural enemies in their new locations, which can
often lead to rapid population increases that can out-compete native species for resources.
The introduction of exotic pests is likely to cause economic, environmental, and agricultural harm as well
as harm to human health (California Department of Food and Agriculture [CDFA] 2021). In general, traits
of invasive species include fast growth, rapid reproduction, rapid adaptability, tolerating a wide range of
environmental conditions, and utilizing a variety of different foods (CDFA 2021).
Insects that have infested or have the potential to infect the forests within and around the Santa Clara
County CWPP planning area include:
• Asian gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar asiatica)
• California oakworm (Phryganidia californica)
• Fruittree leafroller (Archips argyrospila)
• Bark beetles (Ips beetles) (Ips spp. and Dendroctonus spp.)
• Western Cedar bark beetle (Phloeosinus punctatus)
• Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae)
• Fir engraver beetle (Scolytus ventralis)
• Walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis)
• Black pineleaf scale (Nuculaspis californica)
“On June 16, 2020, one male Asian gypsy moth was trapped in Sunnyvale (Santa Clara County).
Delimitation trapping continued through October and will resume next year. The delimitation project
triggered by the 2018 find in Santa Cruz County resulted in no new finds this year and will likely resume
in 2021” (USFS 2021c).
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DISEASES
Diseases of trees, such as parasitic plants, fungi, and bacteria, can also affect forests in the Santa Clara
County CWPP planning area. These diseases impact forest systems by degrading the productivity and
health of the forest. Some of the more common forest diseases that are found in the county are listed
below. Trees that are killed by disease have the similar potential to increase fire hazards.
• Sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum)
• Canker rots (Inonotus andersonii)
• Sulfur fungus (Laetiporus gilbertsonii)
• Red-belted conk (Fomitopsis pinicola)
• Mistletoe (Arceuthobium spp., Phoradendron spp.)
In 2021 the USFS observed several cases of the invasive disease sudden oak death (SOD) in the Bay
area caused by Phytophthora ramorum. “Mortality was observed in new or expanded locations in Santa
Clara and Santa Cruz counties, including both sides of the ridge between Watsonville and Morgan Hill
along Highway 152” (USFS 2019). In 2020 along the border between Santa Cruz and Santa Clara
counties high visible mortality was observed due to P. ramorum. According to the California Forest Pest
Council, “open oak woodlands had scattered coast live oak mortality, while more heavily wooded areas
had patches of continuous tanoak mortality and numerous understory tanoaks with [SOD] symptoms.”
(California Forest Pest Council 2020). Furthermore, multiple significant outbreaks were identified in the
Santa Cruz Mountains (USFS 2021c).
Treatments on federal land would be subject to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and
associated analysis of impacts to these species. Treatments in areas that may impact threatened and
endangered species would require application of certain mitigation measures to prevent degradation to
habitat.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
DROUGHT AND CLIMATE
Frequent drought, suppression-based forest management tactics, and climate change have all worked
together to increase forest vulnerability. Removing natural fire from a fire-dependent ecosystem, drought,
insects, and diseases have resulted in increased fuel build-up and alterations to vegetation composition.
These forest changes can increase the risk of uncharacteristically large high-severity fires (CDFW
2021b). In the past few years, fires have grown to record sizes and are burning earlier, longer, hotter,
and more intensely than they have in the past (Westerling et al. 2006; Westerling 2016).
According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), occurrence of catastrophic wildfires has greatly
increased over the last 20 years. Westerling et al. (2006) claim that a study of large (>1,000 acres)
wildfires throughout the western United States for the period of 1970 to 2003 saw a pronounced increase
in fire frequency since the mid-1980s (1987–2003 fires were four times more frequent than the 1970–
1986 average). In addition, the length of the fire season increased by 78 days (comparing 1970–1986
data with that from 1987–2003). An update to Westerling et al.’s 2006 work found that the frequency of
large wildfires has continued to increase with each decade since 1970 (Westerling 2016). Within just the
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last 10 years, a record number of acres have burned, and numbers are continually increasing
(NIFC 2021a). In 2020, 58,950 fires were reported nationwide, burning 10.1 million acres (NIFC 2021a).
The same year in California, 4,304,379 acres were burned by wildfire (CAL FIRE 2020c). With increased
fires comes increased suppression costs; 2018 beat all previous records, with federal firefighting costs
hitting $3,143,256,000 (NIFC 2021b).
Moreover, as energy companies responded to the growing threat of wildfire events and likely risk of
ignition by electrical transmission equipment, communities across the state were impacted by public
safety power shutoff events. Furthermore, utility credit reductions result in higher consumer rates and
homeowner’s insurance in the wildland-urban interface is also becoming more difficult and expensive to
obtain in California (CA GOPR 2019).
In addition to direct damage (e.g., structure and property damage) caused by wildfires,
uncharacteristically large and severe wildfires also cause indirect impacts on the environment and
ecosystem services. Wildfires are known to deteriorate local and regional air quality, pollute waterways,
displace native species (animal and plant), and increase greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon
dioxide emissions. Greenhouse gases are a critical concern because they are the primary cause of the
recent observed climate change, and climate change is a critical factor exacerbating frequency and
severity of wildfires (CA GOPR 2019). Please see Appendix A for more information on the Safer from
Wildfire initiative.
The shifting climate, particularly rising temperatures, changing wind patterns, and increasing temporal
and spatial variability of water availability, are considerably escalating wildfire risk across the state.
The recurrence of severe fire weather during the autumn months has more than doubled in California
since the 1980s, and considering climate change, this prevalence is projected to increase in the future.
As stated by California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment, if greenhouse gas emissions continue to
increase, California is expected to experience a 50% increase in fires larger than 25,000 acres, as well as
a potential 77% increase in average area burned by 2100. The state has already begun to encounter the
impacts of increased fire occurrence and severity. In fact, the five largest wildfires in California occurred in
the last 3 years, including the August Complex fire (August 2020) and the Dixie fire (July 2021), burning a
combined total of nearly 2 million acres and destroying over 2,000 structures (CAL FIRE 2022a).
Catastrophic wildfire events continue to present a significant threat to California’s communities.
Check out the Silicon Valley 2.0 Climate Change Preparedness Tool to find out about the vulnerability,
risk, and impacts of climate change to your local community.
Silicon Valley 2.0: https://siliconvalleytwopointzero.org/setup?step=1
It is important to note that fire is a natural part of California’s diverse landscapes and is essential to many
ecosystems across the state. Almost all of California’s diverse ecosystems are fire-dependent or fire-
adapted (CDFW 2021b). Frequent, uncharacteristically large, high-severity wildfires are the primary
source of the catastrophic damage listed above.
TREE MORTALITY
A recent aerial detection survey completed by the USFS shows that California’s coastal forests have
sustained significant levels of tree mortality. Surveyors drew polygons delineating tree stands and
observed the percentage of trees affected. In the Santa Cruz Mountains tree mortality was observed to be
widespread with most stands registering tree mortality as very light (1%–3%) to moderate (11%–29%)
with secluded stands registering as severe (30%–50%) and very severe (>50%). In the Diablo Range,
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tree mortality was only observed on lower west facing slopes with tree mortality being very light (1%–3%)
to light (4%–10%). Tree mortality was most likely not observed in the interior of the Diablo Range due to
the Santa Clara Lightning Complex fires of 2020 burning most of the vegetation that was present.
The major species observed with mortality in the planning area include tanoak, Douglas fir, mixed oaks,
and other conifer mortality (USFS 2022b).
Generally, tree mortality can be attributed to the cumulative impacts of overstocked forest conditions,
extended drought, insect outbreaks, and disease. The State’s decreased forest health can be largely
attributed to California having experienced its driest and warmest weather conditions on record between
2020 and 2022, leading to low water intake and escalated tree vulnerability. This trend coupled with
excessive vegetative crowding and higher temperatures has further applied pressure to forests and
making them more susceptible to insects and diseases. Dead tree accumulation and overstocked forest
stands provide an abundance of dry and densely packed fuels, thus increasing the risk of high-severity
wildfire. Since releasing these reports, the Forest Service has developed a 10-year strategy to address
this issue through fuel reduction practices such as the removal of dead trees and reduction of live tree
crowding near at-risk communities. This issue highlights the importance of properly managing hazardous
fuels throughout the State, as the impacts of hot and dry conditions will continue to negatively affect forest
health until the landscape receives multiple years of at or above average precipitation (USFS 2022b).
Researchers from the University of California Davis and the USFS conducted the Recent bark beetle
outbreaks influence wildfire severity in mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada, California, USA study
to answer this question. The researchers focused on the 2015 Rough Fire and the 2016 Cedar Fire areas
for their assessment. These areas presented the perfect opportunity to study the effects of tree mortality
on wildfire severity since they had recently burned and had existing tree mortality. They found that two
measures of wildfire severity (area killed by fire and canopy torch) were significantly influenced by pre-fire
tree mortality. That is, the higher the degree of tree mortality in an area, the higher the potential for a
canopy fire and fire-killed trees. Considering that deceased trees pose an increased risk of intense
wildfire, the researchers emphasized that fuel reduction treatments, such as thinning and prescribed fire,
not only reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire but can also reduce the severity of future bark beetle
outbreaks (Wayman and Safford 2021).
Oak woodlands, which can be found distributed throughout the CWPP planning area, are sensitive to
climate stressors including water availability and changes in precipitation. Under normal conditions oaks
are well-adapted to surviving wildfire disturbances. However, due to climate stressors and reduced
habitat extent caused by anthropogenic changes, the ability of oaks to recover from wildfire is greatly
diminished. This has the potential to alter natural fire regimes in the area and may promote the
succession of less fire tolerant species such as shrubs and grasses. Management strategies that may
increase the resilience of oak woodlands to climate impacts include increased use of prescribed fire,
restoration of native perennial grasses and forbs, climate-informed management of livestock grazing, and
protection of oak woodlands within climatically suitable areas and/or potential refugia (Eco Adapt 2021).
Hazardous Trees
Hazardous trees come in all shapes and sizes and are often responsible for wildland fire ignitions, as well
as damage to property and injury to people. It is important to be able to identify and report hazardous
trees within the WUI or along critical infrastructure such as power lines. During high wind events, hazard
trees have the potential to fall on powerlines and property potentially causing wildfire ignitions during
conditions suitable for high intensity and rates of spread. It is advised that property owners and land
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management groups understand how to identify hazard trees and the best course of action for removing
them. There are two steps that can be taken to identify the hazard potential of a tree (USFS 2022c).
1. Assess the target potential for each tree: Tree height should be used to assess the potential
impact zone. Trees are known to fall unpredictably and may slide, roll, or cause a domino effect
in thicker stands. The potential impact zone should be surveyed for values at risk such as power
lines, vehicles, sleeping areas, structures, and high traffic zones.
2. Assess the tree defect potential: It is best to look at trees from 2 or 3 perspectives: close, at a
distance, and all around. Be on the lookout for characteristics such as dead tops, split trunks, and
fungal fruiting bodies. Accurately determining tree defects requires advanced knowledge and skill.
If a tree is suspected of having defects, it is advised to consult a licensed arborist or similar tree
care professional.
If a tree on county land is suspected of having a combination of potential targets and tree defects,
it should be reported to the Department of Planning and Development (Santa Clara County 2023c).
The County of Santa Clara offers tree removal permits that can be applied for free of charge. Property
owners that have identified hazardous trees on their land are encouraged to consult licensed tree care
professionals and utilize the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council’s free chipping program. The removal
of hazardous trees is highly dangerous and should not be attempted without proper experience,
knowledge, and equipment.
Eligible candidates for the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (ISA TRAQ) to be recognized as a public
tree care professional and gain specialized knowledge in tree risk assessments. More information on the
ISA TRAQ can be found here: https://www.isa-arbor.com/Credentials/ISA-Tree-Risk-Assessment-
Qualification
A link to the SCC tree removal permit can be found here:
https://stgenpln.blob.core.windows.net/document/TreeRemovalPermitApplication.pdf.
A link to the NWCG Hazard Tree Identification guide can be found here:
https://www.nwcg.gov/committee/6mfs/felling-safety/hazard-tree-identification
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
Fire has been a component of California’s natural history for millennia, with natural and anthropogenically
caused fires being a common occurrence in most parts of the state. Fire was used by Native Americans
for a variety of purposes, as well as by settlers, ranchers, and loggers. In some vegetation types, frequent
fires resulted in a mosaic of burned areas of various ages, with the more recently burned areas tending to
impede the spread of new fires (Klinger et al. 2006). There are very few areas in the state that were not
affected by fire. In addition, many California native plant species have adapted to periodic fires.
Despite the recognized role that fire plays as a natural occurrence and land management tool in the
United States, fire can become detrimental once reaching extreme magnitudes and intensities. In addition
to directly damaging structures and properties, large high-severity wildfires can also cause indirect
impacts on the environment and ecosystem services. Large high-severity wildfires are known to
deteriorate local and regional air quality, pollute waterways, displace native species (animal and plant),
and increase carbon dioxide emissions. The increased carbon dioxide emissions are of special concern
as carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gases are implicated in climate change, and climate
change is a critical factor exacerbating frequency and severity of wildfires.
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Low severity wildfire is also acknowledged as a keystone process for many ecosystem types.
Frequent low-severity fire restores and maintains forest composition, structure, and functions to their
natural conditions which leads to a greater resilience to large-scale disturbances, high-severity fire,
insects, disease, drought, and climate change (North et al. 2019). Reduction of tree density as a result of
healthy fire decreases the risk of loss to disturbances and increases the growth rate of retained trees,
biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and spatial heterogeneity across the landscape (North et al. 2019).
Santa Clara exists within the North American Mediterranean Climate Zone (NAMCZ) that encompasses
most of the State, displaying a high degree of variety with respect to the with major fire regimes it
facilitates (Höllermann et al. 1993). Historically, fire regimes in coastal areas of California with
Mediterranean climates and chaparral as the dominant vegetation typically burned every 30 to 65 years,
as chaparral is adapted to infrequent but high-severity fires (Ainsworth and Doss 1995). By contrast,
California oak woodlands are well adapted for low-intensity groundfires, as their seedlings can resprout
after experiencing top-fire (UCANR 1994). These differing regimes exemplify the complexity of fire and its
role as a key ecosystem service within the county, which has been obscured by suppressive wildfire
management. A century of intense fire suppression, the introduction of nonnative plants such as
eucalyptus, and climate change have altered historic vegetation conditions and fire behavior in the
state (Airey-Lauvaux et al. 2022). This progression coupled with the occurrence of California’s fourth
largest wildfire on record burning through massive portions of the Diablo Range in the eastern portion of
the county emphasizes the need to shift fire management focuses toward restoring key ecosystem
functions.
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FIRE RESPONSE CAPABILITIES
Figure B.5. Fire agency service areas.
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LOCAL RESPONSE
The City and County Fire Departments in Santa Clara County work collaboratively to provide effective fire
response services to communities throughout the county. Visually represented within Figure B.7 are the
service areas of the local fire stations, showcasing the extent of their coverage across the county.
In addition to service area, estimated response times are depicted, illustrating the departments'
commitment to swift and efficient emergency assistance.
Santa Clara County Fire Department
The Santa Clara County Fire Department is the leading fire response agency serving majority of Santa
Clara County. Within their jurisdiction are the communities of Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos
Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Redwood Estates, Saratoga and the adjacent unincorporated areas of
Lexington and Summit. Staffing for the service area’s 24-hour response is composed of an operational
minimum of 66 firefighters and officers operating from 15 fire stations with 31 front-line fire apparatus, as
well as three command vehicles. The total response service area covers about 130 square miles with a
population of approximately 225,000 people. The department has 300 employees staffing community
education, prevention, investigation, operations, emergency management, maintenance, and
administration (SCCFD 2020).
City Fire Departments
The cities of Palo Alto, San Jose, Morgan Hill, and Gilroy (all with WUI designated areas) provide their
own fire departments, which manage a wide variety of emergency incidents.
City of Santa Clara
The City of Santa Clara Fire Department is responsible for the staffing of nine fire stations throughout the
service area, with another planned to be added in 2025. The department comprises five divisions: the Fire
Administration Division, the Emergency Medical Division, the Community Risk Reduction Division, the
Field Operations Division, and the Training Division. Available resources response and other activities
include eight engines, two trucks, one rescue unit, one hazardous materials unit, and two command
vehicles. The Department has achieved accreditation through a process developed by the Center for
Public Safety Excellence and the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (City of Santa Clara
2023).
City of Milpitas
The Milpitas Fire Department provides fire suppression, rescue, hazardous materials response, disaster
coordination, and emergency medical services for the City of Milpitas. Its mission is to protect the
community through the preservation of life, property, and the environment while upholding a high level of
the public’s trust. The department is staffed with 11 full-time employees across four fire stations (City of
Milpitas 2023).
Mountain View Fire Department
The Mountain View Fire Department (MVFD) provides the community with education, training, fire
prevention, and life safety services. The department emphasizes the importance of applying best
practices, highlighting innovative emergency response and environmental protection as key components
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of its activities. Through independent evaluations of its fire protection efforts by the Insurance Services
Office, MVFD has become 1 of 35 fire agencies in California to receive a Class 1 Public Protection
Classification rating. The department’s apparatus includes seven engines, one rescue unit,
one hazardous materials vehicle, and one truck (City of Mountain View 2023)
Sunnyvale Fire Department
The Sunnyvale Fire Department provides emergency services for the City of Sunnyvale, reducing the loss
of life and property through inspections, enforcement of codes, permitting, and public education.
The department disseminates educative materials and carries out actions for businesses, new
construction, and homes. Annual fire safety inspections are conducted by the Fire Prevention Service
year-round (Sunnyvale 2023).
Palo Alto Fire Department
The Palo Alto Fire Department staffs six full-time stations located strategically throughout the City of Palo
Alto (City of Palo Alto 2023). The Palo Alto Fire Department has been recognized as one of ten municipal
fire departments in California and one of 259 in the world to achieve international accreditation. This
accomplishment places the department among less than 1% of fire departments in the world. The Palo
Alto Fire Department is the only fire agency in Santa Clara County that also provides ambulance services
(City of Palo Alto 2023).
The Palo Alto Fire Department provides emergency fire and life safety response services to the
community of Palo Alto through means of automatic and mutual aid agreements. Each of the six total
stations incorporate three shifts of professional firefighters working 24/7, allowing for constant fire
suppression, emergency medical services, ambulance transport, hazardous material management,
technical and water rescue, and other life- and property-protecting actions to fulfill community safety
needs. The Standards of Cover and Deployment Plan provides a community risk analysis, assessing the
necessary resource distribution to ensure effective response capabilities within the service aera. To learn
more about the Standards of Cover and Deployment Plan please visit:
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Fire/Operations (City of Palo Alto 2023).
San José Fire Department
The San José Fire Department (SJFD) is the third largest in California, protecting the City of San José
and some unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County. This department covers approximately
200 square miles and 1 million residents, with high-hazard occupancies such as the San José
International Airport, hospitals, San José State University, and high-rise structures throughout the city
within its jurisdiction. The SJFD offers emergency response and medical services across the service area
through the usage of 34 fire stations (SJFD 2023; City of San José 2023).
Morgan Hill Fire Department
The Morgan Hill Fire Department has three stations: Dunne Hill Station, El Toro Station, and the
Headquarters. The department is assisted by a local CAL FIRE station located in Morgan Hill. In addition
to fire prevention, the department also conducts first responder paramedic response, rescue response,
fire response, and support for coordinating other activities promoting public safety. Fire prevention
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responsibilities outlined by the Morgan Hill Fire Marshall are achieved through the following practices
(City of Morgan Hill 2023):
• Regulating the use and maintenance of buildings
• Controlling potentially dangerous materials, products, and processes
• Providing oversight for fire prevention in wildland areas
• Reviewing regulations and building standards
• Providing training and education to both Fire Staff and the general public
Gilroy Fire Department
The Gilroy Fire Department operates out of three stations: Chestnut, Las Animas, and Sunset (City of
Gilroy 2023a). The department responds to calls in residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural
areas within the city. To alert the public of onset or possible onset fire risk characterized by critical
weather or dry conditions, the department issues notices of local high fire risk. During times of heighted
risk, the Gilroy Fire Department increases their staffing and equipment capabilities and urges the public to
exercise caution when performing any activities that may pose a fire risk (City of Gilroy 2023b).
NASA AMES Fire Department
The NASA AMES Fire Department was formerly known as Moffet Field Fire Department and provides
emergency services in a portion of northern Santa Clara County. The department is located near an
airport, having airport crash tenders and protective structural equipment to prevent damage to the
NASA Ames Research Center. The department’s apparatuses include three engines, four aircraft rescue
and firefighting trucks, one battalion vehicle, one chief vehicle, and one support vehicle (NASA Ames Fire
Department 2023).
Volunteer Fire Departments
Several volunteer fire companies participate in wildfire activities in Santa Clara County. These include the
Uvas Volunteer Fire Department (Morgan Hill), the Casa Loma Volunteer Fire Association (Croy area),
the Loma Prieta Volunteer Fire and Rescue (Summit area of Lexington Hills), the Spring Valley Volunteer
Fire Department (San Jose/Milpitas), and the Stevens Creek Volunteer Fire Department (Cupertino).
Volunteer fire companies are private, not for profit-public benefit organizations that provide service to their
neighborhoods. Local jurisdictional authority for fire protection resides with a county agency as follows:
County of Santa Clara (Spring Valley), South Santa Clara County Fire Protection District (Casa Loma and
Uvas), Santa Clara County/Central Fire Protection District (Stevens Creek), and Santa Cruz County
(Loma Prieta). The County of Santa Clara provides some fiscal and insurance support for these volunteer
fire companies.
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Figure B.6. Map of suppression difficulty index.
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Figure B.7. Fire station service areas.
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STATE RESPONSE
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
CAL FIRE is responsible for initial fire response within SRAs, or where the State is responsible for fire
response, in California. SRAs fall to the east and west sides of the county, encompassing the foothill and
mountainous regions of the Diablo Range and Santa Cruz Mountains (CAL FIRE 2022c). Dispatch,
coordination, and logistical support is provided via the Morgan Hill Command Center (SCCC) (SCGCC
2022), which operates under the Southern California GACC, also known as Operations Southern
California (OSCC). The OSCC is a partnership among the USFS, U.S. Department of the Interior, and
CAL FIRE. The cooperative organization carries out a collection of important wildfire preparedness duties
in support of management agencies, such as intelligence reports, fire weather data reports, equipment,
and supplies distribution.
CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit
CAL FIRE’s Santa Clara Unit covers several counties, including Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara,
and the western portions of Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties. The unit is responsible for 1.3 million
acres of direct protection area, with a population of 5.5 million people, operating through the Morgan Hill
Command Center for dispatch services. Four of the unit’s battalions are located in Santa Clara County:
Battalion One (Morgan Hill), Battalion Two (San Jose), Battalion Three (West Santa Clara County), and
Battalion Seven (South Santa Clara County Fire District and Morgan Hill Fire Department).
The CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit is operating out of the following 11 stations:
• CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Station 11 Morgan Hill
• CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Station 12 Smith Creek
• CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Station 13 Alma
• CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Station 15 Del Puerto
• CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Station 16 Sunshine
• CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Station 21 Coyote
• CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Station 22 Almaden
• CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Station 23 Stevens Creek
• CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Station 25 Sweetwater
• CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Station 26 Castle Rock
• CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Station 31 Pacheco
CAL FIRE Supporting Units
CAL FIRE units from adjacent counties provide additional resources and fire protection services within
Santa Clara County. The CAL FIRE San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit to the west has fire stations on the
county line near Highways 17, 35, and 9 and is the primary source of fire agency hand crew resources
used in Santa Clara County. The CAL FIRE San Benito-Monterey Unit also has fire stations close to the
county in Hollister and Aromas, as well as the Hollister Air Attack Base that supports Santa Clara County
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with fixed-wing air tankers and air tactical aircraft. Additional CAL FIRE ground and air resources are
available to assist in the county SRA wildland areas.
FEDERAL RESPONSE
Within Santa Clara County are two areas designated as FRAs (Figure B.8). One area, within the Diablo
Range, is owned and managed by the BLM Central Coast Field Office (BLM 2023a). The Central Coast
Field Office does not have a fire management plan at this time (BLM 2023b). The other area, which is
located in the northern sector of Santa Clara County, is the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National
Wildlife refuge, which is owned and managed by the USFWS. Fire incident response is coordinated by
the USFWS for occurring within lands that it owns and operates.
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Figure B.8. Fire responsibility areas and fire station locations.
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MUTUAL AID
The wildland fire community is well known for its development of mutual aid agreements at the federal,
state, and local levels. Such automatic aid agreements allow for the closest forces to respond to an
incident as quickly as possible regardless of jurisdiction. Such agreements may also describe how
reimbursement will be conducted; state resources responding to wildfires on federal land may have their
associated costs reimbursed by the responsible federal agency, and the reverse is true for federal
resources suppressing a wildfire on state land.
The Santa Clara Unit has auto-aid or cooperative agreements with several local fire protection entities,
including the South Santa Clara County Fire District, Santa Clara Fire Department, Gilroy Fire
Department, Palo Alto Fire Department, Milpitas Fire Department, San Jose Fire Department, and
Morgan Hill Fire Department.
Santa Cruz County Fire Department, Alameda County Fire Department, San Mateo County Fire
Department, and other local government fire agencies in adjoining counties are frequently first responders
to wildfires in Santa Clara County due to proximity and concern for mutual threat.
All fire agencies in Santa Clara County participate countywide automatic and/or mutual aid plans for
response to incidents outside their own jurisdiction. The County also participates in the California Fire
Service and Rescue Emergency Mutual Aid System, which provides a practical and flexible pattern for the
orderly development and operation of mutual aid on a voluntary basis between cities, cities and counties,
fire districts, special districts, county fire departments, and applicable state agencies.
EVACUATION RESOURCES
The possibility of fatal entrapments exists, and therefore planning for the sudden occurrence of a fire
under extreme conditions is a vital part of plans developed by local jurisdictions, as well as families.
Particular attention must be paid to the location of locked gates, which will slow, and possibly block, the
use of evacuation routes. Likewise, overgrown evacuation routes with high fuel loading near the road
edge may be unusable due to intense heat and long flame lengths, falling trees and power poles, or other
hazards that an active fire can create and may lead to fatal results. In addition, local storms can cause
issues for evacuation. Washed out roads, downed trees and power lines, flood zones, and other post-
storm impacts can delay or even prevent evacuation. Post-storm clean-up is a lengthy process requiring a
plethora of resources from multiple departments. Emergency services and first responders are commonly
stretched thin when natural disasters strike, and therefore compounding natural disasters can cause
major impacts in regard to response and recovery.
Wildfire response may necessitate the involvement of law enforcement agencies to provide for the safety
of life and property during evacuation. Firefighters prioritize protecting human life and will urge people to
evacuate from areas threatened by wildfire to reduce the risk of loss of life. Under California law, the
responsibility for evacuation rests with law enforcement. Firefighters do not have the legal authority to
order people to leave their property or to close public roads. Close coordination between law enforcement
and fire agencies in planning and implementing evacuations is critical. Most frequently the task is under
the jurisdiction of the sheriff, who also coordinates all law enforcement mutual aid.
Evacuation planning is a joint effort among city and county departments with law enforcement as the lead
agency. If a fire does break out and spread rapidly, residents may need to evacuate within days or hours.
A fire’s peak burning period generally is between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Once a fire has started, fire alerting is
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reasonably rapid in most cases (Santa Clara County 2017). Evacuation information and links to Alert
signups can be found here: https://www.sccfd.org/be-evacuation-ready/
During emergency operations, there may be several lead and support agencies involved. A single
incident commander will be assigned from the responsible agency. If law enforcement and the fire
department both have substantial responsibilities a Unified Incident Command structure will be
established to integrate incident objectives and develop an Incident Action Plan (Santa Clara County
2017). The following are protective action terms for the Santa Clara County Local Fire Service and
Rescue Mutual Aid Plan:
1. Evacuation Warning – The alerting of people in an affected area(s) of potential threat to life and
property. An Evacuation Warning considers the probability that an area will be affected within a
given timeframe and prepares people for a potential evacuation order. Evacuation Warnings are
particularly necessary when dealing with a variety of issues such as special needs populations
and large animals.
2. Evacuation Order – Requires the immediate movement of people out of an affected area due to
an imminent threat to life.
3. Shelter-In-Place – Advises people to stay secure at their current location. This tactic shall only be
used if the evacuation will cause a higher potential for the loss of life. Consideration should be
given to assigning incident personnel to monitor the safety of citizens remaining in place.
4. Rescue – Emergency actions taken within the affected area to recover and remove injured or
trapped citizens. Responders have specific training and personal protective equipment necessary
to accomplish the mission, i.e., hazardous material spill, swift water rescue, etc. Boundaries of
the areas where rescue is planned should be identified on the incident map with notation that
entry is restricted to rescue workers only.
5. Community Refuge Area – A designated location that is considered to provide a greater level of
survivability than Shelter-In-Place. If unable to make it to a designated Evacuation Shelter,
civilians should be directed to seek shelter at a Community Refuge Area.
Evacuation checklists re-entry planning checklists, and decision support checklists can be found in Santa
Clara County Local Fire Service and Rescue Mutual Aid Plan Appendix 13 – Protective Action Guidelines
(revised 2017): https://www.sccfd.org/wp-content/uploads/documents/mutual_aid_plan/app_13_01-
17.pdf.
Santa Clara County has also developed the Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan (2008),
which describes the purpose and history of the statewide mutual aid program. The statewide mutual aid
system includes several specific mutual aid systems for fire, rescue, and law enforcement services.
As emergency incidents escalate in size and complexity, mutual aid agreements facilitate the acquisition
of increased levels of staff in support of various components of the incident, including law enforcement
responsibilities.
Please note that the public should follow the latest guidance from trusted sources, such as official
government agencies, in regard to evacuation orders, especially as emergency response plans change
rapidly. Current evacuation orders should always be adhered to and supersede all information presented
in the CWPP.
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Wildland Urban Interface Pre-Plans and Evacuation Guides
The 2018 CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Fire Plan identifies a number of pre-fire projects within the county
for the period of 2015–2018 (CAL FIRE 2018: Appendix A). The Santa Clara County CWPP was
identified as a project for 2016. Pre-fire projects include Vegetation Management Plans at Henry Coe,
defensible space projects for Santa Clara County communities at risk, and defensible space and fuel
break projects for the Santa Cruz Mountains. Further the pre-fire projects include a Santa Clara Unit
Incident Pre-Attack and Evacuation Plan.
Pre-response and evacuation planning is identified in the CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Fire Plan
(CAL FIRE 2018) for a number of communities and open space areas, including Pacheco Pass,
Henry Coe Park, Mt. Hamilton, Lexington Basin, Saratoga, Los Altos, Stevens Canyon, and Montevina
Road. Collaborative work has also been underway with the South Skyline FireSafe Council in Santa Cruz
County along Skyline Road (Highway 35) including fuel modification work to maintain an evacuation route
between Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties.
The goal of the pre-response and evacuation plans would be to provide new personnel, CAL FIRE
Emergency Command Center staff, and incident management teams with the location of strategic control
points and access into remote SRA land.
Many communities have already been the focus of pre-planning efforts, including the Holiday Lakes/
Jackson Oaks communities where a pre-response and evacuation plan was completed in January 2016.
CAL FIRE highlights the importance of working in cooperation with the Santa Clara County FireSafe
Council, local law enforcement, and other local cooperators to develop evacuation plans and fire plans for
communities at risk susceptible to a major incident.
Community Signage
Fire prevention signs can be useful media through which to share with the public the current fire danger.
Sign messages should be adjusted regularly to reflect seasonal changes and deliver fresh messages.
Signage can be missing, indistinct, or at risk of combustion. Confusing signage impeding access due to
narrow roads. Signs are currently located at:
• The CAL FIRE Alma Helitack Base on Santa Cruz Highway
• Dunne Hill Fire Station
• Strategic locations in Morgan Hill
• Summit Road/Loma Prieta
Please note that the public should follow the latest guidance from trusted sources, such as official
government agencies, in regard to evacuation orders, especially as emergency response plans change
rapidly. Current evacuation orders should always be adhered to and supersede all information presented
in the CWPP.
Road Systems
Road systems play a large part in evacuation procedures. Roads in the WUI vary in characteristics but
are sometimes unpaved. Private driveways can be mistaken for roads, turnarounds and pullouts are
limited, and dead ends provide particularly dangerous situations for evacuations. Overhanging vegetation,
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and the possibility of long driveways being mistaken for evacuation routes were cited in community
CWPPs.
Due to the wildfire and roadside ignition history in Lexington Hills and the high commute traffic volumes
on Highway 17 between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz, compounded by very narrow alternative roads,
additional coordination between Santa Cruz County law enforcement agencies and Santa Clara is
needed. The county line creates challenges because not only are two County Sheriff’s and County Roads
Departments involved, but the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans have district boundaries at the
county line. Local municipal police departments from Los Gatos and Scotts Valley (Santa Cruz County)
may also be engaged in evacuation efforts in the Highway 17 corridor.
Information on specific road systems can be found in Appendix B.
People
The safe and efficient evacuation of people from wildfire requires several factors, including:
• Emergency notification methods: AlertSCC is the County of Santa Clara’s official emergency
alert and warning system. This system will allow county citizens to receive the right information at
the right time which will help in emergency decision making. The alerts are available in a
multitude of languages including English and Spanish. AlertSCC provides alerts regarding fire,
earthquakes, severe weather, crime, and instructions during an ongoing disaster. Information
provided by AlertSCC should be used in addition to local, state, and federal alert and warning
systems. This can be accomplished by monitoring television, radio, and government websites for
important announcements.
o To sign up for AlertSCC in Santa Clara County, follow this link:
https://member.everbridge.net/453003085615038/new.
• Preplanning by the public about how to evacuate and where to go: Locked gates, poor or
missing signage, and conflicts with emergency vehicles driving into the community versus the
public trying to leave complicate evacuation. Uncertainty about where to find temporary refuge
can cause families to become separated and delay reunions. Some individuals without
transportation or with limited mobility may be accidentally left behind.
• Public awareness: These two items will fail to occur throughout the county if the residents are
unaware of notification methods: 1) the need for preplanning and 2) the elements that should be
included in preplanning. Therefore, public education and outreach on these topics should be part
of all efforts conducted by agencies such as fire departments in a wide variety of venues. Given
the wide variety of communities, languages, and cultures found within the county, and its broad
range of urban to rural settings, a “one size fits all” public awareness program will miss portions of
the public.
Community Emergency Response Team
Developed by FEMA, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training is a program that
educates community members about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area
and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team
organization, and disaster medical. Supplemental training modules are available to better assist
professional responders in a variety of emergency situations. Advanced training includes such topics
as animal response, emergency communications, traffic and crowd management, and flood response.
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CERT academies are offered in the communities served by the Santa Clara County Fire Department
and are offered on a rotating basis throughout the year. This training supplies CERT members with the
knowledge and ability to mobilize neighborhood resources, deliver immediate assistance to victims,
organize emergency communications, and provide support to first responders. Using classroom and
simulation-based education, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace
immediately following an event when emergency responders may not be immediately available to help.
CERT training is accomplished in about 21-hours culminating with a final disaster simulation exercise
applying the skills participants have learned (Santa Clara County 2023d).
For more information on County CERT membership and training, call (408) 808-7800 or email
mailto:cert@sccfd.org
The City of Santa Clara also offers training through the CERT Citizens’ Academy Program. This program
is sponsored through a partnership between Santa Clara City Officials, Fire Department Staff, and
Firefighters' Local Union #1171 for the citizens of Santa Clara. The Santa Clara CERT program is
designed to help the citizens of Santa Clara to be self-sufficient after a major disaster, when the scope of
incidents can be overwhelming, and the need for a well-trained civilian work force can be invaluable.
The program began in 1995, and an estimated 1,500 participants have taken part since (City of Santa
Clara 2023).
For more information on City CERT membership and training, call (408) 615-4942 or email
FDCERT@santaclaraca.gov
Figure B.9. Example of a narrow mountain community road.
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Figure B.10 Some areas have been identified as having extremely limited ingress and egress, and in an emergency, residents may need to evacuate through locked gates.
Animals and Livestock
In the event of a wildfire, it is important that residents, fire responders, and the County have a plan for
evacuation of pets and livestock. Evacuation planning often neglects to describe how animals will be
evacuated and where they will be taken. The loading of horses, for example, during a fire and smoke
situation, and transport of stock vehicles down narrow roads under stressful situations, can be very
difficult. Public education could emphasize the need for individuals to have a plan for the evacuation of
pets in addition to their family, ensuring a lack of planning doesn’t slow or prevent evacuation.
The County is fortunate to have the Santa Clara County Large Animal Evacuation Team, which is a
volunteer resource of the CA OES and available upon request by first responders responsible for
emergency incidents. Volunteers are sworn in as disaster service workers and are kept up to date with
training sessions, including the ICS 100, IS 200, and IS 700 courses (Santa Clara County 2023e).
The Large Animal Evacuation Team website provides helpful information guiding livestock owners in the
event of a natural disaster including wildfire. A few of these documents are listed below:
What to do with a horse in fire, flood, and earthquake:
http://www.scclaet.org/Download/What%20to%20do%20with%20Horse%20in%20Fire%20Flood%20Eart
hquake.pdf.
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The Agricultural Pass Program (Section 2350 of California Food and Agricultural Code) allows for
agricultural workers carry out essential agricultural activities in restricted areas upon passing the vetting
process. For more information on The Agricultural Pass Program, please see Appendix A “Legislative
Direction”.
Wildland Fire Safety for Your Livestock and Pets: http://www.scclaet.org/Download/Animalevacuation.pdf.
Please see Appendix G for additional resources regarding evacuation preparation.
PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS
Public education and outreach programs are a common factor in virtually every agency and organization
involved with the wildfire issue. A primary goal in the original Santa Clara County Community Wildfire
Protection Plan is to provide a tool that helps educate the public and provide guidance in treating areas of
concern. The plan states that “A combination of property owners and community awareness, public
education, agency collaboration, and fuel treatments are necessary to fully reduce wildfire risk.”
(Santa Clara County 2016).
LOCAL AND STATE PROGRAMS
Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council is a 501 (c)3 nonprofit with a 20-year history that aims to
mobilize the people of Santa Clara County to protect their homes, communities, and environment from
wildfires (Santa Clara County FireSafe Council 2023).
The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council’s education and outreach programs work to motivate and
educate individuals, public and private agencies and companies that share a common, vested interest in
preventing and reducing losses from wildfires. The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council has a board of
directors and advisory board with deep expertise across the wildfire ecosystem and has led some of the
most complex hazardous fuel reduction projects in the region.
Santa Clara County FireSafe Council programs and projects are focused on protecting the 14 designated
communities at risk; it works actively in the community and offers education and outreach programs as
outlined on its website (http://www.sccfiresafe.org). Target audiences for outreach include adult and youth
residents in the WUI, youth in schools and outdoor education programs, landscaping and tree
contractors, businesses, and civic organizations with ties to interests at risk from wildfire.
Santa Clara County FireSafe Council offers a community chipping program that is designed to assist
residents and communities in their efforts to create and maintain adequate and safe defensible space by
processing or disposing vegetative material such as brush and tree branches. The following types of
scheduled chipping services are offered through the program:
• At Home Chipping – Residents submit an application for chipping services to be performed at
their homes. Brush must be prepared in advance of the chipping appointment and must meet all
specified guidelines
• Community Chipping Piles – Residents drop off piles of brush at a specific location and chipping
is performed on a scheduled date
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• Drive Up Chipping Event – A date the community has previously selected, at a location within the
community, residents drive the brush up in their own vehicle and it is chipped on the spot.
A link to the Chipping Program Registration can be found here: https://www.chipperday.com/lah
Santa Clara County FireSafe Council was recently awarded a County Coordinator Grant. This grant, to
the amount of $175,000 will allow the County to lead County-Wide collaboration and coordination among
all wildfire mitigation groups (Santa Clara County FireSafe Council 2023).
Additionally, Santa Clara County FireSafe Council has formed an exclusive partnership with the leading
wildfire sensor manufacturers, N5 Sensors and Dryad Networks. Through early detection, these sensors
aim to dramatically cut firefighting costs, prevent economical damage, reduce risk and insurance, and
save human life and wildlife. As part of this agreement, the council will handle consulting, pilot testing,
sales, and implementation for both companies in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo Counties.
South Skyline FireSafe Council
The South Skyline FireSafe Council is another non-profit organization whose is mission is to provide
education and outreach programs for fire prevention and preparedness to residents in the Santa Cruz
Mountains west of San Jose (South Skyline FireSafe Council 2023). The Council sponsors two valuable
programs:
• Free Chipping Program: In the spring and fall, the South Skyline FireSafe Council will send
professional crews to member homes and turn brush and trees into chips to be used as mulch or
ground cover.
For questions contact Ed Hayes at edandcarolynhayes@gmail.com, John DeLong at
johnmdelong@gmail.com, or Monty Boyer at montyboyer@gmail.com
• Home Advisory Program: The South Skyline FireSafe Council offers free home advisory reviews
of defensible space as well as homes and other structures within SSFCS boundaries. Results will
help inform wildfire mitigation decisions and all personal information remains private.
For questions and to schedule a home advisory visit email: homeadvisory.ssfsc@gmail.com
Santa Clara County Fire Department (SCCFD)
A top priority for the SCCFD is to educate the community on fire, life safety, and preparedness. SCCFD
offers comprehensive fire preparedness training programs in the following cities: Campbell, Cupertino,
Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga. The Community Education Office of
the SCCFD will connect individuals interested in learning more about fire to organizations and agencies
within Santa Clara County (SCCFD 2023). SCCFD offers several community education programs
involving fire including:
• Fire extinguisher training
• Fire station tours
• The Youth Firesetter Intervention Program (YFIP)
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Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Authority (Midpen)
Neighbor Defensible Space Permits
For those who choose to live in the wildland-urban interface, creating defensible space and hardening
your home are some of the most important things you can do to protect your property. Neighbors can
apply for a free permit allowing them to reduce vegetation on Midpen land, within 100 feet of occupied
structures, to create defensible space around homes (Midpen 2021).
Application Process:
• Obtain a free fire hazard inspection from your local fire agency.
• Fill out this online form: https://mrosd01.wufoo.com/forms/x1chgtwr0g3f6r5
• Midpen staff will schedule a site visit with you to discuss your project and program details.
Program Details
• The occupied structure should be in compliance with applicable planning, building, and zoning
laws.
• Applicants and contractors must have general liability insurance and any required licenses.
• The cost of vegetation removal and any required environmental review are the applicant's
responsibility.
• Other requirements may be identified in the permit for consistency with Midpen’s resource
management policies and practices.
NATIONAL PROGRAMS
Ready, Set, Go!
The Ready, Set, Go! Program, which is managed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, was
launched in 2011 at the WUI conference. The program seeks to develop and improve the dialogue
between fire departments and residents, providing teaching for residents who live in high-risk wildfire
areas—and the WUI—on how to best prepare themselves and their properties against fire threats
(International Association of Fire Chiefs 2021). The County utilizes the Ready, Set, Go Program for their
public outreach with a focus on making communities “fire adapted”.
The tenets of Ready, Set, Go! as included on the website (http://www.wildlandfirersg.org) are:
Ready – Take personal responsibility and prepare long before the threat of a wildland fire so your
home is ready in case of a fire. Create defensible space by clearing brush away from your home.
Use fire-resistant landscaping and harden your home with fire-safe construction measures. Assemble
emergency supplies and belongings in a safe place. Plan escape routes and ensure all those residing
within the home know the plan of action.
Set – Pack your emergency items. Stay aware of the latest news and information on the fire from
local media, your local fire department, and public safety.
Go – Follow your personal wildland fire action plan. Doing so will not only support your safety but will
allow firefighters to best maneuver resources to combat the fire.
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National Fire Protection Association
The NFPA is a global non-profit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property, and economic
loss due to fire, electrical, and related hazards. Its 300 codes and standards are designed to minimize the
risk and effects of fire by establishing criteria for building, processing, design, service, and installation
around the world.
The NFPA develops easy-to-use educational programs, tools, and resources for all ages and audiences,
including Fire Prevention Week, an annual campaign that addresses a specific fire safety theme.
The NFPA’s Firewise Communities program (www.firewise.org) encourages local solutions for wildfire
safety by involving property owners, community leaders, planners, developers, firefighters, and others in
the effort to protect people and property from wildfire risks.
The NFPA is a premier resource for fire data analysis, research, and analysis. The Fire Analysis and
Research Division conducts investigations of fire incidents and produces a wide range of annual reports
and special studies on all aspects of the nation’s fire problem.
National Interagency Fire Center
The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) provides a wide array of fire resources and services.
The National Interagency Coordination Center offers communication assistance to over
32,000 firefighters and 50 major events at one given time (NIFC 2021c). The Predictive Services Group
creates wildfire forecasts and predictions from fuel and weather data. The NIFC has a Remote Automated
Weather Base with over 2,000 weather stations which help inform the Predictive Services Group.
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group, which is nested under the NIFC, provides operational
coordination to federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners (NIFC 2021c). The NIFC also has a
training branch where training curriculums are developed to be used across the nation. For those too
young to participate in the standard trainings, the NIFC offers FireWorks, an educational program
designed for kids K-12. The program teaches children topics such as wildland fire science, ecosystem
fluctuations, human interaction on the environment, and other environmental science topics (NIFC
2021d). The NIFC also provides public education resources (NIFC 2021e):
• Wildfire Readiness – Home
• Wildfire Readiness – Business
• Wildfire Readiness – Farm and Ranch
• Weekend Wildfire Preparedness
• What to Do if a Wildfire is Approaching
• Wildfire Risk – Community
• Prepare and Protect Your Home
• Prepare Your Community
• One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire
• Only You Can Prevent Wildfires
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U.S. Fire Administration’s WUI Toolkit
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) is an entity of FEMA that aids in the preparation for and response to
fire. Their WUI toolkit consists of a list of websites and other information regarding risk assessments,
public outreach, and community training. Find the toolkit here: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/wui/.
Wildfire Research Center (WiRē)
Wildfire Research Center (WiRē) is a non-profit organization that works with local wildfire services to
achieve community-tailored pathways which reduce risk to wildfire while simultaneously promoting
pathways to fire adaptation. WiRē’s mission states that fire adaptation is “about living with fire”, while
“creating safe and resilient communities that reduce wildfire risk on their properties before a fire, and
supporting effective response when fires threaten a community.” WiRē states that wildfire is an integral
component of many ecosystems, and that fire must be allowed, when safe, as to ensure the health of
forests. Core to WiRē’s approach are four main concepts: 1) residents are critical actors in the WUI
wildfire problem; 2) action is central to adaptation; 3) people and their decisions are complex; and
4) decisions are not made in a vacuum. To achieve its goals and serve communities, WiRē will typically
conduct a “rapid wildfire risk assessment,” which assesses what contributes to wildfire risk, such as,
building materials, vegetation near homes, background fuels, local topography, and access to emergency
fire services. Additionally, they also conduct “social surveys”, which assess residents’ perceptions about
wildfire, wildfire risk, risk mitigation behavior, and assess their willingness towards taking action to reduce
wildfire risk.
For more information, please visit https://wildfireresearchcenter.org/.
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APPENDIX C:
Community Risk-Hazard Assessments for
WUI Communities
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2016 VS. 2023 ASSESSMENT PROCESS
In the 2016 CWPP, WUI communities were assessed via the NFPA 1144 assessment forms. Many of the
WUI communities were revisited in 2023 but not formally reassessed and therefore 2016 NFPA 1144
scores are presented throughout. While the 1144 assessments were not revised in 2023, the desktop
risk-hazard assessment (described in Chapter 3) generally finds that all communities display an elevated
risk from the 2016 assessment. In addition, SWCA toured most WUI communities with the Santa Clara
County Wildland Division Fire Chief during April 2023 and confirmed the increase in risk. The information
presented in this appendix can be used in jurisdictional annexes.
Please refer to Chapter 2, Fire Environment, and Chapter 3, Risk-Hazard Assessment, for additional
information.
POLYGON SUMMARY STATISTICS DEFINITIONS
Total 2016 Score: This is the score that the community received in the 2016 CWPP, which assessed
communities using the NFPA 1144 Assessment form. These scores were developed from the negative
and positive attributes that were identified during the NFPA 1144 survey that was conducted for the 2016
CWPP assessments.
Rating: This rating is based on the Total 2016 score. A lower score is associated with lower wildfire risk
whereas a higher score is associated with high wildfire risk (Low X-49, Moderate 50-70, High 71-111,
Extreme 112+).
Building Density: Building is quantified by units per square mile. Building density is a critical factor in
assessing wildfire risk because higher building densities can result in a greater risk of fire spread and
increased difficulty in firefighting and evacuation efforts due to structures. Conversely lower densities may
signify that a community is more prone to risks associated with WUI environments, such as higher fuel
loads and increased difficulty in firefighting and evacuation efforts due to infostructure limitations.
Dominant Fuel Type: The dominant vegetative fuel type plays a significant role in determining wildfire
risk, as different fuel types varying characteristics that can influence the behavior and intensity of
wildfires. The dominant fuel type was identified as a specific fuel code used in the wildfire assessment
modeling process for each community.
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs (Drive Time from Fire Station):
This percentage indicated the proportion of the community that is within each increment of drive time from
the nearest fire station (0 mins to 15 mins). Fire station response time is a critical factor in addressing
wildfire risk. The time it takes for firefighters to reach a wildfire incident directly impacts their ability to
initiate suppression efforts and mitigate the fire's spread. Additionally, this can be used to identify areas
where infrastructure investments may be needed to increase wildfire response capabilities.
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COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT SUMMARIES
Figure C.1. Planning area WUI community polygon delineations.
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ALMADEN VALLEY
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITIES
ALMADEN VALLEY POLYGON SUMMARY STATISTICS
Community Polygon Background
Community Polygon Name: Almaden Valley *New Almaden information is included in CWPP Annex #1 Total 2016 Score: 90 Rating: Moderate
Building Density (Building Units per square mile): 383.63
Percentage of Wildfire Hazard: (lowest relative hazard (1) to highest relative hazard (6)) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data):
1: 3.00%; 2: 9.30%; 3: 8.29%; 4: 20.83%; 5: 24.58%; 6: 33.99%
Dominant Fuel Type
Grass Grass/Shrub Shrub Timber Understory Timber Litter
GR2
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs
Drive Time from Fire Station
0-5 mins: 16.91%
5-10 mins: 17.16%
10-15 mins: 18.09%
>15 mins: 47.83%
1144 Survey Summary Highlights
Positive Attributes (Low Scores)
• Good separation of adjacent structures
Negative Attributes (High Scores)
• Narrow road width
• One road in and out
• Unsurfaced road with greater than 5% grade
• Poor fire access, dead end spurs, lack turnaround
• Street signs are present, some are non-reflective
• Adjacent fuels: Moderate with high flammability
• High concern topographic feature
• Moderate fire weather potential
• Building set back
• Water unavailable
• Response: Station >5 miles from structure
• Internal sprinklers: For new build properties
• Both utilities aboveground
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Fires Within Polygon Based on Recent Fire History
• Austria Gulch Fire, 1961
o Extends into Lexington Hills, Uvas Casa Loma, and south outside of the planning area
• Almaden Fire, 1988
• PG & E #2 Fire, 1989
• Loma Fire, 2016
o Extends into Lexington Hills and Uvas Casa Loma
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CUPERTINO
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITIES
CUPERTINO POLYGON SUMMARY STATISTICS
Community Polygon Background
Community Polygon Name: Cupertino Total 2016 Score: 81 Rating: High
Building Density (Building Units per square mile): 410.92
Percentage of Wildfire Hazard: (lowest relative hazard (1) to highest relative hazard (6)) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data):
1: 8.88%; 2: 14.35%; 3: 9.30%; 4: 14.85%; 5: 28.56%; 6: 24.06%
Dominant Fuel Type
Grass Grass/Shrub Shrub Timber Understory Timber Litter
TU5
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs
Drive Time from Fire Station
0-5 mins: 28.86%
5-10 mins: 5.00%
10-15 mins: 0.36%
>15 mins: 65.78%
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1144 Survey Summary Highlights
Positive Attributes (Low Scores)
• Surfaced roads but some steep routes
• Good visible house markers
• Well signposted
• Surfaced, maintained roads
• Reasonable water supply via hydrants but low pressure in some areas
• Irrigated lawns and landscaping
• Under Santa Clara County Fire Department jurisdiction
• HOAs for some subdivisions that can facilitate community organizing
• New construction, 7A compliant
Negative Attributes (High Scores)
• Some heavy fuel loading adjacent to homes (on both public and private property) as a result of thick underbrush and continuity of tree crowns
• Thick fuels in canyon (on public and private property)
• >30 feet of defensible space around most homes, but <100 feet around many
• Steep grades and varied topography
• Building construction includes wood siding, wooden decks, and fences that can act as fuses from vegetation to homes
• Adjacency of some residential structures
• Some homes >5 miles from fire response could result in slow response time
• Some gated dead-end roads
• Single lane, narrow roads
• Wood shake roofs present
• Propane tanks aboveground
• Number of wineries and CVAR
• Heavy population density
• Some homes have limited set-back from slope
Fires Within Polygon Based on Recent Fire History
• NONE
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EAST FOOTHILLS/MILPITAS
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITIES
EAST FOOTHILLS/MILPITAS POLYGON SUMMARY
STATISTICS
Community Polygon Background
Community Polygon Name: East Foothills/Milpitas Total 2016 Score: 68 Rating: Moderate
Building Density (Building Units per square mile): 639.21
Percentage of Wildfire Hazard: (lowest relative hazard (1) to highest relative hazard (6)) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data):
1: 5.47%; 2: 22.11%; 3: 21.31%; 4: 23.71%; 5: 18.44%; 6: 8.95%
Dominant Fuel Type
Grass Grass/Shrub Shrub Timber Understory Timber Litter
GR2
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs
Drive Time from Fire Station
0-5 mins: 35.91%
5-10 mins: 16.91%
10-15 mins: 4.67%
>15 mins: 42.50%
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1144 Survey Summary Highlights
Positive Attributes (Low Scores)
• Good fire response resources from San Jose Fire Department and CAL FIRE
• Roadside fuel treatments in progress
• Large open space areas break up residential areas
• Good yard hygiene for most homes, landscaped yards
• Non-continuous light fuels
• Sparse population in more rural areas
• Grazing helps in fuel reduction in some areas where appropriate
Negative Attributes (High Scores)
• Diverse WUI, from distinct interface with heavily urban area to scattered residences in an intermix
• Different planning needed for each type
• Scenic roadways may increase ignition potential—ignition concerns related to Sierra Road—fireworks etc.
• CVAR: Grand View Restaurant, Lick Observatory, Copernicus Peak communications site, Alum Rock Park
• >30 feet of defensible space around most homes, but <100 feet around many
• Mix of construction types—building construction includes wood siding, wooden decks, and fences that can act as fuses from vegetation to homes
• Wood shake roofs and older construction in some areas
• Many dead-end spur roads
• Topographic concerns, rolling hills and some steep slopes
• Grassland fuels that are highly dynamic and impacted by seasonal climate fluctuations
• Flashy shrub fuels present on slopes below homes
• Slow response times to some more remote homes in the valley
• Improvements to road networks needed
• Car ignition potential is high concern
• No distinct neighborhood associations to use to develop common interest for neighborhood level interactions for Firewise or CERT
Fires Within Polygon Based on Recent Fire History
• Isabel Valley Ranch Fire, 1951
o Extends into Mt. Hamilton-San Antonne Valley
• Sheriff Fire, 1979
• Ford Road Fire, 1979
• Shea Fire,1997
o Extends into Henry W. Coe State Park
• Melech Fire, 1999
• Silver Fire, 2004
• Ranch Fire, 2011
• Sierra Fire, 2016
• Felipe Fire, 2017
• Lariat Fire, 2017
• Piercy Fire, 2021
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EAST GILROY
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITIES
EAST GILROY POLYGON SUMMARY STATISTICS
Community Polygon Background
Community Polygon Name: East Gilroy Total 2016 Score: 72 Rating: High
Building Density (Building Units per square mile): 21.14
Percentage of Wildfire Hazard: (lowest relative hazard (1) to highest relative hazard (6)) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data):
1: 0.67%; 2: 6.57%; 3: 38.44%; 4: 21.40%; 5: 17.74%; 6: 15.18%
Dominant Fuel Type
Grass Grass/Shrub Shrub Timber Understory Timber Litter
GR2
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs
Drive Time from Fire Station
0-5 mins: 2.34%
5-10 mins: 5.23%
10-15 mins: 6.64%
>15 mins: 85.78%
1144 Survey Summary Highlights
Positive Attributes (Low Scores)
• Generally good roads
• Good separation of adjacent structures
• Response: Station <5 miles from structure
Negative Attributes (High Scores)
• Some limited access roads to individual properties
• Street signs are present, some are non-reflective
• Adjacent fuels: Moderate with high flammability
• Concerning topography around structure
• Non-combustible siding, combustible deck
• Both utilities aboveground
• Moderate history of fire occurrence and severe weather
• Non-combustible sidings but combustible decks present
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Fires Within Polygon Based on Recent Fire History
• Bollinger Ranch Fire, 1961
o Extends into Henry W. Coe State Park and east outside of the planning area
• Wolfe Fire, 1980
• Squirrel Fire, 1989
• Redfern Fire, 2000
• Casa Fire, 2000
• Lick Fire, 2007
o Extends into Mt. Hamilton-San Antone Valley, Henry W. Coe State Park, and east outside of the planning area
• Bull Head Fire, 2008
• Pacheco Fire, 2009Bridal Fire, 2018
• Crews Fire, 2020
• SCU Lighting Complex Fire, 2020
o Extends into Mt. Hamilton-San Antone Valley, Henry W. Coe State Park, and outside of the planning area to the north and east
• Paseo Fire, 2021
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GILROY
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITIES
GILROY POLYGON SUMMARY STATISTICS
Community Polygon Background
Community Polygon Name: Gilroy Total 2016 Score: 48 Rating: Low
Building Density (Building Units per square mile): 410.56
Percentage of Wildfire Hazard: (lowest relative hazard (1) to highest relative hazard (6)) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data):
1: 7.91%; 2: 62.31%; 3: 18.44%; 4: 7.14%; 5: 3.65%; 6: 0.55%
Dominant Fuel Type
Grass Grass/Shrub Shrub Timber Understory Timber Litter Non-Burnable
NB3
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs
Drive Time from Fire Station
0-5 mins: 36.17%
5-10 mins: 46.68%
10-15 mins: 6.84%
>15 mins: 10.30%
1144 Survey Summary Highlights
Positive Attributes (Low Scores)
• Light fuels
• Open space: Henry Coe Range
• Rolling hills and less extreme grades
• Large lots and good separation
• Good defensible space around most homes, some <100 feet
• Good access
• Maintained roads and plentiful turnaround space
• Good signage
• Low fire occurrence
• Hydrants available but density is low
Negative Attributes (High Scores)
• Livestock evacuation concerns
• Gated properties could impede access to emergency responders
• Mix of construction types—building construction includes wood siding, wooden decks, and fences that can act as fuses from vegetation to homes
• CVAR: Farms, grazing, orchards, vineyards, commercial property
• Some poorly rated roof materials
• Some homes >5 miles from organized fire response
• Aboveground utilities
• Some oil and gas infrastructure
Fires Within Polygon Based on Recent Fire History
• NONE
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LEXINGTON HILLS
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITIES
LEXINGTON HILLS POLYGON SUMMARY STATISTICS
The Lexington Hills polygon includes the following communities which were individually assessed in 2016:
• Chemeketa Park (131, Extreme), Aldercroft Heights (116, Extreme), Redwood Estates (93, High),
Summit Road (88, High) and Call of the Wild.
The table below accounts for the entire polygon. For information on the individual sub-communities
(Chemeketa Park, Aldercroft Heights, Redwood Estates, Summit Road, Call of the Wild), please see
Annex 1- Chapter 1, and Lexington Hills CWPP (2009) for detailed analysis and recommendations.
Community Polygon Background
Community Polygon Name: Lexington Hills
Building Density (Building Units per square mile): 8.87
Percentage of Wildfire Hazard: (lowest relative hazard (1) to highest relative hazard (6)) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data):
1: 1.43%; 2: 0.88%; 3: 6.17%; 4: 10.49%; 5: 18.67%; 6: 62.36%
Dominant Fuel Type
Grass Grass/Shrub Shrub Timber Understory Timber Litter
TU5
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs
Drive Time from Fire Station
0-5 mins: 7.95%
5-10 mins: 12.78%
10-15 mins: 10.94%
>15 mins: 68.34%
Fires Within Polygon Based on Recent Fire History
• Austrian Gulch Fire, 1961
o Extends to Almaden Valley, Uvas Casa Loma, and south outside of the planning area
• Lexington Hill Fire, 1985
o Extends to Uvas Casa Lomas and south outside of the planning area
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LOS ALTOS HILLS
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITIES
LOS ALTOS HILLS POLYGON SUMMARY STATISTICS
Community Polygon Background
Community Polygon Name: Los Altos Hills Total 2016 Score: 90 Rating: High
Building Density (Building Units per square mile): 290.12
Percentage of Wildfire Hazard: (lowest relative hazard (1) to highest relative hazard (6)) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data):
1: 3.38%; 2: 19.78%; 3: 26.65%; 4: 27.28%; 5: 18.63%; 6: 4.28%
Dominant Fuel Type
Grass Grass/Shrub Shrub Timber Understory Timber Litter
TU5
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs
Drive Time from Fire Station
0-5 mins: 44.23%
5-10 mins: 33.69%
10-15 mins: 1.77%
>15 mins: 20.31%
1144 Survey Summary Highlights
Positive Attributes (Low Scores)
• Los Altos Hills County Fire District jurisdiction
• Good separation of adjacent structures, larger lot sizes
• New construction, 7A compliant
• Hydrants in most but not all areas
• Surfaced roads primarily
• Limited recent fire history
• Open space areas could serve as shelter-in-place in event of evacuation
Negative Attributes (High Scores)
• Heavy concentration of eucalyptus trees—treatment program available
• >30 feet of defensible space around most homes, but <100 feet around many
• Some areas have poor yard hygiene
• Mix of construction types—building construction includes wood siding, wooden decks, and fences that can act as fuses from vegetation to homes
• Single-lane, narrow roads in some areas
• Some private roads with poor road maintenance and limited turnaround for fire apparatuses
• Narrow gates
• Many old structures with wood shake roofs/siding
• Heavy fuel loading adjacent to homes as a result of thick underbrush and continuity of tree crowns
• CVAR: Farm, retirement homes, open space areas, community horse barn
Fires Within Polygon Based on Recent Fire History
• NONE
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LOS GATOS
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITIES
LOS GATOS POLYGON SUMMARY STATISTICS
Community Polygon Background
Community Polygon Name: Los Gatos Total 2016 Score: 87 Rating: High
Building Density (Building Units per square mile): 476.29
Percentage of Wildfire Hazard: (lowest relative hazard (1) to highest relative hazard (6)) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data):
1: 2.08%; 2: 18.78%; 3: 16.11%; 4: 17.45%; 5: 30.09%; 6: 15.40%
Dominant Fuel Type
Grass Grass/Shrub Shrub Timber Understory Timber Litter
TU5
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs
Drive Time from Fire Station
0-5 mins: 40.95%
5-10 mins: 34.84%
10-15 mins: 8.93%
>15 mins: 15.28%
1144 Survey Summary Highlights
Positive Attributes (Low Scores)
• Many newer 7A compliant homes
• Good signposting, though some non-reflective
• Less than 5 miles from fire response
• Good yard hygiene for most homes, landscaped yards
• Many larger lots with good separation between structures
• Number of open space areas to break continuity
• Good visible house markers
• Reasonable water supply via hydrants but low pressure in some areas
• HOAs for some subdivisions that can facilitate community organizing
Negative Attributes (High Scores)
• Lots of new development
• Cultural Values at risk
• Very narrow, steep, and windy roads and driveways
• No turnaround on many roads and driveways
• Heavy fuel loading adjacent to homes as a result of thick underbrush and continuity of tree crowns
• Topographic concerns, steep grades
• Poor roof materials, some wood shake
• >30 feet of defensible space around most homes, but <100 feet around many
• Mix of construction types—building construction includes wood siding, wooden decks, and fences that can act as fuses from vegetation to homes
• Narrow or no staging area for apparatuses, would block evacuation routes
• Many dead ends spurs
Fires Within Polygon Based on Recent Fire History
• NONE
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MONTE SERENO
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITIES
MONTE SERENO POLYGON SUMMARY STATISTICS
Community Polygon Background
Community Polygon Name: Monte Sereno Total 2016 Score: 70 Rating: High
Building Density (Building Units per square mile): 10.50
Percentage of Wildfire Hazard: (lowest relative hazard (1) to highest relative hazard (6)) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data):
1: 1.60%; 2: 13.52%; 3: 19.53%; 4: 23.89%; 5: 28.51%; 6: 12.95%
Dominant Fuel Type
Grass Grass/Shrub Shrub Timber Understory Timber Litter
TU5
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs
Drive Time from Fire Station
0-5 mins: 74.86%
5-10 mins: 17.18%
10-15 mins: 0.00%
>15 mins: 7.97%
1144 Survey Summary Highlights
Positive Attributes (Low Scores)
• New construction, 7A compliant
• Property owners have implemented some defensible space work and fuel reduction
• Good access on lower slopes
• Good proximity to emergency responders
• Well-maintained, surfaced roads
• Irrigated lawns and landscaping
• Reasonable roofing construction
• Under Santa Clara County Fire Department jurisdiction
Negative Attributes (High Scores)
• One way in and out
• Long windy road with steep grade
• Confusing road layout
• Limited turnaround space for fire access and/or narrow driveways
• Heavy fuel loading adjacent to homes as a result of thick underbrush and continuity of tree crowns
• Reasonable water supply via hydrants in lower elevation areas, but hydrants needed at higher elevations; encourage water tanks outside of urban service area
• Building construction includes wood siding, wooden decks, and fences that can act as fuses from vegetation to homes
• Some homes have limited setback from slope
• >30 feet of defensible space around most homes, but <100 feet around many
Fires Within Polygon Based on Recent Fire History
• NONE
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MORGAN HILL
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITIES
MORGAN HILL POLYGON SUMMARY STATISTICS
Community Polygon Background
Community Polygon Name: Morgan Hill Total 2016 Score: 79 Rating: High
Building Density (Building Units per square mile): 431.30
Percentage of Wildfire Hazard: (lowest relative hazard (1) to highest relative hazard (6)) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data):
1: 7.94%; 2: 20.22%; 3: 29.50%; 4: 21.20%; 5: 14.78%; 6: 6.35%
Dominant Fuel Type
Grass Grass/Shrub Shrub Timber Understory Timber Litter
GR2
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs
Drive Time from Fire Station
0-5 mins: 47.58%
5-10 mins: 20.60%
10-15 mins: 0.23%
>15 mins: 31.59%
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1144 Survey Summary Highlights
Positive Attributes (Low Scores)
• Firewise sign
• Active community in Santa Clara County Fire Safe
• Council and fire prevention activities
• Open space areas break continuity and active fuel programs
• Surfaced and maintained roads
• Mostly good yard hygiene and maintenance of property
• Morgan Hills City Water hydrant system
• Good signage, some non-reflective
• Weed abatement projects in effect
• HOA assists with community organizing
• Majority belowground utilities
Negative Attributes (High Scores)
• Dry flammable vegetation type adjacent to homes and below homes on slopes
• Popular with visitors, potential large numbers during summer months
• One road in and out, evacuation concerns
• Narrow roads within residential areas may have limited turnaround space
• Small lots, limited separation between structures
• Some steep driveways
• Some dead-end spurs
• Some wood shake roofs
• One Engine Company close, but other resources are at some distance
• Topographic concerns—significant slope and limited setback for many homes
• Single-access subdivisions
• >30 feet of defensible space around most homes, but <100 feet around many due to small lots
• Mix of construction types— building construction includes wood siding, wooden decks, and fences that can act as fuses from vegetation to homes
Fires Within Polygon Based on Recent Fire History
• Paseo Fire, 2021
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MT. HAMILTON-SAN ANTONE VALLEY
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITIES
MT. HAMILTON-SAN ANTONE VALLEY POLYGON SUMMARY STATISTICS
Community Polygon Background
Community Polygon Name: Mt. Hamilton-San Antonne Valley Total 2016 Score: 84 Rating: High
Building Density (Building Units per square mile): 1.11
Percentage of Wildfire Hazard: (lowest relative hazard (1) to highest relative hazard (6)) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data):
1: 0.74%; 2: 0.53%; 3: 10.53%; 4: 20.55%; 5: 33.45%; 6: 34.21%
Dominant Fuel Type
Grass Grass/Shrub Shrub Timber Understory Timber Litter
GR2
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs
Drive Time from Fire Station
0-5 mins: 0.56%
5-10 mins: 0.72%
10-15 mins: 1.23%
>15 mins: 97.49%
1144 Survey Summary Highlights
Positive Attributes (Low Scores)
• Light adjacent fuels
• Good separation between adjacent structures
Negative Attributes (High Scores)
• Narrow road width
• Two roads in and out but access still a concern
• Surfaced road with greater than 5% grade
• Poor fire access, dead-end spurs, lack turnaround
• Street signs are present, some are non-reflective
• Defensible space: >70 feet to <100 feet around structure
• High concern topography
• Severe fire weather potential
• History of fire occurrence
• Building not set back >30 feet to slope
• Response: Station >5 miles from structure
• No internal sprinklers within construction
• Aboveground utilities
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Fires Within Polygon Based on Recent Fire History
• Trout Creek Fire, 1950
• Mount Stakes Fire, 1950
o Extends east outside of the planning area
• Isabell Valley Ranch Fire, 1951
• Menzel Fire, 1952
• Saunders Fire, 1952
• Bollinger Ridge Fire, 1961
o Extends into Henry W. Coe State Park, East Gilroy, and east outside of the planning area
• Beauregard Fire, 1963
• Shanti Ashrama Fire, 1952
o Extends south outside the planning area
• Shearer Fire, 1954
• Isabel Burn Escape Fire, 1954
• Fletcher Fire, 1955
• Venable Fire, 1955
• N3 Cattle Co. Fire #2, 1971
• N3 Cattle Co. Fire #3, 1971
• Sweeny Fire, 1982
• Nunes Fire, 1984
• Devil Fire, 1985
o Extends north outside of the planning area
• Long Gulch Fire, 1990
• Mines Road Fire, 1996
• Kincaid Fire, 2003
• Kincaid Fire, 2004
• San Antone Fire, 2004
• Canyon Fire, 2006
o Extends east outside of the planning area
• Ledeit Fire, 2008
• Hamilton Fire, 2003
o Extends north outside of the planning area
• Lick Fire, 2007
o Extends into Henry W. Coe State Park, East Gilroy, and east outside of the planning area
• SCU Lightning Complex Fire, 2020
o Extends into East Gilroy, Henry W. Coe State Park, and east outside of the planning area
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PALO ALTO
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITIES
PALO ALTO POLYGON SUMMARY STATISTICS
Community Polygon Background
Community Polygon Name: Palo Alto Total 2016 Score: 95 Rating: High
Building Density (Building Units per square mile): 17.89
Percentage of Wildfire Hazard: (lowest relative hazard (1) to highest relative hazard (6)) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data):
1: 0.37%; 2: 1.77%; 3: 15.53%; 4: 22.68%; 5: 38.49%; 6: 21.16%
Dominant Fuel Type
Grass Grass/Shrub Shrub Timber Understory Timber Litter
TU1
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs
Drive Time from Fire Station
0-5 mins: 0.92%
5-10 mins: 2.93%
10-15 mins: 7.49%
>15 mins: 88.66%
1144 Survey Summary Highlights
Positive Attributes (Low Scores)
• Surfaced roads and adequate width and turnaround
• Low slope in most areas, some steep sections
• Adjacent wildland to west and north are grass and managed every year by the City of Palo Alto
• Mixed construction—stucco and wood
• Large lot size reducing adjacency issues
• Adequate water supply via hydrants
• Organized HOA to deliver strong safety message and take action
• Good visible house markers
• Well signposted
• Irrigated lawns and landscaping
• New construction, 7A compliant
• Most homes have Class A roofs
• Community that is active in Santa Clara County
• Fire Safe Council
Negative Attributes (High Scores)
• Landscaping concerns due to density of thick junipers and pines in close proximity to homes
• Wildlands to the south are heavy untreated brush
• Power lines aboveground
• Homes old enough that there is no requirement for interior sprinklers
• Older homes with single-pane windows prone to breaking in wildfire
• Presence of some wood shake roofs put homes and neighborhoods at risk
Fires Within Polygon Based on Recent Fire History
• NONE
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SARATOGA HILLS
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITIES
SARATOGA HILLS POLYGON SUMMARY STATISTICS
Community Polygon Background
Community Polygon Name: Saratoga Hills Total 2016 Score: 90 Rating: High
Building Density (Building Units per square mile): 120.15
Percentage of Wildfire Hazard: (lowest relative hazard (1) to highest relative hazard (6)) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data):
1: 1.14%; 2: 4.99%; 3: 6.36%; 4: 15.20%; 5: 35.45%; 6: 36.86%
Dominant Fuel Type
Grass Grass/Shrub Shrub Timber Understory Timber Litter
TU5
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs
Drive Time from Fire Station
0-5 mins: 8.28%
5-10 mins: 16.80%
10-15 mins: 6.48%
>15 mins: 68.44%
1144 Survey Summary Highlights
Positive Attributes (Low Scores)
• Santa Clara County fire water resources are good except for any Lexington Hills commuters
• Surfaced road with greater than 5% grade
• Low fire weather potential
• Low fire occurrence history
• Large building lots with good separation
Negative Attributes (High Scores)
• Coyote brush has encroached on savannas
• Two or more roads in and out but access still concern
• Narrow road width
• Poor fire access, dead end road spurs, lack of turnaround
• Street signs are present, some non-reflective
• Defensible space: >30 feet to <70 feet around structure
• Adjacent fuels: Medium
• High concern topography
• Non-combustible siding/combustible deck
• Building set back <30 feet to slope
• Water: Available via hydrants, some pressure issues
• Response: Station >5 miles from structure
• Internal sprinklers: Some new homes (7A compliant)
• Utilities: One aboveground, one belowground
Fires Within Polygon Based on Recent Fire History
• Stevens Fire, 2007
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STANFORD
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITIES
STANFORD POLYGON SUMMARY STATISTICS
Community Polygon Background
Community Polygon Name: Stanford Total 2016 Score: 58 Rating: Moderate
Building Density (Building Units per square mile): 79.17
Percentage of Wildfire Hazard: (lowest relative hazard (1) to highest relative hazard (6)) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data):
1: 4.80%; 2: 42.77%; 3: 37.26%; 4: 12.74%; 5: 2.34%; 6: 0.10%
Dominant Fuel Type
Grass Grass/Shrub Shrub Timber Understory Timber Litter
GR2
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs
Drive Time from Fire Station
0-5 mins: 21.17%
5-10 mins: 78.77%
10-15 mins: 0.00%
>15 mins: 0.07%
1144 Survey Summary Highlights
Positive Attributes (Low Scores)
• Adjacent fuels are light
• Surfaced roads and adequate width and turnaround
• Low slope in most areas, some steep sections
• Adjacent wildland to west and north are maintained grasslands
• Mixed construction—stucco and wood
• Large lot size reducing adjacency issues
• Adequate water supply via hydrants
• Organized HOA to deliver strong safety message and take action
• Good visible house markers
• Well signposted
• Irrigated lawns and landscaping
• New construction, 7A compliant
• Most homes have Class A roofs
Negative Attributes (High Scores)
• >30 feet of defensible space around most homes, but <100 feet around many
• Landscaping has some junipers and pines but lower levels than adjacent Palo Alto
• Power lines are aboveground
• Homes old enough that there is no requirement for interior sprinklers
• Older homes with single-pane windows prone to breaking in wildfire
• Presence of some wood shake roofs put homes and neighborhoods at risk
Fires Within Polygon Based on Recent Fire History
• NONE
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UVAS CASA LOMA
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITIES
UVAS CASA LOMA POLYGON SUMMARY STATISTICS
Community Polygon Background
Community Polygon Name: Uvas Casa Loma Total 2016 Score: 88 Rating: High
Building Density (Building Units per square mile): 131.47
Percentage of Wildfire Hazard: (lowest relative hazard (1) to highest relative hazard (6)) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data):
1: 1.69%; 2: 2.64%; 3: 5.61%; 4: 18.59%; 5: 26.18%; 6: 45.28%
Dominant Fuel Type
Grass Grass/Shrub Shrub Timber Understory Timber Litter
TU1
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs
Drive Time from Fire Station
0-5 mins: 10.82%
5-10 mins: 21.74%
10-15 mins: 11.59%
>15 mins: 55.84%
1144 Survey Summary Highlights
Positive Attributes (Low Scores)
• Good separation of structures
Negative Attributes (High Scores)
• One road in and out
• Narrow road width poor fire access, dead-end spurs, lack turnaround
• Unsurfaced road with greater than 5% grade
• Street signs are present, some are non-reflective
• Adjacent fuels: Moderate with high flammability
• Defensible space: >30 feet and <70 feet around structure
• Defensible space: >30 feet and <70 feet around structure
• Topography within 300 feet of structure: 41%
• Topographic features: High concern
• History of high fire occurrence: Moderate
• Severe fire weather potential: Moderate
• Building set back less than 30 feet from slope
• Response station >5 miles from structure
• Internal sprinklers: For new build properties only
• Utilities are both aboveground
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Fires Within Polygon Based on Recent Fire History
• Austrian Gulch Fire, 1961
o Extends into Almaden Valley, Lexington Hills, and south beyond the planning area
• Uvas Fire, 1988
• Dahlberg Fire, 1989
• Dunne Fire, 1985
• Hayes Fire, 1985
• Henry W. Coe State Park Fire, 1989
• Redwood Retreat Fire, 1997
• Croy Fire, 2002
• White Hurst Fire, 2008
o Extends into West Gilroy
• Hummingbird Fire, 2008
• Summit Fire, 2008
o Extends south outside of the planning area
• Loma Fire, 2016
o Extends into Lexington Hills and Almaden Valley
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WEST GILROY
WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITIES
WEST GILROY POLYGON SUMMARY STATISTICS
Community Polygon Background
Community Polygon Name: West Gilroy Total 2016 Score: 88 Rating: High
Building Density (Building Units per square mile): 81.95
Percentage of Wildfire Hazard: (lowest relative hazard (1) to highest relative hazard (6)) (based on 2023 desktop wildfire hazard assessment data):
1: 1.38%; 2: 2.92%; 3: 13.94%; 4: 24.26%; 5: 25.90%; 6: 31.60%
Dominant Fuel Type
Grass Grass/Shrub Shrub Timber Understory Timber Litter
GR2
Percent of Community by Modeled/Calculated Wildfire Risk Inputs
Drive Time from Fire Station
0-5 mins: 5.80%
5-10 mins: 9.66%
10-15 mins: 1.94%
>15 mins: 82.60%
1144 Survey Summary Highlights
Positive Attributes (Low Scores)
• Good separation of adjacent structures
Negative Attributes (High Scores)
• One road in and out
• Narrow road width
• Poor fire access, dead-end spurs, lack turnaround
• Street signs are present, some are non-reflective
• Adjacent fuels: Moderate with high flammability
• Defensible space: >30 feet and <70 feet around structure
• High concern topography surrounding structures
• Moderate history of severe weather and fire
• Non-combustible siding, combustible deck
• Water unavailable
• Response: Station >5 miles from structure
• Internal sprinklers: Only for new build properties
• Utilities both aboveground
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Fires Within Polygon Based on Recent Fire History
• Rocha VMP Escape #2 Fire, 1984
o Extends south outside of the planning area
• White Hurst Fire, 2008
o Extends into Uvas Casa Loma
• Castro Valley Fire, 2017
• Bally Fire, 2017
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APPENDIX D:
Tukman Geospatial Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and
San Mateo County Wildfire Risk to Structures and
Classified Wildfire Hazard Maps for Fire Prevention Planning
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Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo County
Wildfire Risk to Structures and
Classified Wildfire Hazard Maps for
Fire Prevention Planning
Final Report
Prepared by Tukman Geospatial, Digital Mapping Solutions, Wildland Res Mgt &
the Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network
Suggested citation: 2020 Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo County Wildfire
Risk to Structures and Classified Wildfire Hazard Maps for Fire Prevention
Planning, Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network, et al.
November 7, 2022
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Contents
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 6
2. Definitions – Hazard versus Risk .............................................................................................. 6
3. Wildfire Risk and Hazard Data – Intended Uses ...................................................................... 9
4. Data Limitations ..................................................................................................................... 10
4.1. Time/date limitations of foundational data ................................................................... 10
4.2. Example misapplications ................................................................................................ 10
4.3. Value of field verification/validation.............................................................................. 10
4.4. Limits of fire behavior modeling .................................................................................... 11
4.5. Building footprint errors of omission and commission.................................................. 12
4.6. Houses versus warehouses and the inability to assess structure type .......................... 12
4.7. Areas that burned in the 2020 CZU and SCU lightning complex fires ........................... 12
4.8. Accuracy Assessment ..................................................................................................... 13
5. Mapping Methods ................................................................................................................. 14
5.1. Methods development and community engagement ................................................... 14
5.2. Overview ........................................................................................................................ 16
5.3. Hazard mapping methods .............................................................................................. 16
5.4. Hazard mapping geospatial dataset details ................................................................... 22
Flame length ........................................................................................................... 22
Flame length – processing steps ............................................................................. 22
Extreme fire weather potential .............................................................................. 26
Extreme fire weather potential – processing steps ................................................ 26
Ember load index .................................................................................................... 28
Ember load index – processing steps ...................................................................... 28
Suppression difficulty index .................................................................................... 30
Suppression difficulty index – processing steps ..................................................... 30
Dense urban without wildland vegetation ............................................................. 32
Dense urban without wildland vegetation – processing steps ........................... 32
Human development proximity .......................................................................... 35
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Human development proximity – processing steps ........................................... 35
Transmission line proximity ................................................................................ 37
Transmission line proximity – processing steps .................................................. 37
Distribution line proximity .................................................................................. 39
Distribution line proximity – processing steps .................................................... 39
Historic ignitions .................................................................................................. 41
Historic ignitions – processing steps ................................................................... 41
5.5. Combining wildfire hazard with structure density to create the Wildfire Risk to
Structures map .......................................................................................................................... 43
Structure data ......................................................................................................... 43
Combining structures and hazard into hexagons ................................................... 43
5.6. Spatial data attributes – risk and hazard datasets ......................................................... 48
6. Results and Key Findings ....................................................................................................... 51
7. Conclusions and Next Steps ................................................................................................... 51
8. Comparison to Other Assessments ....................................................................................... 52
9. Case Study: City of Santa Cruz Watershed Lands Example Risk Assessment ........................ 59
10. Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... 62
11. References ............................................................................................................................. 63
12. Disclaimer .............................................................................................................................. 65
LIST OF TABLES
Stakeholder workshops to support three-county risk mapping............................................ 15
Classification ranges for the final classified hazard raster (hazard version 10) .................... 20
Classes for flame length ........................................................................................................ 23
Links to datasheets for impervious surface maps of the three-county area ........................ 35
Classification of raw distance to impervious features to classified human development
proximity ............................................................................................................................... 35
Classification of raw distance to transmission lines to classified transmission line proximity
.............................................................................................................................................. 37
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Classification of raw distance to impervious features to classified distribution line proximity
.............................................................................................................................................. 39
Structure density breaks assigned to each hexagon to characterize structure density within
the hexagon and structure density in the hexagon’s 1-mile buffer ...................................... 45
Wildfire Risk to Structures attributes .................................................................................... 49
Classified Wildfire Hazard raster attributes .......................................................................... 50
Hazard within 500 feet of water pipelines ............................................................................ 61
Hazard within source watersheds ......................................................................................... 61
Mean Classified Wildfire Hazard for 1,000-foot buffers of facility centroids........................ 61
LIST OF FIGURES
Santa Cruz – Santa Clara – San Mateo Wildfire Risk to Structures ......................................... 8
2020 CZU and SCU lightning complex fires ........................................................................... 14
Three county wildfire classified wildfire hazard and Wildfire Risk to Structures logic model
.............................................................................................................................................. 17
Theoretical maximum pixel value for the wildfire hazard index ........................................... 18
Geographic areas (roughly following pyromes and ecoregion boundaries) used for assigning
relative hazard class. ............................................................................................................. 19
Classified Wildfire Hazard for the three-county area (version 11 Hazard) ........................... 21
Parameters for FLAMMAP flame length predictions ............................................................ 24
Modeled flame length for the three-county area ................................................................. 25
Workflow for creating extreme fire weather potential raster .............................................. 26
Classified extreme fire weather potential ............................................................................. 27
Ember load index for the-three county area ......................................................................... 29
Suppression Difficulty for the-three county area .................................................................. 31
Dense urban without wildland vegetation for the three-county area .................................. 33
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Workflow for creating dense urban without wildland vegetation for the three-county area
.............................................................................................................................................. 34
Human development proximity for the three-county area .................................................. 36
Transmission line proximity for the three-county area ........................................................ 38
Distribution line proximity for the three-county area .......................................................... 40
Classified historic ignitions > 5 acres density map for the three-county area ...................... 42
Conceptual process of combining wildfire hazard with structure density for the three-
county area to create the Wildfire Risk to Structures map................................................... 44
Example hexagon, the 1-mile hexagon buffer, and attributes of the wildfire risk to structure
map ....................................................................................................................................... 47
CWH (left) v. SC CWPP (right) in the Lexington Hills Community south of Los Gatos along
Highway 17. Green represents low hazard/risk and red represents the highest hazard/risk.
.............................................................................................................................................. 53
CWH (left) v. SC CWPP (right) in the area east of Gilroy. Green represents low hazard/risk
and red represents the highest hazard/risk. ......................................................................... 54
CWH (left) v. SC CWPP (right) in the area in the Saratoga Hills. Green represents low
hazard/risk and red represents the highest hazard/risk. ...................................................... 54
CWH (left) v. SC CWPP (right) in the area in the Monte Sereno and Los Gatos area. Green
represents low hazard/risk and red represents the highest hazard/risk. ............................. 55
CWH (left) v. SC CWPP (right) in the area in the Milpitas and Arroyo De Los Coches area.
Green represents low hazard/risk and red represents the highest hazard/risk. .................. 56
CWH (left) v. SC CWPP (right) in the area in the Aldercroft Creek area. Green represents
low hazard/risk and red represents the highest hazard/risk. ............................................... 57
CWH (left) v. SC CWPP (right) in the area in the Anderson Lake area. Green represents low
hazard/risk and red represents the highest hazard/risk. ...................................................... 58
City of Santa Cruz water supply infrastructure in four panes. See text for more details the
contents of the panes and refer to the legend at bottom of the map. ................................ 60
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1. Introduction
Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties are home to a wide variety of land cover,
ranging from moist coastal headlands to very dense urban areas, to dry, interior forest and
shrublands, to intensive agriculture, to the redwood forest of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The
pattern of human development in these counties has been both concentrated in urban areas
and dispersed across the landscape, with rural communities and homes surrounded by
wildlands. This pattern of development results in the three-county area facing significant
challenges to wildfire response and fire prevention planning. The potential for wildfire requires
land managers, public officials, and Fire Safe Councils to seek decision-support tools for
managing landscapes, prioritizing fuel treatments, and planning evacuation routes. Because it is
neither economically nor ecologically viable to treat hazardous fuels across the entire
landscape, the purpose of this project was to reduce negative impacts from wildfires by
providing a suite of fine-scale wildfire hazard and risk spatial data layers to support efficient and
effective wildfire risk planning throughout each county.
The primary deliverable and subject of this document is the Wildfire Risk to Structures map for
the three-county area (see Figure 1, or here for larger format PDF maps). The Wildfire Risk to
Structures map provides a spatially explicit ranking for 10-acre hexagons, assigning each
hexagon with a ranking for wildfire hazard and a ranking for housing density. From a risk to
structures perspective hexagons with high housing density and high wildfire hazard are of
greatest concern. The map displayed in Figure 1 shows only hexagons that have greater than or
equal to ‘Moderate’ hazard and at least one structure. These areas represent approximately
17% of the three-county area. The rationale for including moderate hazard and above is to
focus on structures with the most risk and is explained further in section 6. Note that the GIS
deliverables for the Wildfire Risk to Structures can be symbolized to show all levels of hazard
(including low hazard), even though Figure 1 only shows moderate hazard and above.
In addition to the Wildfire Risk to Structures polygon map, a second project deliverable is the 6-
class, 20-meter Classified Wildfire Hazard raster. Methods for development of both the Wildfire
Risk to Structures polygons map and the Classified Wildfire Hazard raster are the main subject
of this report.
For links to download the Classified Wildfire Hazard and Wildfire Risk to Structures data,
open this product datasheet or go to pacificvegmap.org. 2. Definitions – Hazard versus Risk
The term “hazard” in the context of this work is the potential for hazardous wildfire. Wildfire
hazard can be described qualitatively as the fire environment – fuel, weather, topography, and
ignitions – and quantitatively by two characteristics (Scott et al, 2013):
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1. the probability of a fire occurring at a specific point during a specified time period
2. the expected distribution of intensity
Hazard combines fuel characteristics such as the volume, arrangement, moisture, and sizes of
the fuels, all of which contribute to how the fire will burn. Information about the fuels is
combined with physical landscape characteristics such as weather, topography, and the
distribution of ignitions across the landscape. The logic model for wildfire hazard as
implemented for this project is shown in Figure 3.
Wildfire hazard can be very high, but if no resources or assets are exposed to the hazard, there
is no risk. Wildfire risk is the potential for realization of adverse consequences to valued
resources or assets. Wildfire risk considers not only the potential for hazardous wildfire, but the
values exposed to the hazard. Some risk assessments consider all relevant all types of values,
including socio-economic, along with ecological elements. For the purposes of this project, the
“risk” aspect of the model applied to one value: structures. As such, the risk assessment
portion of this work is only relevant for wildfire risk to structures, not wildfire risk to other
resources and assets. It is important to point out that the structure data used for this work is
the best available, but it does have errors and limitations. More details about the structure
data are provided in sections 4.5-4.7.
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Santa Cruz – Santa Clara – San Mateo Wildfire Risk to Structures
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This report is organized into the following sections:
• Section 3. Wildfire Risk and Hazard Data Intended Uses
• Section 4. Data Limitations
• Section 5. Mapping Methods
• Section 6. Results and Key Findings
• Section 7. Conclusions and Next Steps
• Section 8. Comparison to Other Assessments
• Section 9. Case Study – Santa Cruz Water Risk Assessment
• Section 10. Acknowledgements
• Section 11. References
• Section 12. Disclaimer 3. Wildfire Risk and Hazard Data – Intended Uses
The Wildfire Risk to Structures and Classified Wildfire Hazard data products are designed for
land managers and fire responders who are interested in relative rankings of wildfire risk and
wildfire hazard. The risk and hazard map products are modeled outputs based on the best
available data. As such, they provide an interpretation of risk and hazard that is based on a set
of input variables and decision rules (see Methods Section 5 below). Though we are using the
best available input data there are many approaches to modeling wildfire risk and hazard, all of
which are both complex and imperfect, and these data should be used with this in mind.
These data are meant to be used as reference datasets for fire prevention planning purposes.
Appropriate uses for Wildfire Risk to Structures dataset is to help to identify areas that have
structures at risk from wildfire. This information can be used for prioritizing fuel reduction
projects, for planning suppression activities, and for targeting areas for activities to increase
ignition resistance of structures. While outside the scope of work for this project, the Classified
Wildfire Hazard raster can also be used to assess the risk to other values (such as evacuation
routes, sensitive natural or cultural resources, and water storage/delivery infrastructure). See
Section 9 for an example of such an application.
These maps and GIS products are screening level products created from remotely sensed data
and modeling. On the ground knowledge and local expertise (where available) should take
precedence over these data products for the detailed work of site-specific planning and
implementation of fuel reduction projects in the three-county area.
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4. Data Limitations
4.1. Time/date limitations of foundational data
The Wildfire Risk to Structures and Classified Wildfire Hazard data products represent the state
of the landscape when the foundational input datasets were created (see section 5.4 for a
discussion of these datasets). These input datasets generally represent the state of the
landscape in mid-2020. With this in mind, it is important to note several temporal constraints
and limitations of the data. These are:
• When using the Wildfire Risk to Structures map in the future, it is important to note
that changes to the landscape post summer-2020 will not be reflected in the risk maps.
Hence, subsequent changes to wildfire risk resulting from wildfire, forest thinning,
prescribed burning, construction, property improvements, land cover change, or other
events will not be reflected in this data product.
• Building footprints and housing density represent the state of the landscape just
before the CZU and SCU Lightning Complex Fires burned in 2020. As such, structures
within these footprints that exist in the datasets used for the risk map may no longer
exist.
4.2. Example misapplications
The three-county Wildfire Risk to Structures map and the Classified Wildfire Hazard data
products are models meant to approximate real-world conditions. Users should keep in mind
the adage ‘All models are wrong, but some models are useful.’ In the relative risk and hazard
maps presented here, there are almost surely structures that are mapped as very high risk and
high hazard that will not burn during the next 100 years. Likewise, there are structures mapped
as low risk that will burn in the next 10 years. With that in mind, an inappropriate use of the
risk maps would be to try and identify with 100% certainty structures or areas that will or will
not burn.
4.3. Value of field verification/validation
A number of input datasets were used to create the Wildfire Risk to Structures and Classified
Wildfire Hazard data products (these are discussed in section 5.4). These input datasets are the
best available datasets for the things that they represent. Despite this, the input datasets are
spatial approximations of the things that they represent and have errors, inaccuracies, and
varying levels of resolution and precision. In addition, there are variables and datasets that
could be useful but were excluded from the logic model and from the hazard mapping because
spatial data for them did not exist. For example, at the time of this work no spatial dataset
representing home ignition resistance existed. Consequently, this variable, which is an
important variable for Wildfire Risk to Structures mapping, was not included in the three-
county Wildfire Risk to Structures map.
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Because the input datasets used to create the Wildfire Risk to Structures and Classified Wildfire
Hazard data products aren’t perfectly accurate, always highly resolute, or totally
comprehensive, there will always be a need to assess risk on the ground at a much finer scale
than is reasonable or possible in a three-county (or even single-county) mapping exercise.
4.4. Limits of fire behavior modeling
One of the most important inputs to the three-county Wildfire Risk to Structures map was
modeled flame length. Modeled (predicted) flame length is proxy for fire severity – the
longer/taller the modeled flame length the more severe the wildfire in a given area. Flame
length was predicted using fire behavior modeling software called FLAMMAP. For FLAMMAP to
provide spatial predictions of flame length (and other indices such as rate of spread, heat per
unit area, fireline intensity, etc.), it requires a landscape file which is composed of a fuelscape (a
map of surface fuels) along with elevation, slope, aspect, canopy height, canopy density,
canopy base height, and canopy bulk density. Other required inputs include information about
dead and live fuel moisture, and an initial wind speed and direction for the simulation.
FLAMMAP calculates potential fire behavior based on the inputs listed above. The FLAMMAP
software uses the same surface fire spread and crown fire initiation/spread equations (or
models) as all the standard fire behavior software packages available today (Rothermel 1972,
Van Wagner 1977, Albini 1979, and others). FLAMMAP applies these fire behavior prediction
models to each pixel independently, regardless of potential activity in adjacent pixels. This
allows for a comparison across a landscape in which the environmental conditions are constant,
and the only difference is the fuel and surface characteristics.
Though this type of analysis can provide valuable information for planning, FLAMMAP has
limitations. Primary is the limiting factor of fuel models and the equations themselves. Not all
fuel on the landscape is represented in the surface fuel models nor is all that fuel available to
burn in any given scenario. For example, if the predicted flame length for any given pixel is
below the canopy base height assigned to that pixel, then the crown fire initiation model is not
applied. Likewise, if the heat per unit area for a given pixel does not reach the crown fire spread
threshold, the crown fire spread model will not be initiated. While in the model, the conditions
may be true that a fire doesn’t get “hot” enough to predict crown fire conditions, we know
from experience that in reality, these conditions have been met and may do so again in the
future.
Second among limitations is the use of fuel models, which themselves are stylized
representation of biomass. There is a finite set of models to choose from, and there are
conditions not represented by the model.
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4.5. Building footprint errors of omission and commission
Of all the inputs to the three-county Wildfire Risk to Structures map, the building footprints
input is perhaps the most important since it identifies the location of structures and structures
are overlaid with the Classified Wildfire Hazard data to assess their risk. Though the building
footprints are the best available data representing structure locations and they are derived
from high density lidar data, they still have limitations. These limitations are as follows:
• Structures occluded by overhanging vegetation are sometime omitted. Buildings with
trees, branches, or other vegetation that partially or totally obscure their view from
above are sometime missed from the algorithms that were used to extract building
features from the lidar point cloud. These homes exist on the ground, but do not exist
in the risk mapping. Errors of building omissions are less common in Santa Clara County,
where the County paid extra for human interpreters to manually improve the County’s
lidar derived building footprints layer.
• Features that aren’t habitable can be mapped as structures. Features such as water
towers, silos, tree houses, and other objects that aren’t habitable are mapped as
structures. Users of the map should bear in mind that these types of features aren’t
discriminated from their habitable counterparts in the risk assessment, which treats
habitable and uninhabitable structures equally. It is important to note that non-
habitable structures are not houses, but many are both ignition risks and valued assets.
4.6. Houses versus warehouses and the inability to assess structure
type
In our risk maps, structures are defined as any single structure. As a result, an outbuilding
counts the same as a small house, which counts the same as a large house, or a ½ acre
commercial building. This was done by design, so that bias in the risk assessment and risk
mapping wasn’t given to larger structures versus smaller structures. Instead, risk is assessed
based on density of structures irrespective of their size.
4.7. Areas that burned in the 2020 CZU and SCU lightning complex
fires
In areas that burned in the 2020 CZU and SCU fires (these areas are shown in Figure 2), fire
hazard and risk was especially difficult to map because the imagery and lidar data critical to
fuels mapping predated these wildfires. The fuelscape, a critical input to the fire behavior
model, was updated to reflect reduced fuels in the burned areas, but updates to the fuel model
were based on expert analysis instead of measurable attributes. The quantitative forest
structure components of the fuelscape (canopy density, canopy cover, canopy base height, and
canopy bulk density) were not updated at all since lidar would need to have been collected
post-fire to derive these forest structure metrics. Instead, the Scott and Burgan fuel model was
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changed by incorporating estimated changes to canopy and resulting vegetation height,
volume, and arrangement based on available burn severity data.
4.8. Accuracy Assessment
It is important to note that thought we believe that the data presented here are the ‘best
available’ countywide datasets of their type, these data and maps depict large areas and are
produced using models and semi-automated methods. They are not based on detailed ground
surveys. Also, accuracy assessments have not been completed to date for the Classified
Wildfire Hazard, the Wildfire Risk to Structures, or their inputs (those created by this team,
Pyrologix, or others). However, in June 2023, an accuracy assessment will be published for the
enhanced lifeform map, which is a critical input to the 5-meter fuel model, the Classified
Wildfire Hazard, and the Wildfire Risk to Structures.
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2020 CZU and SCU lightning complex fires
5. Mapping Methods
5.1. Methods development and community engagement
The three-county Wildfire Risk to Structures polygon map and the Classified Wildfire Hazard 20-
meter raster were developed in collaborative partnership. Tukman Geospatial served as the
technical lead and was responsible for implementing the model design, python coding, and
geospatial data analysis. Tukman Geospatial partners Digital Mapping Solutions (Esther
Mandeno) and Wildland Res Mgt (Carol Rice) provided guidance on the risk model design, its
data inputs, and the weights used for the inputs. Drafts of the risk map were reviewed by all
team members, who balanced internal team input with inputs from stakeholders. The final
Wildfire Risk to Structures map is version 11 and represents 11 rounds of iterative
improvements to the logic model, model inputs, model weights, and the python code that
produces the model. The Classified Wildfire Hazard raster is also version 11.
Stakeholder input and community engagement was critical to the production of the three-
county risk map. Five workshops were held throughout the course of the project to solicit input
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from land managers and the fire community. Table 1 below lists the workshops and provides
links to the slide deck and video (if applicable) for each meeting. In addition to the workshops,
the internal project team had numerous meetings with personnel from the CAL FIRE Santa Clara
Unit (SCU) and San Mateo - Santa Cruz Unit (CZU), staff from CAL FIRE Fire and Resource
Assessment Program (FRAP), land managers, and community-based wildfire groups in Santa
Cruz and Santa Clara County to solicit focused input on specific geographies. Workshops and
smaller meetings were catalysts for numerous improvements the wildfire risk map over the
course of its-ten version evolution.
Stakeholder workshops to support three-county risk mapping
Workshop Link to Slides Link to Video (if available)
CZU Workshop
#1 (3-4-21)
https://fuelsmapping.com/czu_workshop1_slides https://fuelsmapping.com/czu_workshop1_video
CZU Workshop
#2 (9-9-21)
https://fuelsmapping.com/czu_workshop2_slides https://fuelsmapping.com/czu_workshop2_video
CZU Workshop
#3 (1-18-22)
https://fuelsmapping.com/czu_workshop3_slides https://fuelsmapping.com/czu_workshop3_video
CZU Workshop
#4 (3-10-22)
https://fuelsmapping.com/czu_workshop4_slides https://fuelsmapping.com/czu_workshop4_video
CZU Workshop
#5
https://fuelsmapping.com/czu_workshop5_slides https://fuelsmapping.com/czu_workshop5_video
SCU Workshop
#1
(9-15-21)
https://fuelsmapping.com/scu_workshop1_slides https://fuelsmapping.com/scu_workshop1_video
SCU Workshop
#2
(2-25-22)
https://fuelsmapping.com/scu_workshop2_slides https://fuelsmapping.com/scu_workshop2_video
SCU Workshop
#3
(1-18-22)
https://fuelsmapping.com/scu_workshop3_slides https://fuelsmapping.com/scu_workshop3_video
SCU Workshop
#4
(3-8-22)
https://fuelsmapping.com/scu_workshop4_slides https://fuelsmapping.com/scu_workshop4_video
SCU Workshop
#5
https://fuelsmapping.com/scu_workshop5_slides https://fuelsmapping.com/scu_workshop5_video
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5.2. Overview
The logic model for the Santa Cruz – Santa Clara – San Mateo Wildfire Risk to Structures map
and the classified wildfire hazard map is shown in Figure 3. The risk mapping process
synthesizes wildfire hazard together with structure density to produce the final Wildfire Risk to
Structures map. We will first discuss the methods for creating Classified Wildfire Hazard
(section 5.3), then provide details on each of the 9 geospatial datasets that represent wildfire
hazard (section 5.4), and finally illustrate how Classified Wildfire Hazard (a 20-meter raster
product) is combined with structure density using 10-acre hexagons as mapping units to
produce the final Wildfire Risk to Structures map. Note that the two final deliverables (Wildfire
Risk to Structures and Classified Wildfire Hazard) are shown as green blobs in the logic model.
5.3. Hazard mapping methods
In the logic model, input geospatial datasets are shown with white type. In this section we will
discuss the hazard portion of the logic model, which is represented by the input spatial datasets
to the right of the blob labelled ‘Classified Wildfire Hazard’. The logic model includes 5 input
spatial datasets that characterize wildfire potential and 3 input spatial datasets that are related
to wildfire probability. Collectively, these 9 input spatial datasets are synthesized into a raw
hazard score in a 20-meter raster environment.
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Three county wildfire classified wildfire hazard and Wildfire Risk to Structures logic model
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Each of the 9 input spatial datasets related to hazard is scaled from 0-4 (for example, very short
flame lengths would get a 0 for flame length and very tall flame lengths would get a 4).
Classified relative wildfire hazard was calculated by weighting the inputs and adding up the
weighted inputs. Flame length was assigned a weight of 4, extreme fire weather potential and
ember load index were assigned weights of 2, suppression difficulty was assigned a weight of 3,
wildland vegetation was assigned a weight of 2, human development proximity was assigned a
weight of 1, transmission proximity a weight of 1.5, distribution proximity a weight of 2, and
historic ignitions 0.5. To synthesize these 9 hazard spatial datasets together, first the variable’s
class (0-4) for a given pixel is multiplied by that variable’s weight to produce a raw score for
each variable. The highest possible index value was 72. Figure 4 shows how a theoretical pixel
value of 64 would be assigned if all inputs had a value of 'Very High (4)'.
Theoretical maximum pixel value for the wildfire hazard index
After computing raw hazard, with possible pixel values from 0 to 64 for each pixel, pixels were
‘binned’ into 6 hazard classes, 1 through 6, with 1 representing the areas of lowest relative
hazard and 6 representing the areas of highest relative hazard. This classification was done
using the following steps:
1. Class 1 was automatically assigned to pixels that were mapped as water or salt marsh in
the enhanced lifeform map or had a non-burnable (NB) fuel model in the 2020 Scott and
Burgan Surface Fuel Model.
2. The classification was adjusted to account for distinct differences in fire weather,
topography, vegetation, and land use observed by experts when comparing results for
the Santa Cruz Mountains ecoregion (west of Hwy. 101) versus the Mt. Hamilton/Diablo
Range ecoregion (east of Hwy. 101). Figure 5 shows these two areas. For each of these
two areas, the mapping team used the slice command to slice the pixels into quintiles
using the raw hazard value. 2 was assigned to the lowest quintile, 3 to the second, 4 to
the third, 5 to the fourth, and 6 to the highest quintile. Classes 2-6 have a roughly equal
number of pixels within each of the two areas shown in figure 5.
Table 2 shows the class breaks used for the reclassification of raw hazard to classified hazard.
Note that areas mapped as ‘Water’ or ‘Tidal Marsh’ in the enhanced lifeform map, or areas that
are ‘Non Burnable’ in the surface fuel model, were automatically assigned a hazard class of ‘1’
(the lowest hazard class).
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Geographic areas (roughly following pyromes and ecoregion boundaries) used for
assigning relative hazard class.
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Classification ranges for the final classified hazard raster (hazard version
10)
West of 101 East of 101
Raw Range Hazard Index
Value Raw Range Hazard Index
Value
Non-burnable, Water or
Tidal Marsh 1 Non-burnable, Water or
Tidal Marsh 1
0-22.5 2 0-26 2
23-30 3 26.5-33 3
30.5-36 4 33.5-37 4
36.5-43.5 5 37.5-43 5
44-72 6 43.5-72 6
The classified wildfire hazard dataset, a 20-meter resolution raster dataset with pixel values
ranging from 1 (lowest relative wildfire hazard) to 6 (highest relative wildfire hazard). Is
shown in Figure 6.
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Classified Wildfire Hazard for the three-county area (version 11 Hazard)
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5.4. Hazard mapping geospatial dataset details
Flame length
Flame length is an important variable for characterizing wildfire potential and has the highest
weight (x4) of the 9 hazard input spatial datasets. FLAMMAP was used to model flame length
using the 2020 5-meter resolution fuelscape produced by Tukman Geospatial. The fuelscape
includes a Scott and Burgan Fuel Surface Fuel Model, as well as the other components of the
fuelscape (derived from 2020 lidar for Santa Cruz and Santa Clara, and 2017 lidar for San
Mateo): slope, aspect, elevation, canopy base height, canopy bulk density, canopy height, and
canopy density. The San Mateo and Santa Cruz/Santa Clara County Fuel Models are 5-meter
spatial resolution fuel models that adhere to Scott and Burgan’s classification (Scott and
Burgan, 2005). The fuel model provides a fine scale map of fuel conditions on the landscape
and is a required input for fire behavior and fire spread models. The fuel model provides a
higher spatial resolution than the existing, publicly available fuel models, which are based on
the LANDFIRE data derived from 30-meter Landsat data. The fuel model was updated to post
CZU and SCU fire conditions using Sentinel-derived burn severity data. For a more in-depth
technical report on the methods used to create the fuel models, and to download the fuel
models, visit these links:
Santa Cruz/Santa Clara County Fuel Model
Full Report: https://fuelsmapping.com/santa_cruz_clara_fuels_full_report
Datasheet: https://vegmap.press/scc_scz_5_meter_fuel_model_datasheet
San Mateo County Fuel Model
Full Report: https://fuelsmapping.com/san_mateo_fuels_full_report
Datasheet: https://fuelsmapping.com/san_mateo_fuels_datasheet
Flame length – processing steps
Modeled flame length was created as a 5-meter raster and resampled to 20 meters for the
relative hazard mapping effort. The parameters used in FLAMMAP to predict flame length are
shown in Figure 8. The output flame length raster from FLAMMAP was classified into 5 classes
(0-4) using the hauling charts (Andrews and Rothermel, 1982). The classification is shown in
Table 4. Modeled flame length for the three-county area is shown in Figure 9.
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Classes for flame length
Raw Modelled Flame Length Classified Flame Length
0 Feet 0
>0 Feet and <=4 Feet 1
>4 Feet and <= 8 Feet 2
>8 Feet and <=11 Feet 3
>11 Feet 4
The parameters used for the FLAMMAP runs were chosen based on consultations with local CAL
FIRE units and Tadashi Moody and Dave Sapsis at CAL FIRE’s Fire and Resource Assessment
Program (FRAP).
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Parameters for FLAMMAP flame length predictions
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Modeled flame length for the three-county area
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Extreme fire weather potential
Extreme fire weather potential was created by Alan Fox (Fox Weather LLC) and Tukman
Geospatial. Extreme fire weather potential represents the relative potential across the county
for very windy, very dry weather.
Extreme fire weather potential – processing steps
Figure 10 shows a conceptual diagram of the workflow to create the extreme fire weather
potential dataset. The extreme fire weather potential dataset uses a fire spread index that was
calculated from relative humidity and wind speed (adapted from Nelson, 1964). Maximum
daily fire spread index values were calculated for each pixel in a 1.5-kilometer countywide
raster for each day of September and October 2017, 2019, and 2020. For each pixel, the 97th
percentile index value was found for these 180 days. The resulting 97th percentile value for all
pixels was in the three-county area was then classified into quantiles; the lowest quantile was
assigned class of Very Low (0), the second quantile a class of Low (1), the third a class of
Moderate (2), the fourth a class of High (3), and the top quantile a class of Very High (4). Figure
10 shows classified extreme fire weather potential for the three-county area.
Workflow for creating extreme fire weather potential raster
The raw data for this analysis is from NOAA's North American Regional Reanalyis (NARR). Fox
Weather processed the NARR data (32 km resolution) using the Weather Research and
Forecasting Model (WRF) to downscale it to 4 km resolution. The 4 km data from WRF was then
downscaled to 1.5 km using Fox Weather's proprietary MtnRT software.
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Classified extreme fire weather potential
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Ember load index
The ember load index was obtained from Pyrologix’s Contemporary Wildfire Hazard Across
California analysis and geospatial datasets, which were updated to reflect the post-2020 fire
season fuelscape. The Pyrologix/USDA Forest Service ember load index raster can be found
here. The ember load index provides information about the relative amount of embers that
would be deposited at any location in the three-county landscape in the event of a wildfire.
From Pyrologix’s documentation:
The ember load indices represent relative ember load at a pixel. Similar to ember
production, ember load is also based on surface and canopy fuel characteristics, climate,
and topography at the pixel. Ember load incorporates downwind ember travel.
Ember load index – processing steps
For our modeling, we chose to use conditional ember load (cELI), which does not account for
burn probability. Ember load index was resampled from its native resolution of 30-meters to
20-meters for use in our model. It was then classified across the three-county area into
quantiles; the lowest quantile was assigned class of Very Low (0), the second quantile a class of
Low (1), the third a class of Moderate (2), the fourth a class of High (3), and the top quantile a
class of Very High (4).
Classified ember load index for the three-county area is shown in Figure 12.
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Ember load index for the-three county area
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Suppression difficulty index
Suppression Difficulty and Ember Load Index come from Pyrologix and the USDA Forest
service’s Contemporary Wildfire Hazard Across California. The Pyrologix/USDA Forest Service
suppression difficulty index raster can be found here.
Suppression Difficulty factors in topography, fuels, expected fire behavior under severe fire
weather conditions, firefighter line production rates in various fuel types, and accessibility
(distance from roads/trails) to assess relative suppression effort (Rodriguez et al., Vogler et al.).
The raw suppression difficulty index delivered from Pyrologix has a continuous value
distribution from 1-10.
Suppression difficulty index – processing steps
Suppression difficulty index was resampled from its native resolution of 30-meters to 20-meters
for use in our model. It was then classified across the three-county area into quantiles; the
lowest quantile was assigned class of Very Low (0), the second quantile a class of Low (1), the
third a class of Moderate (2), the fourth a class of High (3), and the top quantile a class of Very
High (4).
Figure 13 shows the suppression difficulty index for the three-county area.
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Suppression Difficulty for the-three county area
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Dense urban without wildland vegetation
The ‘Dense urban without wildland vegetation’ geospatial dataset for the three-county area
depicts areas with high structure density that aren’t close to contiguous areas of vegetation
with a value of Very Low (0). This reflects the situation in urban areas where wildfires are rare
due to a lack of vegetative fuel. All other areas, which include areas of contiguous woody or
non-woody vegetation, are assigned a Very High (4). In addition, dense areas of urban land
cover near contiguous areas of vegetation are also assigned a value of 4.
Vegetation fire potential was the last input spatial dataset to be included in the model. It was
developed based on suggested input from CAL FIRE analysts from the CZU unit, who observed
that hazard predictions were unexpectedly high for some urban areas with dense housing. This
input from CAL FIRE prompted the mapping team to develop a geospatial dataset that
differentiates dense urban areas without nearby wildland vegetation from other areas.
Dense urban without wildland vegetation – processing steps
The output dataset representing dense urban areas without wildland vegetation v. other areas
is shown in Figure 14. The workflow diagram for producing this geospatial dataset is shown in
Figure 15. As shown in the workflow diagram, the dataset was created by combining two
intermediate datasets in a 20-meter resolution raster environment: a three-county ‘urban
mask’ raster and a ‘wildland vegetation’ raster. The urban mask depicts areas representing
impervious land cover greater than 50% and was developed from the San Mateo (2018), Santa
Cruz (2020, pre-CZU fire) and Santa Clara County (2020, pre-CZU/SCU fires) impervious surface
maps. The wildland vegetation raster was created by selecting vegetated land covers from the
San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara enhanced lifeform maps (same ground condition dates
as shown above for the impervious surface maps). Wildland vegetation areas were defined as
areas greater than 300 acres and include both woody and non-woody vegetation. The result of
combining the urban mask and the wildland vegetation rasters is shown in Figure 14: dense
urban areas that are not within 500 feet of wildland vegetation are shown in blue; other areas
are shown in red.
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Dense urban without wildland vegetation for the three-county area
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Workflow for creating dense urban without wildland vegetation for the three-county area
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Human development proximity
Proximity to human development, such as roads, structures, and other infrastructure increases
the chance a fire will occur since many wildfires are sparked in and around these areas. Human
development proximity was derived from the San Mateo (2018), Santa Cruz (2020, pre-CZU fire)
and Santa Clara (2020, pre CZU/SCU fire) impervious surface maps. These maps are fine scale
vector polygon map of buildings, paved and dirt/gravel roads, other paved areas (like parking
lots), and other dirt impervious areas. Table 5 provides links to the datasheets for the
impervious surface maps across the three counties.
Links to datasheets for impervious surface maps of the three-county area
County Link to Datasheet/Download Info for Impervious Map
San Mateo https://vegmap.press/san_mateo_impervious_datasheet
Santa Cruz https://vegmap.press/Santa_Cruz_Impervious_Datasheet
Santa Clara https://vegmap.press/Santa_Clara_Impervious_Datasheet
Human development proximity – processing steps
To create the human development proximity 20-meter raster that was used as one of the
geospatial input datasets for hazard classification, Tukman Geospatial combined the vector
impervious surface maps for the three counties, and then created a Euclidian distance raster at
20-meter raster resolution. The Euclidian distance raster’s pixel values represent that pixel’s
distance in feet to the nearest impervious feature. Raster values representing these distances
were reclassified into 4 values (from Very Low (0) to Very High (4) impervious proximity). Table
Table 6 shows the details of how raw values were binned to create the classified human
development proximity geospatial dataset used for hazard and risk mapping. Figure 16 shows a
map of classified human development proximity for the three-county area.
Classification of raw distance to impervious features to classified human
development proximity
Proximity to Impervious Feature Classified Value
0-25 Feet Very High (4)
25-50 Feet High (3)
50-100 Feet Moderate (2)
100-200 Feet Low (1)
Greater than 200 Feet from Impervious Feature Very Low (0)
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Human development proximity for the three-county area
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Transmission line proximity
Proximity to transmission lines increases fire probability since some wildfires are sparked by
transmission lines, especially during wind events. As power safety shutoffs continue,
transmission will likely play a lesser role in sparking wildfires, but we have still included
proximity to transmission lines as an input to the Classified Wildfire Hazard dataset. However,
we did not include transmission lines that traversed urbanized areas without wildland
vegetation – these lines were masked out of our dataset since they generally aren’t ignition
sources for wildland vegetation fires.
Transmission line proximity – processing steps
Transmission line data was acquired by the California Public Utilities Commission (2021, link
here). Proximity to transmission lines was created (using the Euclidian distance function) and
classified in the same manner as for human development proximity (see Table 7 for class
breaks). As noted above, transmission lines traversing dense urban areas without contiguous
wildland vegetation were not included in this analysis. See section 5.4.10 for a discussion of
how these dense urban areas were mapped for this project.
To create the transmission line proximity 20-meter raster that was used as one of the
geospatial input datasets for hazard classification, Tukman Geospatial rasterized the CPUC
vector transmission line dataset for the three-county area and then created a Euclidian distance
raster at 20-meter raster resolution. The Euclidian distance raster’s pixel values represent that
pixel’s distance in feet to the nearest transmission line feature. Raster values representing
these distances were reclassified into 4 values (from Very Low (0) to Very High (4) impervious
proximity). Table 7 shows the details of how raw values were binned to create the classified
transmission line proximity geospatial dataset used for hazard and risk mapping.
Classification of raw distance to transmission lines to classified
transmission line proximity
Proximity to Transmission Line Feature Classified Value
0-25 Feet Very High (4)
25-50 Feet High (3)
50-100 Feet Moderate (2)
100-200 Feet Low (1)
Greater than 200 Feet from Impervious Feature Very Low (0)
Figure 17 shows classified transmission line proximity for the three-county area.
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Transmission line proximity for the three-county area
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Distribution line proximity
Proximity to distribution lines increases fire probability since some wildfires are sparked by
distribution lines, especially during wind events. As power safety shutoffs continue, distribution
lines will likely play a lesser role in sparking wildfires, but we have still included proximity to
distribution lines as an input to the Classified Wildfire Hazard dataset. However, we did not
include distribution lines that traversed urbanized areas without wildland vegetation – these
lines were masked out of our dataset since they generally aren’t ignition sources for wildland
vegetation fires. Because distribution lines are a much more common cause of ignitions then
their higher voltage counterparts, transmission lines, distribution line proximity was given a
higher weight in the model than transmission line proximity (see Figure 3).
Distribution line proximity – processing steps
Distribution line data was acquired by PG&E’s Integration Capacity Analysis webmap as a vector
line feature class (link here). Proximity to distribution lines was created (using the Euclidian
distance function) and then classified (see Table 8 for class breaks). As noted above,
distribution lines traversing dense urban areas without contiguous wildland vegetation were
not included in this analysis. See section 5.4.10 for a discussion of how these dense urban areas
were mapped for this project. Figure 18 shows classified distribution line proximity .
To create the distribution line proximity 20-meter raster that was used as one of the geospatial
input datasets for hazard classification, Tukman Geospatial rasterized the PG&E vector
distribution line dataset for the three-county area and then created a Euclidian distance raster
at 20-meter raster resolution. The Euclidian distance raster’s pixel values represent that pixel’s
distance in feet to the nearest transmission line feature. For distribution lines, Raster values
representing these distances were reclassified into 4 values (from Very Low (0) to Very High (4)
impervious proximity). Table Table 8 shows the details of how raw values were binned to
create the classified transmission line proximity geospatial dataset used for hazard and risk
mapping. Areas within 66 feet of a transmission line were assigned a Very High (4); areas
further from the line were assigned Very Low (0). This ‘binary’ assignment was chosen to
reflect the fact that increased ignition hazard from distribution lines, and the efficacy of
reducing ignition hazard by clearing vegetation along distribution lines, is limited to a relatively
narrow strip of land adjacent to the line.
Classification of raw distance to impervious features to classified
distribution line proximity
Proximity to Transmission Line Feature Classified Value
0-66 Feet Very High (4)
Greater than 66 Feet from Impervious Feature Very Low (0)
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Distribution line proximity for the three-county area
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Historic ignitions
Historic ignitions were the final geospatial input dataset used to map wildfire hazard. Historic
ignitions provide insight into where ignitions occurred in the past. Historic ignition data was
used where the wildfire resulting from an ignition was greater than 5 acres in size. The input
dataset used for historic ignitions was acquired from the CAL FIRE Fire and Resource
Assessment Program and includes historic ignition point locations through the middle of the
2019 fire season.
Historic ignitions – processing steps
The historic ignitions data acquired from FRAP depicts ignition locations across the state of
California between 2004 and 2019. The FRAP points were clipped to the three-county area.
From the clipped layer, analysts selected out the ignition locations that resulted in wildfires
greater than 5 acres. From the resulting point layer, the kernel density function was used to
create a density map of ignition points over 5 acres. The historic ignitions density map was
then classified across the three-county area into quantiles; the lowest quantile was assigned
class of Very Low (0), the second quantile a class of Low (1), the third a class of Moderate (2),
the fourth a class of High (3), and the top quantile a class of Very High (4).
Figure 19 shows the historic ignitions classified density map.
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Classified historic ignitions > 5 acres density map for the three-county area
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5.5. Combining wildfire hazard with structure density to create the Wildfire
Risk to Structures map
Structure data
Structures were derived from the San Mateo (2018), Santa Cruz (2020, pre CZU fire) and Santa
Clara (2020, pre-CZU/SCU fire) impervious surface maps. The structures in the three
impervious surfaces map were derived from the ‘best available’ lidar data for the three
counties. In addition, structure footprint data provided by Sanborn also derived from the best
available lidar data was integrated into the impervious surface map for Santa Clara County.
Though the structures used for this analysis are the ‘best available’ data to spatially represent
structure on the landscape, they still contain false positives and false negatives (especially when
structures are visibly obscured by tree canopy from an aerial perspective). In addition, the
structure footprints were derived from data collected before the 2020 lightning fires in the
three-county area. As a result, they depict structures that have since burned down. The lidar
derived structures used in this analysis were qualitatively compared to Microsoft Building
Footprints (derived from optical data) and were deemed superior in their accuracy, with less
false positives and false negatives.
From the impervious surface maps, structures polygons were selected and combined, and
structure centroids (points) were created.
Combining structures and hazard into hexagons
The Classified Wildfire Hazard map, which is described above in Sections 5.3 and 5.4, was
combined with the structure data to create the final deliverable for this project: a Wildfire Risk
to Structures map. Figure 20 is a high-level conceptual diagram of this process.
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Conceptual process of combining wildfire hazard with structure density for the
three-county area to create the Wildfire Risk to Structures map
The Wildfire Risk to Structures map uses 10-acre hexagons as its map units. There were
144,626 10-acre hexagons across the three-county area. Each hexagon was assigned both a
count of structure centroids that fall inside of it, as well as a structure density class for
structures that fall inside of it. Structure density class breaks were determined by adapting
recommendations from the current literature (Maranghides et al.), along with
recommendations from the project team and CAL FIRE. Table 9 shows the structure density
breaks used to assign classified structure density. Each hexagon was also assigned (using zonal
statistics) the mean Classified Wildfire Hazard of the pixels that the hexagon overlapped and
the mean Classified Wildfire Hazard of the pixels that the hexagon’s 1-mile outside only buffer
overlapped.
Then, each hexagon was assigned a hazard value the following way:
(Mean Hazard Value of Pixels Inside the Hexagon + Mean Hazard Value of Pixels in the 1-Mile
Hexagon Buffer)/2
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Figure 20 shows an example hexagon with its 1 mile outside only buffer, the structure locations,
and the attributes assigned for structures within the hexagon, structure density within the
hexagon, and hazard as calculated in the formula above and rounded to the nearest integer.
Structure density breaks assigned to each hexagon to characterize
structure density within the hexagon and structure density in the hexagon’s 1-
mile buffer
Structure Density (Structures/Acre) Structure Density Class
<.1 1
0.1-.4 2
.5-.9 3
1-1.9 4
2-2.9 5
>=3 6
Figure 21 helps clarify the process of assigning the final ‘Hazard to Structures’ classification,
which is the result of the Wildfire Risk to Structures map. In Figure 21, the single example
hexagon shown in the center of the map received a ‘Hazard to Structures’ classification of ‘High
Hazard, .5-.9 Structures per Acre.’ Reading left to right along the table at the top of Figure 21,
the attributes are as follow:
Mean Hazard Within: This is the mean wildfire hazard (1-6) of the pixels within the hexagon
(the hexagon is shown in the center of the map). The value for this is 3.49.
Mean Hazard 1 Mile: This is the mean wildfire hazard (1-6) of the pixels within the 1-mile buffer
around the example hexagon. The 1-mile buffer is shown as the large purple circle in the map.
The value for this is 4.31, which reflects the higher hazard in the buffer relative to within the
hexagon itself.
Neighborhood Hazard Class: This is calculated by rounding the result of the following to the
nearest integer (as shown on the previous page):
(Mean Hazard Value of Pixels Inside the Hexagon + Mean Hazard Value of Pixels in the 1-Mile
Hexagon Buffer)/2
The value for this is 4 (High).
Structures Within: The count of structures within the example 10-acre hexagon. The value is 6.
Structures per Acre: Structure density (structures per acre) within the example 10-acre
hexagon. The value is .6.
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Structures within Description: Structure density, binned into classes for the example 10-acre
hexagon. The value is ‘.5-.9 Structures per Acre’.
Hazard to Structures: A combination of ‘Hazard Class’, which is ‘4 (High Hazard)’ and
‘Structures within Description’, which is ‘.5-.9 Structures per Acre’.
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Example hexagon, the 1-mile hexagon buffer, and attributes of the wildfire risk to structure map
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5.6. Spatial data attributes – risk and hazard datasets
Tables 10 and 11 below show the attributes of the Classified Wildfire Hazard raster and the
Wildfire Risk to Structures vector dataset. When using this wildfire risk to structures dataset,
we recommend symbolizing using the ‘symbology’ attribute, which combines classified hazard
and classified structure density into a single attribute. This symbology is included in an ArcGIS
Pro map package that is distributed with the project geodata. See the project datasheet for
details and download information.
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Wildfire Risk to Structures attributes
Attribute Name Attribute Alias Description
HAZARD_WITHIN_CLASS Mean Hazard Within Mean wildfire hazard within hexagon, calculated by overlaying wildfire hazard raster with
hexagon vector polygons.
HAZARD_WITHIN_1MILE_CLASS Mean Hazard 1 Mile Mean wildfire hazard for the one-mile buffer outside of the hexagon, calculated by overlaying
wildfire hazard with hexagon vector polygons.
STRUCTURES_WITHIN Structures Within Count of structures within the hexagon.
STRUCTURES_PER_ACRE Structures per Acre Structures per acre within the hexagon.
STRUCTURES_WITHIN_1MILE Structures in 1
Mile Buffer Count of structures for the one-mile buffer outside of the hexagon.
STRUCTURES_WITHIN_1MILE_CLASS Structures w/in 1
Mile Classified Classified structure density (1-6) for the one-mile buffer outside of the hexagon. See Table 9 for structure density class breaks.
STRUCTURES_WITHIN_CLASS Structures Within
Classified
Classified structure density (1-6) inside of the hexagon. See Table 9 for structure density class
breaks.
STRUCTURES_WITHIN_DESC Structures Within
Description
Classified structure density description (e.g., .5-.9 structure per acre) inside of the hexagon. See
Table 9 for structure density class breaks.
STRUCTURES_WITHIN_1MILE_DESC Structures w/in 1
Mile Description Classified structure density description (e.g., .5-.9 structure per acre) for the one-mile buffer
outside of the hexagon. See Table 9 for structure density class breaks.
NEIGHBORHOOD_HAZARD_CLASS Neighborhood Hazard
Class This is calculated by rounding the result of the following expression to the nearest integer:
(Mean Hazard Value of Pixels Inside the Hexagon + Mean Hazard Value of Pixels in the 1-Mile
Hexagon Buffer)/2
TOTAL_SCORE Total Score The sum of ‘Structures Within Classified’ + ‘Neighborhood Hazard Class’
SYMBOLOGY Symbology Attribute that combines ‘Neighborhood Hazard Class’ and ‘Structures within Description’
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Classified Wildfire Hazard raster attributes
Attribute Name Description
HAZ_CLASS Hazard class (1-6) for each 20-meter pixel.
HAZARD Classified values for hazard input variables, providing the details behind the hazard class ranking.
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6. Results and Key Findings
The Wildfire Risk to Structures map shown in Figure 1 (and here as countywide PDFs),
symbolizes the Wildfire Risk to Structures map in a way that displays only the hexagons with
Moderate, High, Very High, and Highest Hazard (classes 3, 4, 5, and 6) that also have structures
within their boundaries. By looking at this subset of hexagons, only areas that have moderate
or greater hazard AND at least one structure per 10 acres are shown. By limiting the data
shown in this way, only 24,880 hexagons, or 17.2% of the three-county area, is shown. This
subset focuses the user on the areas of the landscape of greatest concern in the context of
structures at risk to wildfire. To further focus on the highest risk areas, by removing the
‘Moderate’ hazard class and focusing on the High, Very High, and Highest Hazard classes where
hexagons have at least one structure within their 10-acre boundary, we limit our selection of
hexagons to 12,217 hexagons, or 8.4% of the three-county area. Note that these are the
hexagons that actually contain the structures, and that management opportunities that provide
benefits to these areas in terms of hazard mitigation will extend to hexagons nearby that aren’t
shown because they do not have structures (or have low hazard). 7. Conclusions and Next Steps
The first step any land manager should take is to review the data and results carefully. Where
the input layers accurately represent on-the-ground conditions, confidence in the results is
high. While all locations should be considered at risk of fire, those identified as moderate or
above should be considered for mitigation projects (i.e., home hardening, defensible space,
shaded fuel break construction, forest thinning/management, etc.).
It is also important to remember that treatments designed to protect structures should not be
limited to hexagons with a structure; reducing hazard with treatments in hexagons with no
structures can also reduce risk to nearby hexagons with structures.
A user can use this Wildfire Risk to Structures map to either sequence activities to reduce
hazard or determine locations for which funding for such activities should be sought. In almost
all cases, activities would be aimed at reducing hazard, as it is improbable to reduce the
number of structures or other inputs that influence risk (weather, distribution powerlines, or
impervious surfaces).
Natural resource managers may choose to use the Classified Wildfire Hazard map to guide
treatments across the larger landscape as a way to mitigate the effect of the 'halo' of high
hazard. Additionally, the Classified Wildfire Hazard map can be used to evaluate risk to other
resources and assets besides structures, such as wildlife habitat, watershed function, and more.
See Section 9 for a case study that illustrates this way of using the hazard data.
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Further, users of the Wildfire Risk to Structures dataset can observe and compare the aggregate
level of risk in certain locations. For example, the communities east of the Junipero Serra
Freeway are uniformly included in the mapped areas of risk (albeit lower levels of risk), as
compared to smaller pockets of the highest levels of risk along Skyline Blvd. This information
can be used to inform local hazard mitigation plans or justify applications for large-scale
treatments. 8. Comparison to Other Assessments
During stakeholder review, input was provided to the mapping team about places where
members of the Santa Cruz/Santa Clara County fire and/or land management community
observed differences between the Wildfire Risk to Structures/Classified Wildfire Hazard data
products and other existing hazard and/or risk assessments. This Section provides a discussion
of some of these areas, comparing the existing assessments with the wildfire and hazard maps
created in this project, and addressing the differences.
One main area of questions was with regards to differences between the Classified Wildfire
Hazard dataset presented here and the maps provided as part of the 2016 Santa Clara County
Community Wildfire Protection Plan (SC CWPP), produced by SWCA Environmental Consultants.
When the Classified Wildfire Hazard (CWH for the remainder of this discussion) dataset
presented here is compared directly with the SC CWPP risk model (filename ‘RAwo_final.tif’),
the results are quite similar (though the CWH is more refined). The SC CWPP model is heavily
weighted on hazard, with only 5% of the rating based on fire occurrence, or risk. As such, the
SC CWPP is directly comparable to the CWH presented here.
Initial reviewers of the CWH noted that the SC CWPP risk assessment model typically classified
areas at higher risk.
The inputs of the CWH include datasets that the SC CWPP risk model does not, which may
explain why the two data products differ in some locations. The CWH includes extreme fire
weather potential, and ember load index for example, which are lacking in the SC CWPP risk
model. The extreme fire weather potential results in heightened hazard in the northern portion
of the Santa Clara Valley, and on the coast by Half Moon Bay (see section 5.4 for details on
model inputs).
In general, on a landscape scale, there is not a large difference between the two models in
terms of overall risk/hazard. However, at the fine-scale, differences become apparent, which is
to be expected given the different resolution of the data (30 meters for the SC CWPP risk versus
20 meters for the CWH) and the evolution of the modeling since 2016, when the SC CWPP
dataset was created. It should also be noted that the SC CWPP model used LANDFIRE fuelscape
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and the CWH uses a fuelscape derived from lidar and fine scale vegetation mapping. Even so,
the overall distribution of hazard is generally similar.
Below we compare the portion of the CWH presented here with the SC CWPP hazard/risk
model from 2016.
CWH (left) v. SC CWPP (right) in the Lexington Hills Community south of Los
Gatos along Highway 17. Green represents low hazard/risk and red represents the
highest hazard/risk.
Both models show lower hazard/risk within the community at the very center of the map
extents above. The surrounding hills are predicted at moderate to high in the CWH and mostly
high in the SC CWPP model. There is more nuance in the CWH, but overall, the resulting pattern
of hazard/risk is similar.
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CWH (left) v. SC CWPP (right) in the area east of Gilroy. Green represents low
hazard/risk and red represents the highest hazard/risk.
Both models show elevated hazard/risk in the hills east of Gilroy in a patchwork pattern, likely
due to the distribution of shrub and forested lands in that area. Notably, the SC CWPP gave the
grazed grasslands in that area a higher risk rating than the CWH. In the CWH, the team
compensated for the heavily grazed grassland in the south-eastern portion of Santa Clara
County by assigning those areas a grass fuel model with the lowest fuel loading.
CWH (left) v. SC CWPP (right) in the area in the Saratoga Hills. Green represents
low hazard/risk and red represents the highest hazard/risk.
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In the Saratoga Hills (west of Saratoga Sunnyvale Road), the SC CWPP model shows a scattering
of high risk in the neighborhood whereas the CWH indicates mostly moderate hazard, with
patches of high hazard. However, in the CWH, more of the area is assigned moderate and
above hazard, whereas the SC CWPP model has much of the area mapped as low risk/hazard. In
the hills in the south and southeast of the map, the pattern of hazard/risk between the two
data products is similar.
CWH (left) v. SC CWPP (right) in the area in the Monte Sereno and Los Gatos
area. Green represents low hazard/risk and red represents the highest hazard/risk.
In the Monte Sereno/Los Gatos area, the CWH shows low to moderate hazard within the
suburban community in the center-left of the map images (between Quito Rd. and Winchester
Blvd.) in contrast with the SC CWPP risk/hazard, which shows the area at the lowest risk/hazard
rating (dark green). This likely because the CWH takes into consideration burnable vegetation
along riparian corridors and within the neighborhood itself, whereas the LANDFIRE based
fuelscape that underpins SC CWPP often doesn’t represent small pockets of burnable
vegetation within the urban mosaic.
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CWH (left) v. SC CWPP (right) in the area in the Milpitas and Arroyo De Los
Coches area. Green represents low hazard/risk and red represents the highest
hazard/risk.
For the Milpitas area, the results are quite similar between the two models with much of the
urban portion of the area in the lowest hazard rating in the CWH and in the SC CWPP model.
Along Calaveras Rd. in the Arroyo De Los Coches area, both models indicate areas of high
hazard/risk. Along the edges of the valley, both show moderate hazard/risk. In the hills, there is
more nuance in the CWH, most likely because of the finer scale vegetation and fuel model
mapping that serves as the foundation of the CWH.
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CWH (left) v. SC CWPP (right) in the area in the Aldercroft Creek area. Green
represents low hazard/risk and red represents the highest hazard/risk.
At Aldercroft Creek along Highway 17, the two models show significant differences. The SC
CWPP hazard/risk classifies much of the area in the highest risk/hazard class. The CWH, on the
other hand, scores the area between moderate and high. However, the SC CWPP's risk also
shows some areas of low (in the flatter valleys) where the CWH does not.
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CWH (left) v. SC CWPP (right) in the area in the Anderson Lake area. Green
represents low hazard/risk and red represents the highest hazard/risk.
Near Anderson Lake, along Manzanita Dr. in Santa Clara County, the CWH mostly indicates
moderate hazard whereas the SC CWPP risk/hazard rating is low.
In summary, the Classified Wildfire Hazard (CWH) presented here and the SC CWPP hazard/risk
models are broadly similar in most areas of Santa Clara County. Since the CWH is based on fine
scale vegetation and lidar, it has more nuance and tends to capture pockets of hazard that the
SC CWPP misses, especially in and around urban areas.
It is important to remember that these are both models, and that differences in models are to
be expected. Paul Hansen, The Board Chair of the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council opined
on the emergence of many risk models, with this comment:
I am very comfortable using the new models, even when there are slight discrepancies
from prior predictive algorithms. Just like the "best" hurricane path models, no single
model is perfect. Mother Nature simply won't allow for that. But the CWH information
is our latest, most refined, and most comprehensive analysis available, and that will
allow us to identify and subsequently focus on specific neighborhoods / communities /
associations of highest risks. There we can follow up with a "ground-level" dialogue - or
better, a community assessment - to quantify their specific risks in more detail. At that
time, we will discuss any discrepancies or irregularities we find in a positive way, and use
any learnings to improve the modeling results to better characterize specific locational
differences. Importantly, this multi-dimensional risk assessment and graphical hazard
mapping allows our organization to effectively educate participants on their various
elements of wildfire hazards and risks so that we can follow up with a prioritize selection
of mitigation efforts to address those highest risk points; offering advice for the DIYers,
or products and paid services for those who want it done professionally.
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The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council will leverage the all new CWH model as the
basis for our Risk Assessment in our forthcoming update to the Santa Clara County
CWPP, replacing 2016 CWPP version, planned for publishing in 2023. Using the fine scale
mapping and interactive tools, our communications to residents will amplify the
importance of multi-home participation, and ask communities to take a collaborative
and holistic approach to mitigating local wildfire risks. The CWH modeling will help
individuals explore and understand the broader risks they face, and that will hopefully
lead to better results than a one-home-at-a-time defensible zone campaign. Our
objective is to have our prioritized wildfire mitigation recommendations based on both
highly-scientific top-down modeling, validated with bottoms-up refinements at the local
community level, leading to the most accurate risk assessments available anywhere. We
believe this will offer compelling motivation for community action, leading to significant
long-term benefits for all Santa Clara County residents. 9. Case Study: City of Santa Cruz Watershed Lands Example Risk Assessment
The Wildfire Risk to Structures dataset described in this report is a risk assessment that analyzes
only structures as values at risk. This section provides an example of using the Classified
Wildfire Hazard dataset to assess risk to other values: in this case the infrastructure of the City
of Santa Cruz Water Department. This is not a comprehensive exercise and is meant to
demonstrate how the Classified Wildfire Hazard raster can be used to model risk to values
other than structures.
The City of Santa Cruz Water department manages land and infrastructure to deliver drinking
water to Santa Cruz residents. About half of the city’s water comes from the San Lorenzo River
and 32% of it from local creeks that include Majors Creek, Laguna Creek, and Liddell Creek.
Water infrastructure includes Loch Lomond Reservoir, an impoundment on a tributary of the
San Lorenzo River, and numerous other assets. Facilities include 4 wells, 2 water treatment
plants, pump stations, a dam on Loch Lomond Reservoir, intakes to draw water from local
streams, and a series of pipelines to transport water from the water sources to treatment
plants and the end users.
For this exercise, we overlaid the Classified Wildfire Hazard raster with the City of Santa Cruz’s
water infrastructure to generally assess which components of the infrastructure are exposed to
high wildfire hazard. Figure 1 on the next page shows a 4-pane map (with all panes showing the
water supply infrastructure). The upper left pane includes roads and public lands with lidar
derived building footprints and their 100-foot buffers. The upper right pane shows Classified
Wildfire Hazard, the watershed that supplies the city’s water, and the footprint of the 2020 CZU
lightning complex fire. The lower left pane displays a hillshade, and the lower right pane shows
aerial imagery.
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City of Santa Cruz water supply infrastructure in four panes. See text for more details the
contents of the panes and refer to the legend at bottom of the map.
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Tables 12 and 13 show the distribution of hazard from the Classified Wildfire Hazard layer for
the pipelines and the entire source watershed (shown in blue in Figure 29). 11% of the area
within 500 feet of the water pipelines is very high (class 5), or highest (class 6) hazard, with 25%
of it in the high (class 4 hazard class). For the entire watershed, hazard is higher, with 36% of
the source watershed area in the two highest hazard classes and 61% of the area in the three
highest hazard classes. This is explained by the fact that the upper northern and eastern parts
of the watershed (up-catchment of the infrastructure) have very high wildfire hazard.
Hazard within 500 feet of water pipelines
Hazard Class Acres
Percent of
Area
1 - Lowest 128 4%
2 1081 30%
3 1050 29%
4 905 25%
5 334 9%
6 - Highest 69 2%
Hazard within source watersheds
Hazard Class Acres
Percent of
Area
1 - Lowest 62 1%
2 945 12%
3 2172 26%
4 2029 25%
5 1679 20%
6 - Highest 1320 16%
Table 14 shows a list of facilities, with the mean hazard for a 1500-foot buffer of the facility’s
centroid. The table is ranked in descending order of mean hazard, showing facilities with the
highest mean Classified Wildfire Hazard at the top of the list.
Mean Classified Wildfire Hazard for 1,000-foot buffers of facility centroids
Water Facilities
Mean Classified
Wildfire Hazard
Liddell Spring Intake 4.7
Reggiardo Creek Intake 4.3
Laguna Creek Intake 3.9
Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant 3.6
Loch Lomond Dam 3.6
Lagun Recirc 3.4
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Water Facilities
Mean Classified
Wildfire Hazard
Majors Creek Intake 3.4
Felton Diversion 2.9
Tait 1 Well Site 2.9
San Lorenzo River Intake 2.8
Tait 4 Well Site 2.8
Felton Booster Pump Station 2.7
Beltz 10 Well Site 2.2
Beltz 12 Well Site 2.1
Beltz 9 Well Site 2.1
Beltz 8 Well Site 2.0
Beltz Groundwater Treatment Plant 2.0
The information presented in this section shows how this data can be used to prioritize fuel
reduction projects in a way that addresses infrastructure most at risk from wildfire. This type of
prioritization would also be informed by local knowledge and field reconnaissance, in addition
to other data such as the feasibility of treating the landscape (also known as ‘Treatment
Feasibility’), slope, aspect, vegetation type, and forest structure datasets. In addition, fire
behavior modeling can be used to simulate fires on the landscape at selected ignition points
and the information gleaned from fire behavior modeling can aid in prioritizing treatments. 10. Acknowledgements
The project team would like to thank the Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network,
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Wildfire Prevention Grants
Program, and California Climate Investments for supporting this work.
Thank you to all the individual stakeholders and workshop attendees for providing thoughtful
review and feedback throughout the process.
Special thanks to strategic consultant Kass Green of Kass Green & Associates for her exceptional
vision and unyielding commitment to excellence.
Thanks to the broad group of funders, stakeholders, and leaders supporting development of the
Santa Clara-Santa Cruz Countywide Fine Scale Vegetation Map and Landscape Database Project,
of which this wildfire hazard and risk mapping effort has been a significant component. This
includes:
• Big Creek Lumber
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife
• California Department of Parks and Recreation
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• California Native Plant Society
• California State Coastal Conservancy
• County of Santa Clara
• County of Santa Cruz
• Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
• Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
• Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve
• Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
• NOAA Office for Coastal Management
• Peninsula Open Space Trust
• Quantum Spatial/NV5
• Resources Legacy Fund
• San Mateo FireSafe Council
• San Mateo RCD
• San Francisco Bay Area Network of National Parks
• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
• Santa Clara County Open Space Authority
• Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
• Santa Clara Valley Water District
• Save the Redwoods League
• UC Santa Cruz
• US Geological Survey 11. References
Andrews, P.L. and Rothermal, R. 1982. Charts for Interpreting Wildfire Fire Behavior
Characteristics. General Technical Report INT-131. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ogden, Utah
Maranghides, A., Link E.D., et al. 2022. WUI/Structure/Parcel/Community Fire Hazard
Mitigation Methodology. NIST Technical Note 2205. National Institute of Standards and
Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
Nelson, R.M., 1964. The National Fire Danger Rating System: Derivation of Spread Index for
Eastern and Southern States, U.S. Forest Service Research Paper SE-13. September 1964, pp. 1-
37.
Rodríguez y Silva, F., J. R. M. Martínez, et al. 2014. "A methodology for determining operational
priorities for prevention and suppression of wildland fires." International Journal of Wildland
Fire 23(4): 544-55.
Scott, J.H., Thompson, M.P., and Calkin, D.E. 2013. A Wildfire Risk Assessment Framework for
Land and Resource Management. General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-315. U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, Colorado
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Vogler, K. C., Brough, A., et al. (2021, June 30). Contemporary Wildfire Hazard Across California.
Retrieved February 28, 2022, from http://pyrologix.com/reports/Contemporary-Wildfire-
Hazard-Across-California.pdf
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12.Disclaimer
Tukman Geospatial makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, timeliness, or
completeness of these data. Tukman Geospatial makes no warranty of merchantability or
warranty for fitness of use for a particular purpose, expressed or implied, with respect to these
products or the underlying data. Any user of this data, accepts same as is, with all faults, and
assumes all responsibility for the use thereof, and further covenants and agrees to defend,
indemnify, and hold Tukman Geospatial harmless from and against all damage, loss or liability
arising from any use of these data products, in consideration of Tukman Geospatial and its
partners having made this information available. Independent verification of all data contained
herein should be obtained by any user of these products, or the underlying data. Tukman
Geospatial disclaims, and shall not be held liable for, any and all damage, loss, or liability,
whether direct, indirect, or consequential, which arises or may arise from these products or the
use thereof by any person or entity.
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APPENDIX E:
Project Recommendations
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Table E.1. Recommendations to Create Resilient Landscapes (Fuel Treatments)
Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
RL1 M 2023-2033 Continue to align the CWPP,
MJHMP, and General Plan
Safety Element updates and
revisions to build consistency and leverage funding
opportunities for hazardous fuel
treatments.
Countywide Santa Clara County
OES
Build and retain partnerships between agencies and decision-
making bodies across the county to develop solutions that
mitigate the risks of common hazards faced by the entire
County
• Assess values at risk
• Build upon existing hazard mitigation planning from
other agencies
• Use story map and project tracking tool to increase
accessibility and public awareness
• Utilize the established CWPP Management Team to foster collaboration
Protect life by identifying hazards
and reducing associated risks
Protect public and first responder life and safety
Updates to materials as needed
Convene Management Team on an annual basis
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress
• FEMA BRIC Grants
• EMPG
• RCP
• Firewise grants National Urban and Community Forest Program
• FP&S (FEMA)
• California Fire Safe Council
Grants
• NFPA Firewise Grants
RL2 H Ongoing Install strategic fuel breaks and
fuel reduction areas throughout
the county based on findings of
the Risk-Hazard Assessment.
Open Space
Authority, Midpen,
State Parks, County
Parks, Palo Alto Parks, San Jose Parks, and other
public lands that
bound up to the WUI.
Consider Assembly
Bill 2911
Prioritize treatment in
areas of concern
(Figure ES.1, Figure
4.2), and specifically adjacent to areas
classified as ‘extreme
risk to structures’ in
the Risk-Hazard
Assessment
County, private
landowners (private
roads), state and
federal agencies
Install fuel breaks in high-risk areas and prioritize underserved and rural areas. Potential fuel break locations include:
• Buffer roads, natural fuel breaks (rivers, creeks, and ridgelines), and designated rights-of-way to increase fuel break effectiveness. Areas that support the protection of the WUI
• Valley floors, where grasslands meet or intermingle with communities
• Around communities surrounded with rolling hills and grasslands
• Communities surrounded by steep topography and heavy fuel loading
• Around critical facilities and infrastructure (e.g., communications)
• Aim for 300-foot shaded fuel breaks around communities
• Implement and maintain shaded fuel breaks and reduce ladder fuels and greenbelts
• Perform roadside fuels treatments to maximize effectiveness of roadways as fuel breaks and reduce wildfire behavior along major ingress and egress routes.
• Fuel breaks should be designed according to site-
specific conditions
• Potential methods include prescribed burning,
grazing, and mechanical
Implement a maintenance program for the Highway 17
shaded fuel break.
Protect life and property by
reducing the spread of high
severity wildfire and improving
access for emergency vehicles.
Regular maintenance schedule
should be implemented to ensure
clearance levels are maintained
and remain effective.
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress and relevant
statistics.
• USFS CWDG Grants
• CAL FIRE Grant Programs
• FEMA BRIC Grants
• California Fire Safe Council
Grants
• NFPA Firewise Grants
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
RL3 H Ongoing Evaluate existing native surface
(unpaved) fire roads for use as fuel breaks/fuel reduction areas
as appropriate
Open Space
Authority, Midpen, State Parks, County
Parks, Palo Alto
Parks, San Jose
Parks, and other
municipal parks that bound up to the WUI. Consider Assembly
Bill 2911
Depends on
jurisdiction/ easement
Identify existing gaps in fuel breaks or large-scale treatments
meant for connectivity and implement and determine most effective treatment methods
• Consider road type and ownership
• Fire dept with jurisdiction/easement access would evaluate road condition and suitability
• Maintenance would be assigned based on jurisdiction.
• Implement maintenance - road/trail width for fire
and park patrol vehicles where possible
• Refer to RL1 for other fuel break considerations.
• Consider bridge access, ratings and maintenance
Protect life and property by improving access for emergency vehicles to open space areas and WUI areas adjacent to open space.
Regular maintenance schedule
should be implemented to ensure clearance levels are maintained
and remain effective.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress and relevant statistics.
• USFS CWDG Grants
• CAL FIRE Grant Programs
• FEMA BRIC Grants
• California Fire Safe Council Grants
• NFPA Firewise Grants
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
RL4 M Ongoing Identify continued prescribed
herbivory in open spaces, targeting grasses and light fuels
throughout the Unit.
County-wide
Following assessment
of feasibility, prioritize
treatment in areas of
concern (Figure ES.1), and specifically adjacent to areas
classified as ‘high and
extreme risk to
structures’ in the risk-
hazard assessment
County Parks,
Miidpen, Open Space Authority,
State Parks, water
company/district
properties,
Cattleman’s association, ranching
community, private
landowners
Utilize prescribed herbivory as fuel reduction and
maintenance technique, especially adjacent to WUI areas.
• Work with Santa Clara Cattleman’s Association to develop a regional grazing plan.
• Implement grazing plans to eliminate dry grass and remove weeds and/or establish irrigation to regreen
the parcel.
• Employ grazing as a solution for treating areas of
high concern topography that would be unsafe for
hand treatment
• Work with RCDs to investigate locations where
grazing would be most effective
Collaborate with California Department of Fish and Wildlife for
beaver conservation and population/habitat restoration efforts
that could provide benefits for forest health/hazardous fuels
reduction
• Conduct a comprehensive assessment of existing
beaver populations and study benefit to forest
resilience
• Secure funding and resources through partnerships, grants, and fundraising initiatives to support beaver conservation and habitat restoration
projects
• Develop and implement a monitoring program to
track the population dynamics, behavior, and
habitat conditions
Establish communication and collaboration with the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) or CalTrans to
initiate discussions on the potential for expanding the elk
population in targeted regions with a view to provided benefit
for forest and grassland resilience.
• Conduct an assessment of suitable habitat areas
• Collaborate with CDFW to develop a
comprehensive elk management plan
• Coordinate with CalTrans to identify potential areas
for wildlife crossings through transportation corridors
• Assess need for habitat restoration and long-term monitoring program
Reduce fuel loading of fine fuels
that could increase wildfire spread to WUI areas.
Regular monitoring needed to
ensure against environmental damage and invasive species
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress and relevant
statistics.
• SRA
• CA Fire Safe Council
• CFIP
• NRCS
• FEMA
• GHGRF
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
RL5 H Ongoing Encourage use of intentional fire
(i.e. – broadcast burning, pile burning, cultural burning,
biochar and carbonator) where
ecologically sound and feasible
County-wide
Following an
assessment of
feasibility, prioritize
treatments in areas of concern (Figure ES.1), and specifically
in locations where
treatment would
alleviate ‘high and
extreme risk to structures’ in the risk-hazard assessment,
and would provide
positive impacts to
watershed and
ecological health
All jurisdictions
where appropriate
Tribes
Federal agencies, CAL FIRE
Utilize prescribed burn planning that follows agency and
regulator protocols.
• Engage with tribal entities to promote the use of cultural burning when appropriate and feasible.
• Train personnel to be NWCG-certified burn bosses (RXB2).
• Reach out to surrounding fire agencies to collaborate on prescribed burns. This will improve
the capacity to accomplish many/large acreage
burns.
Assess opportunities to use prescribed fire for restoration
(e.g., oak woodlands) to increase wildfire resiliency.
Reduce fuel loading of fine fuels
and understory species to mitigate potential for intense fire behavior in
the event of an unplanned ignition.
Increase capacity and training for fire departments.
Promote healthy successional
vegetation
Provide habitat for fire-adapted
species.
Regular monitoring needed to
ensure against environmental damage and invasive species into
burned areas.
Establish annual goals and objectives for prescribed burning operations.
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress and relevant statistics.
• CAL FIRE VMP program
• SRA
• CA Fire Safe Council
• CFIP
• NRCS
• GSA Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP)
• Firewise Grants
• BRIC
• RCP
• Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grants (FEMA)
• Community Wildfire Defense Grants (CWDG)
• National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant Program
• U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities
RL6 H Develop roadside fuel treatment
program (paved public roads),
including suite of methods available and sustainability
mechanism.
County Wide
Prioritize treatment in areas of concern
(Figure ES.1), and
specifically adjacent
to areas classified as
‘extreme risk to structures’ in the risk-
hazard assessment
Caltrans, County
and city road
agencies; private road associations,
PG&E, cable and
phone companies
Highest risk roadways as identified in the risk assessment
Determine suite of treatment methods allowed and restriction for roadside hazard reduction including mowing, mastication,
chemical, plantings, mulching, etc.
Develop treatment plan and rotation schedule for roadside treatments, focusing on primary evacuation or access/egress
corridors.
• Annual spring maintenance of right-of-way
• Treat surface fuels for a minimum 10-foot buffer
and up to 30 feet where possible
• Trim fuels (limbing-up timber) to allow safe
passage of emergency vehicles
• Control for invasive species that may contribute to
rapid fire spread (i.e., weeds and grasses).
• Utilize CalVTP to expedite treatments
• Develop map that highlights critical routes.
• Align with evacuation modeling and planning
Collaborate with Santa Clara County Roads Dept. to identify
areas of elevated fire risk and implement necessary treatment
(e.g., Old Santa Cruz Highway, Idylwild Road)
Reduce fuel loading around roads
and highways to ensure safe
passage of vehicles in event of evacuation and reduce unplanned
ignitions from vehicles and
highway users.
Regular maintenance schedule
should be implemented to ensure
clearance levels are maintained.
Develop standards for road crews,
including removal of slash.
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress and relevant
statistics.
• SRA
• CA Fire Safe Council
• CFIP
• NRCS
• FEMA
• GHGRF
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
RL7 M Within
18 months and ongoing
Mobilize private landowners to
reduce fuels around homes and communities
Private lands across
all communities
FireSafe Council
County and private
lands.
• Planning Team entities should collaborate on
development of a property owner “play book” to
encourage and support property owner actions.
Playbook would include technical information on
best management practices for mechanical thinning and manual clearing.
• Access to a database of contractors
• Project costs within county- knowledge of common fuel treatment methodologies and their associated
costs
Empower property owners through other mechanisms:
• Develop an enforcement program providing the
County with cause to clean up derelict or abandoned lots.
• Develop an incentive program for property owners.
• Identify treatment burdens and address with outreach
• Establish a community bulletin for property owners to post information on abandoned structures and
vegetation buildup on privately owned yards.
• Consider working with local volunteer groups to
increase capacity.
Provide residents with information
that helps them prioritize treatments and plan their
defensible space projects.
Monitor effectiveness of different
treatment approaches and implement adaptive approach for
updating the list depending on
uptake of various methods.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress and relevant
statistics.
• NPS
• U.S. Forest Service
• CAL FIRE
• PG&E
RL8 L Ongoing Continue established agency
partnerships that retain hand
crews for fire hazard reduction
Countywide County Fire, CAL
FIRE, County
Sheriff (Weekend Work Program),
CCC
Fuels management crews can be utilized as a countywide
resource to provide support during incident response, and
they can achieve significant progress in fuels reduction projects.
Continue crew work in fire defense improvement work
throughout the county.
• Develop equipment needs to accomplish work
(including maintenance) and seek funding for purchase.
• Create an educational tool for land/property owners re: various methods, techniques, and cost for
various fuel treatments.
• Cultivate and support partnerships with NGOs and
volunteer groups to support implementation of
projects.
Create resilient landscapes and
address potential for extreme
wildfire behavior in and around the WUI.
Create and maintain accountability
with local landowners/
managers.
Monitor cost effectiveness through
benefit cost ratio approach
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress and relevant
statistics.
• CAL FIRE Grant Programs
• SRA
• CA Fire Safe Council
• CFIP
• NRCS
• FEMA
• GHGRF
RL9 M Within 5
years
Feasibility study for biomass
reduction and utilization
Countywide Public-Private
Partnerships
Convene public and private industry partners to explore
potential methods for biomass reduction and utilization.
• Conduct benefit analysis to ensure that the energy
production potential outweighs transportation costs
• Work with local biomass utilization centers for future partnerships with fuel managers and fire
agencies
Address a need for removal of hazardous fuels resulting from treatments
Increase opportunities for
treatment funding by creating a
carbon benefit
Create resilient landscapes through increased fuel treatments.
Bi-monthly or quarterly review of
progress
Monitor cost and carbon benefit
and develop standards for biomass
utilization from fuel treatments.
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress
• CAL FIRE Grant Programs
• SRA
• CA Fire Safe Council
• CFIP
• NRCS
• FEMA
• GHGRF
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
RL10 H Ongoing Create a full-time permanent funded Countywide Wildfire Coordinator Position
Countywide Santa Clara
County, FireSafe Council
Establish funding for a full-time Santa Clara County Wildfire Coordinator to increase wildfire planning efforts, implement trainings for residents and county agencies, and coordinate mitigation efforts with greater effectiveness.
• Must receive budget approval from Board of Supervisors
• FSC would provide list of responsibilities of position
Increase local and county level planning
Build resilient landscape by scaling up wildfire planning, coordination, and training on a county level
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress. • Internal County funds
• CAL FIRE Grant Programs
• SRA
• CA Fire Safe Council
• CFIP
• NRCS
• FEMA
• GHGRF
RL 11 H Within
5 years
Survey for dead and dying trees and conduct removal projects throughout
County Wide
Lexington Hills area
Santa Clara County Conduct a thorough visual survey of the designated area to identify dead and dying tree, recording coordinates, tree characteristics, and overall density.
• Prioritize removal projects based on immediate threats to infrastructure, public safety, or high-value areas
• Develop a detailed plan for the safe and efficient removal of dead and dying trees
Coordinate with trained personnel and monitor progress
Build resilient landscape by reducing dry fuel loads throughout County
Update the CWPP project tracking
tool with progress and relevant
statistics.
• SRA
• CA Fire Safe Council
• CFIP
• NRCS
• FEMA
• GHGRF
Table E.2. Recommendations for Creating Fire-Adapted Communities (Public Education and Reducing Structural Ignitability)
Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
FAC 1 H Ongoing Decrease ignitions from unhoused populations. WUI areas with significant unhoused populations including parks and open space areas countywide.
Santa Clara County, private and state lands.
Create a task force or team of PIOs and County officials including members of the community to create and disseminate outreach materials.
• Unify coordination.
• Create consistent messaging.
• Create goals and objectives.
• Evaluate areas of concern
• Provide information and resources guiding individuals in the safe use of heating and cooking materials.
• Provide unhoused populations with more opportunities to make use of fuel sources that reduce the risk of wildland ignitions.
• Consider implementing a fuel canister recycling program for the purpose of reducing the use of open flames and canister waste.
• Apply for Community Resilience Centers Program
Reduce wildland ignitions resulting from unhoused populations. PIOs meet once a quarter or once a month.
Evaluate goals and objectives.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress and relevant statistics.
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
FAC2 L Ongoing Create collaborative relationships with local agricultural and ranching communities.
Countywide County, state, and private lands. County planning collaborative community practice – they have a heat and air quality group; this could be a starting point for a steering committee.
Collect a list of organizations that work with communities and identify ways to collaborate.
Analyze and address trends in shifting livestock types to offset hurdles associated with climate change and wildfire.
The Firesafe Council can facilitate meetings between the CWPP Advisory Team and ranchers after the CWPP is developed.
Raise awareness of wildfire risks and hazards in rural areas throughout the County.
Establish regular steering committee meetings.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
FAC3 M Ongoing Provide wildland fire overview classes to local reporters and news press employees to ensure the information that is being disseminated is correct and not misleading.
Countywide Local news stations, reporters, newspapers, and public bulletins.
Create a curriculum in collaboration with County PIOs and FPD officials.
• Provide training on proper language regarding wildland fire.
• Provide an overview of the incident command system and decision-making process.
• Provide example press releases and methods for disseminating information to the public.
• Reduce the use of dramatic language and provide context and clarity in a way that reduces fear and panic in the community.
Create more trust between the community and fire agencies.
Increase the likelihood of residents to follow evacuation orders.
Provide Annual refreshers or classes to reporters, editors, PIOs, and other press-related employees.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
FAC4 H Ongoing Work with local fire departments and communities to attain and maintain Firewise USA recognition.
Santa Clara County fire departments and communities. Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
County and private. SCCFSC working directly with CALFIRE and NFPA as a Regional Coordinator
SCCFSC in conjunction with FPDs will work with local community leaders and HOAs for attaining and maintaining Firewise certifications.
Reduce the risk and hazards of wildfire to the WUI. Empower residents to work with their neighbors to build greater wildfire resiliency on the community level.
Work with communities to establish new Firewise USA recognition and assist community Firewise committees to evaluate progress towards annual Firewise USA recognition.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress and relevant statistics.
• Coastal Conservancy
• CWDG
• California Firesafe Council
• CAL FIRE
FAC5 Ongoing H Ongoing Form a task force to do parcel-level inspection work to enhance risk modeling and be an educational resource; utilize portable data collection and ArcGIS as analysis tools.
Countywide Private homes and businesses. Must have an agency champion to be accepted by the public.
Agency responsibility would fall to the County Fire Department and would expand to SCCFSC and other entities to increase capacity.
Carry out parcel-level assessments to enhance risk assessment model components at a finer scale.
Add data to the risk-hazard model and re-run as necessary.
Create a comprehensive database of parcel-level inspection data.
Inform decision-makers on risks to structures throughout the county.
Set a target number of parcels to be assessed each year.
Review the number of parcels assessed each year at the annual CWPP meeting.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
• SRA
• GHGR
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
FAC6 Ongoing H Ongoing Establish and enforce defensible space standards. County-wide, but prioritize high and risk areas as delineated by the risk-hazard assessment and specifically, 'risk to structures’ layer.
Local fire protection districts, HOAs, Private landowners
Promote defensible spaces:
• Make sure new homes/structures are made with non-combustible materials (i.e., encourage structural hardening)
• Enforce a minimum of 100 feet of defensible space around structures.
• Clean and maintain ingress/egress routes.
• Ensure there are two ways out of a community.
• Consider landscaping methods across multiple properties that reduce fire potential (e.g., connect fuel treatments across different properties)
• Create a defensible space program. Include pre-determined inspection frequency and education/outreach efforts.
• Develop a staffing plan to support enforcement and seek funding to implement the plan.
• Educate property owners on real actions that could mitigate their wildfire hazard and risk.
• Provide tax incentives for defensible space actions.
• Work with insurance companies to determine the potential to provide incentives for defensible space associated with reduced insurance premiums.
• Consider green waste pickup/disposal options.
• Promote and educate residents on home hardening using NFPA, IBHS, or NIST standards
Reduce loss of life and structures through defensible space. Annual program evaluation and updates as necessary.
Consider updates to the building code, where needed
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
• BRIC
• SRA
• GHGR
FAC7 Ongoing L Ongoing Add hyperspectral and LiDAR imaging to periodic aerial photography flights.
Countywide and surrounding jurisdictions.
Private, county, and state lands. Work in conjunction with the County Assessor or other agency that acquires aerial photography of the county and add additional sensing cameras to flights to acquire specialized vegetation data.
Hyperspectral and LiDAR can provide in-depth identification and analysis of hazards and risks associated with fuels and topography.
These methods may work well to evaluate the efficacy of fuel treatments and fuel breaks.
Periodic new flights to update data sets.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
• BRIC
• SRA
• GHGR
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
FAC8 Ongoing H Ongoing Educate citizens on how to achieve contemporary WUI code compliance in retrofits/cost: benefit ratio. Provide workshops and/or demonstration site.
Countywide Fire Safe Councils, County Fire, CAL FIRE
Estimate costs for workshops and/or webinars.
Provide opportunities for the public to learn about WUI code and strategies for implementing home hardening upgrades. See Chapter 4: Reducing Structural Ignitability and Appendix G, Property Owner Resources.
Refer to reports by Headwaters Economics on recent home hardening upgrade options and costs for CA
Strategize on ways to coordinate this project with parcel level inspection work.
Strategize avenues for engaging the public. Be opportunistic- engage residents following a local wildfire or at existing well-attended events, i.e., annual BBQ, Pancake Breakfasts, and open days offered by Fire Departments.
Acquire resources through the Community Resilience Centers Program to establish neighborhood-level resilience centers.
Increase compliance with County code.
Reduce fire risk levels for individual parcels and the community.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress and relevant statistics.
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
• BRIC
• SRA
• California Fire Safe Council
FAC9 H Ongoing Track Firewise USA recognized communities, home inspections, outreach events, fuel mitigation work, Firesafe Council activities, and CWPP action Items in the CWPP project tracking tool.
N/A Santa Clara County SCCFSC Establish dedicated county personnel to evaluate project progress, collect information from PIOs and fire departments on outreach and education, and compile data on home inspections and Firewise USA community.
Regularly update the CWPP project tracking tool with relevant statistics to be reviewed by the public and monitored by county officials.
Align actions and updates across the county hub site, story map, and CWPP project tracking tool.
Collaborate with groups countywide to incorporate regular updates to the CWPP hub site and story map. Coordinate regular meetings to discuss projects and CWPP updates.
Develop and maintain countywide FAC practitioner database
Track the progress of different projects, programs, and initiatives.
Provide a centralized database of certifications, inspections, and mitigation activities that can help with future grant work and funding goals.
Utilize the CWPP project tracking tool at annual CWPP meetings, Firesafe Council meetings, and Emergency Management Planning meetings.
Reach out to SWCA Environmental Consultants for guidance and training on using the tracking tool.
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
• BRIC
• SRA
• California Fire Safe Council
FAC10 M Ongoing Increase and encourage attendance of the Ag pass program
Rural Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, commercial agriculture producers
The existing Ag pass program is effective in addressing post-fire concerns for ranchers and farmers in the area.
Conduct outreach and marketing for the Ag Pass program in relevant areas throughout the county.
The program allows eligible Santa Clara County cattle producers access to their livestock in the event of a wildfire.
Inform commercial ranchers and farmers of opportunities to access livestock in the event of a wildfire.
Evaluate attendance of outreach events and fire safety trainings associated with the Ag pass program.
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
• BRIC
• SRA
• California Fire Safe Council
FAC11 M Ongoing Incorporate local Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) in the planning and outreach process for CWPP updates and implementation.
Countywide and surrounding RCDs. Santa Clara County Ensure RCDs are given a place at the table.
RCDs can provide connections and referrals and often have good information on communities that can help inform land managers during decision-making processes.
The Guadalupe-Coyote RCD has a new staff member who can support outreach. They are looking to fill gaps, not provide redundant resources.
Provide the county with more support and information regarding local communities.
Support outreach regarding wildfire risk.
Establish an RCD representative on the Advisory Team. • Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
• BRIC
• SRA
• California Fire Safe Council
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
FAC12 H Ongoing Utilize NextDoor as an outreach tool Countywide NextDoor now has a public agency platform that can link citizens to their neighborhoods and view agency messaging.
Guadalupe-Coyote RCD has 1/3 of its population viewing messages and has seen an increased trend in people signing up for alerts and newsletters.
Collaborate with RCDs and PIOs on using NextDoor.
Provide county residents with a reliable and centralized outreach system.
Conduct quarterly meetings to coordinate outreach efforts through the program.
• Firewise grants
• FP&S (FEMA)
• EPA Environmental Education Grants
• CWDG
• BRIC
• SRA
• California Fire Safe Council
FAC 13 H Ongoing Create smoke-ready communities through facilitating smoke education and providing resources.
Countywide, focus on smoke prone areas and disadvantaged communities
County Fire Departments and Fire Safe Councils
Identify smoke-prone regions and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities that are most vulnerable to impacts of smoke.
Work with FDs and Fire Safe Councils to develop education materials
Work with County Air Quality and Extreme Heat Working Group to develop materials
Provide resources (e.g. air cleaners) to vulnerable and at-risk communities
Disseminate information through various channels, including:
• Social Media
• Public Events
• In-Person Training and Workshops
• School Curriculum integration
Provide the community with knowledge and strategies to reduce the health impacts associated with smoke form wildfires
Annual program evaluation and updates as necessary. • CWDG
• Coastal Conservancy
• CAL FIRE
• California Firesafe Council
FAC 14 M Ongoing Research the need for a Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) or a Prescribed Burn Council (PBC), and work with partners to implement a program.
Countywide SCCFSC, RCDs, CAL FIRE, county fire departments, landowners, etc.
Evaluate existing legal and regulatory framework surrounding prescribed burns in Santa Clara
Research the approach used by other existing PBAs/PBCs in California organize their efforts mitigate wildfire risk
Garner public involvement and interest, disseminate educative materials to spread awareness of the benefits of prescribes fires
Determine resource availability and additional needs to establish and operate of PBA/PBC:
• Trained personnel
• Equipment
• Funding
• Partnership
Educate communities about the use of prescribed fire
Reduce loss of life and structures through decrease fuel loads
Annual program evaluation and updates as necessary. • Coastal Conservancy
• CAL FIRE
• California Firesafe Council
FAC 15 H Ongoing Continued FAC education for people residing, working, and recreating in Santa Clara County.
County Wide County Fire Departments and Fire Safe Councils
Educating members of the community on wildfire science, fuels reduction, home hardening through:
• Training programs and workshops
• Community guidelines
• Train-the-trainer programs
• Forest health education programs
Promoting knowledge about smoke and its impact with:
• Local alerts
• Public service announcements
• Guidance for indoor air quality measure (e.g. air purifiers, closing windows)
Collaborate with FDs to develop plans and communicate strategies that will help maximize evacuation readiness
Provide those living, working, and taking part in recreation within the County with proper wildfire education
Increase community resilience to wildfire impacts
Annual program evaluation and updates as necessary. • CWDG
• CAL FIRE
• California Firesafe Council
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Table E.3. Recommendations for Safe and Effective Wildfire Response
Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
FR1 M Ongoing Reestablish protocols for preplanned water sources for fire suppression operations during times of drought.
Countywide Fire Safe Councils or Fire Wise Communities, consultation with SJW, Valley Water and other water providers
Ensure adequate water resources are placed and identified in strategic locations around the county during peak wildfire season. Locations of water resources should be cataloged in an online mapping program. Water infrastructure should be considered during permitting processes and implemented into pre-attack plans.
• Implement temporary water storage solutions on private lands (dip tanks, pumpkins, cisterns).
• Conduct portable dip tank training with fire personnel.
• Create a countywide GIS and map of temporary water resources.
• Improve existing fire flows in remote areas to meet fire flow requirements
• Make sure fire flows in new developments meet fire flow requirements
• Install water tanks where feasible. In locations water tanks cannot be installed, have tanks filled and pre-loaded to be transported to areas of need in the event of a fire
• Install additional tanks and standpipes
• Install helicopter dip tanks where appropriate
• Initiate a detailed study of feasible locations for water development improvements
• Install hand pumps or other methods independent of the grid for accessing private well water
• Ensure suppression crews have the appropriate “keys” for hydrants or standardized water fittings
• Consult with SJW, Valley Water and other water providers
Improve fire-fighting response
Alleviate public and agency concerns for limited water supply in certain areas during times of drought
Aligns with the following plans:
• Santa Clara County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan (2017)
Update the CWPP project tracking tool with progress and relevant statistics.
• CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
• BRIC
FR2 L Ongoing Determine the feasibility of implementing a drone program for the purpose of monitoring wildfire ignitions and Initial Attack operations.
Countywide Local and state fire agencies Conduct a cost benefit analysis determining the economic viability of a UAS program.
Identify and/or establish appropriate training protocols and certifications.
Create or identify a UAS job hazard analysis (JHA).
Emphasize to public that unauthorized UASs in active fire areas interfere with Initial Attack operations
Improve fire reporting of small and remote fires.
Notify fire suppression agencies of wildfire ignitions and spread.
Certified UAS pilots are required. Notify local civilian and fire related aviation authorities of flight operations.
• CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
• BRIC
FR3 L Ongoing Install a Countywide fire detection camera system. Countywide Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management
Determine costs, upkeep, and operational capacity of a fire detection camera system.
Consider using a combination of UAS, Landscape cameras, and satellite data.
Improve early detection of new wildfire ignitions in Santa Clara County.
Yearly testing and maintenance before peak wildfire season. • CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
FR4 H Within 1 year Develop WUI Pre-Plans for public safety agencies to utilize in fire response
Countywide County Fire Agencies Utilize Zonehaven software.
Ground truth Zonehaven information by entity.
Facilitate safe and effective wildfire response Yearly testing and maintenance before peak wildfire season. • CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
FR5 H Within 1 year Develop a Countywide evacuation plan Countywide County Fire Agencies Utilize Zonehaven software
Ground truth Zonehaven by entity.
Use Assembly Bill 2911 subdivision review for ingress/egress.
Notify citizens of evacuation plans expeditiously.
Aligns with the following plans:
• Santa Clara County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan (2017)
Yearly testing and maintenance before peak wildfire season. • CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
FR6 Ongoing M Ongoing Identify populations with disabilities or access needs during evacuations.
Countywide Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management
Integrate consideration and approaches for evacuation of vulnerable populations into the design of education and outreach programs as well as preplanning processes.
Assist in the safe evacuation of vulnerable populations
Aligns with the following plans:
• Santa Clara County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan (2017)
• Strategic Visioning Plan (EOP) (2022)
Yearly assessment of data quality. • CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
FR7 H Within 1 year Identify communities that have poor ingress and egress routes or one-way-out communities and determine potential solutions
Countywide Local Fire Protection Districts Develop a working group- outreaching to annex holders- to address community concerns
Address specific ingress concerns in appropriate annexes
Utilize existing CAL FIRE maps
Explore and implement a permitting process
Align with the Safety Element and HMP
Incorporate findings into/from jurisdictional annexes and other evacuation related studies or assessments
Improve the evacuation of remote communities and people with poor ingress and egress options.
Aligns with the following plans:
• Santa Clara County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan (2017)
• Strategic Visioning Plan (EOP) (2022)
• Santa Clara County General Plan Safety Element (2023)
Yearly meeting of annex holders to evaluate egress and ingress needs. • CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
FR8 H Within 1 year Repaint or establish new evacuation arrow markers in neighborhoods.
Countywide Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management
Paint arrows red or yellow.
Align markers with evacuation planning and identify temporary refuge areas.
Improve the efficiency and safety of evacuations.
Aligns with the following plans:
• Santa Clara County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan (2017)
• Strategic Visioning Plan (EOP) (2022)
Repaint arrows every 10 years • CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
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Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
FR9 M Ongoing Improve and provide wildland fire specific training opportunities to local firefighters.
Santa Clara County Fire Protection Districts, Fire Stations, Rural Volunteer Fire Departments.
Expand certifications and qualifications for fire department personnel. Ensure that all firefighters are trained in basic wildfire behavior, basic fire weather, and that all company officers and chief level officers are trained in the wildland command and strike team leader level.
Develop agreements between agencies to provide training opportunities for fire staff.
Ensure fire departments require all firefighters to be red carded. A red card is required for firefighters to work on an active federal fire incident.
Increase funds for volunteer Fire Department training for response to fires in the WUI.
Reach out to the National Wildfire Coordination Group (NWCG) for training materials, online courses, and instructor needs.
Provide training opportunities for firefighter trainees to meet NWCG standards.
Expand chainsaw operation training programs.
Improve local fire department wildland fire response and suppression capabilities.
Reduce the damage caused by wildfires.
Reduce the likelihood of firefighter injuries and fatalities.
Aligns with the following plans:
• Santa Clara County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan (2017)
• Strategic Visioning Plan (EOP) (2022)
Provide annual red card training/refresher/pack test events before the start of fire season.
Provide online wildfire training classes/refresher courses.
Establish Inter-agency training cooperation.
• CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
FR10 New L Ongoing Create partnerships with local ranchers. Increase cooperation between CAL FIRE, Incident Management Teams, and local landowners.
Santa Clara County FSC Rural areas, ranchlands, agricultural lands, privately owned open spaces.
Many local ranchers have private access roads, gates, and bridges that can aid Incident Management Teams with fire suppression operations and expedite Initial Attack resource response. Private access roads are not publicly mapped, and local landowners would like it to stay that way. Consider implementing an NDA to acquire private access information without making it publicly available.
Ag Pass Contacts:
Stephanie Moreno
Sheila Barry
Improve Initial attack response capabilities.
Improve fire agencies data on ingress and egress routes.
Conduct pre-fire season meetings with local ranch and agricultural leaders.
• CAL FIRE – Grant Portal
• AFG
• HMGP
• EMPG
• FMAG
• RCP
• SAFER
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APPENDIX F:
Fuel Treatment Types and Methods
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FUELS TREATMENT TYPES
DEFENSIBLE SPACE
Defensible space is perhaps the fastest, most cost-effective, and most efficacious means of reducing the
risk of loss of life and property. Although fire agencies can be valuable in providing guidance and
assistance, creating defensible space is the responsibility of the individual property owner (Figure F.1).
The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) compared the impact of individual and community-level mitigation
on individual property owner risks. They found that “the model indicates that all mitigation measures
reduce the individual risk, but individual home mitigation – which individual property owner control –
can have a bigger impact than any community mitigation alone” (CAS 2023).
Figure F.1. Defensible space zones providing clearance between a structure and adjacent woodland or forest fuels. This figure does not depict Zone 0.
Source: CAL FIRE 2022i
Effective defensible space consists of creating an essentially fire-free zone adjacent to the home (Zone
0), a treated secondary zone that is thinned and cleaned of surface fuels (Zone 1), and (if the parcel is
large enough) a transitional third zone that is basically a managed forest area (Zone 2). These
components work together in a proven and predictable manner. Zone 0 keeps fire from burning directly to
the home; Zone 1 reduces the adjacent fire intensity and the likelihood of torching, crown fire, and ember
production; and Zone 2 provides the same at a broader scale, keeping the fire intensity lower by
maintaining a more natural, historic condition (see Figure F.1).
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It should be emphasized that defensible space is just that—an area that allows firefighters to work
effectively and with some degree of safety to defend structures. While defensible space may increase a
home’s chance of surviving a fire on its own, a structure’s survival is not guaranteed, with or without
firefighter protection. Nevertheless, when these principles are consistently applied across a
neighborhood, everybody benefits.
The definition of defensible space via state and local codes, its maintenance by property owners, and
enforcement by fire agencies as needed is a common part of wildfire risk mitigation. The California State
Board of Forestry issued General Guidelines for Creating Defensible Space in 2008, following a change
in Public Resources Code 4291 that expanded defensible space clearance requirements from 30 to
100 feet around buildings and structures within SRAs or very high fire hazard severity zones within LRAs.
The guidelines were updated again in January 2021 to require an ember-resistant zone within 5 feet of
the home. Some aspects about WUI defensible space that are often overlooked include:
• Greater defensible space may be needed due to local conditions, such as slope, fuel density,
building materials, or location.
• Fuel reduction has more to do with disrupting fuel continuity so that the spread of fire is impeded,
rather than creating a denuded zone around a home. For example, pruning the lower limbs of
trees creates a break between ground fuels and tree canopies, reducing the chances that a fire
will move from a ground fire to a crown fire.
• Communities may wish to develop defensible space areas that are greater than 100 feet for even
better protection; the code sets only a minimum distance. However, expanding treatments
beyond property lines can only be done if allowed by state law, local ordinance, rule, or
regulation.
• Defensible space also provides a safer environment within which firefighters can work. This
environment is more than vegetation clearance; defensible space also involves emergency
vehicle access, water supply, and clear street signs and addresses. All these factors, and many
more as identified by previous community-level CWPPs, affect the usefulness of defensible space
in structure protection.
• Vegetation fuel reduction projects require compliance with all federal, state, or local
environmental protection laws.
Additionally, the Public Resources Code was amended in January 2021 to require an ember-resistant
zone within 5 feet of the home/structure on or before January 1, 2023. This translates to having a
clearance of 5 feet between the home/structure and any materials that would likely be ignited by embers
CA Public Resources Code Section 4291 (California Public Law 2023).
The three zones for defensible space actions are described below (CAL FIRE 2022)i:
Zone 0 Immediate Zone–Ember Resistant: As of January 1, 2023, Assembly Bill 3074 requires the
Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to develop the regulation for Zone 0. This zone has been proven to
be the most important defensible space zone for protecting your home against wildfire. This zone consists
of the immediate area around a home and is defined as 0 to 5 feet from the property structure, including
areas under and around all structure attachments, such as sheds or decks. Zone 0 requires the most
stringent wildfire fuel reduction methods as actions taken within this zone can directly influence whether a
property ignites. See Ember Ignition Hazards in Chapter 2. Recommendations for treating Zone 0 include
(CAL FIRE 2022i):
• Use non-combustible landscaping materials, such as gravel, in place of mulch.
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• Clear all dead and dying debris from around a structure, including branches, dead leaves,
pinecones, pine needles, grasses, and shrubs. Remember to check areas where the debris can
accumulate, such as gutters, stairways, porches, and roofs.
• Clear all branches or vegetation within 10 feet of any chimney or stovepipe outlet.
• To keep vegetation within the 5-foot buffer around all structures, make sure plants are thoroughly
watered, and keep non-woody, low-growing plant species if possible.
• Limit the use of combustible materials, such as outdoor furniture, on decks or patios.
• Relocate firewood or lumber to Zone 2.
• Replace structures attached to a home, such as fencing or gates, with non-combustible materials.
• If possible, keep garbage receptacles outside of Zone 0.
• If possible, keep all vehicles, boats, ATVs, and any other machines outside of Zone 0.
Zone 1 Intermediate Zone–Clean and Green: Zone 1 consists of the first 30 feet from structures,
including the home, decks, garages, etc. If a property line extends less than 30 feet, Zone 1 would be the
distance from structures to property line. This zone features fuel reduction efforts and serves as a
transitional area between Zones 0 and 2. Recommendations for treating Zone 1 include (CAL FIRE
2022i):
• Remove all dead and dying vegetation, including vegetation debris such as leaf litter. Be sure to
check roof and gutters as well.
• Maintain a minimum buffer of 10 feet between a chimney and any vegetation, including dead or
overhanging branches. Be sure to remove all branches that hang over the roof.
• Maintain trees by trimming them regularly and keep a minimum 10-foot buffer between tree
canopies.
• Relocate fire or lumber to Zone 2.
• Trim or remove any flammable vegetation near windows.
• Remove any items or vegetation that could catch fire and ignite other property structures, such as
vegetation under decks or stairs.
• Separate any items that could ignite, such as trees, shrubs, swing sets, patio furniture, etc.
Zone 2 Extended Zone–Reduced Fuel: This zone encompasses an area 30 feet from a structure out to
100 feet, or the property line, whichever is closer. This zone addresses fuel reduction to prevent wildfires
from spreading. Recommendations for treating Zone 2 include (CAL FIRE 2022i):
• Maintain all grasses to reach a maximum height of 4 inches.
• For shrubs or trees, maintain horizontal space between plants of at least two times a plant’s size
(Figure F.3). Additional space between vegetation is needed for properties on slopes.
o Flat to mild slope (less than 20%): Minimum distance of 10 feet between trees and two times
the size of other plants. Example: For shrubs 2 feet in diameter, at least 4 feet are needed
between shrubs.
o Mild to moderate slope (20%–40%): Minimum distance of 20 feet between trees and four
times the size of other plants. Example: For shrubs 2 feet in diameter, at least 8 feet are
needed between shrubs.
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o Moderate to steep slope (greater than 40%): Minimum distance of 30 feet between trees and
six times the size of other plants. Example: For shrubs 2 feet in diameter, at least 12 feet are
needed between shrubs.
• Create vertical space between vegetation by clearing all branches at least 6 feet from the ground
for isolated trees, or for trees with nearby shrubs, clear at least 3 times the shrub height (Figure
F.4).
o Example: A 4-foot shrub is growing near a tree. A clearance of 12 feet (3 × 4) is needed
between the top of the shrub and the lowest tree branch.
• Vegetation debris such as dead leaves, branches, twigs, pinecones, etc., may be allowed up to
3 inches in depth. However, it is best to remove vegetation debris.
• All wood or lumber piles must have a 10-foot buffer of bare mineral soil in all directions; no
vegetation is allowed.
In addition to the recommendations listed above, CAL FIRE suggests maintaining a clearance zone of
10 feet around any outbuildings or liquid propane gas storage tanks, and an additional 10-foot clearance
zone with no flammable vegetation (CAL FIRE 2022i).
A defensible space of 100 feet is required by California State law. Figure F.2 provides a brief synopsis of
the 100-foot defensible space requirement for California residents living in the WUI.
Property owners are encouraged to take advantage of local resources for fire prevention and mitigation.
Property owner actions have been found to also motivate neighbors to act, increasing the scope of the
wildfire mitigation across a community (Evans et al. 2015). Adopting a phased approach can make the
process more manageable and encourage maintenance.
The Santa Clara County Fire Department and CAL FIRE provide defensible space recommendations on
their websites at:
• https://sccfiresafe.org/prepare/creating-defensible-space/
• https://www.fire.ca.gov/dspace
The Santa Clara Fire Council has created a defensible space presentation to assist educating county
residents: https://sccfiresafe.org/learn/defensible-space-presentation/
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Figure F.2. Defensible space.
Source: CAL FIRE 2022i
Specific recommendations should be based on the particular hazards adjacent to a structure such as
slope steepness and fuel type. Local fire authorities or CAL FIRE should be contacted if a professional
assessment seems warranted. Firewise guidelines are an excellent resource, but creating defensible
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space does not have to be an overwhelming process. Assisting neighbors may be essential in many
cases. Property owners should consider assisting the elderly, sharing ladders for gutter cleaning, and
assisting neighbors with large thinning needs. Adopting a phased approach can make the process more
manageable and encourage maintenance (Table F.1).
Table F.1. Example of a Phased Approach to Defensible Space
Year Project Actions
1 Basic yard cleanup (annual)
Dispose of clutter in the yard and under porches.
Remove dead branches from yard.
Mow and rake.
Clean roofs and gutters.
Remove combustible vegetation near structures.
Coordinate disposal as a neighborhood or community.
Post 4-inch reflective address numbers visible from road.
2 Understory thinning near structures
Repeat basic yard cleanup.
Limb trees up to 6–10 feet.
Trim branches back 15 feet from chimneys.
Trim or cut down brush.
Remove young trees that can carry fire into forest canopy.
Coordinate disposal as a neighborhood or community.
3 Understory thinning on private property along roads and drainages
Limb trees up to 6–10 feet.
Trim or cut down brush.
Remove young trees that can carry fire into forest canopy.
Coordinate disposal as a neighborhood or community.
4 Overstory treatments on private property
Evaluate the need to thin mature or diseased trees.
Prioritize and coordinate tree removal within neighborhoods to increase cost effectiveness.
5 Restart defensible space treatment cycle
Continue the annual basic yard cleanup.
Evaluate need to revisit past efforts or catch those that were bypassed.
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Figure F.3. Minimum horizontal clearance.
Source: CAL FIRE 2022i
Figure F.4. Minimum vertical clearance.
Source: CAL FIRE 2022i
Specific recommendations should be based on the hazards adjacent to a structure such as slope
steepness and fuel type. Firewise guidelines and the Property Owner Resources Appendix (see Appendix
G) are excellent resources but creating defensible space does not have to be an overwhelming process.
The NFPA offers a free Community Wildfire Risk Assessment Tutorial and an online learning module:
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Understanding the Wildfire Threat to Homes. Both tools are great resources for learning about and
implementing defensible space.
Adopting a phased approach can make the process more manageable and encourage maintenance
(Table F.2).
Table F.2. Example of a Phased Approach to Mitigating Home Ignitability
Year Project Actions
1 Basic yard cleanup (annual) Dispose of clutter in the yard and under porches.
Remove dead branches from yard.
Mow and rake.
Clean roofs and gutters.
Remove combustible vegetation near structures.
Coordinate disposal as a neighborhood or community.
Post 6-inch reflective address numbers visible from road.
2 Understory thinning near structures Repeat basic yard cleanup.
Limb trees up to 6–10 feet.
Trim branches back 15 feet from chimneys.
Trim or cut down brush.
Remove young trees that can carry fire into forest canopy.
Coordinate disposal as a neighborhood or community.
3 Understory thinning on private property along roads and drainages
Limb trees up to 6–10 feet.
Trim or cut down brush.
Remove young trees that can carry fire into forest canopy.
Coordinate disposal as a neighborhood or community.
4 Overstory treatments on private property Evaluate the need to thin mature or diseased trees.
Prioritize and coordinate tree removal within neighborhoods to increase cost effectiveness.
5 Restart defensible space treatment cycle Continue the annual basic yard cleanup.
Evaluate need to revisit past efforts or catch those that were bypassed.
Current Structural Ignitability Reduction Programs
Defensible Space Enforcement
The Santa Clara County Fire Department carries out defensible space assessments of homes within their
jurisdiction that fall within the designated WUI of the communities they serve. The assessments are
carried out on a rotating basis. The department sends mailings to each identified residence prior to fire
season, announcing the measures that the resident should take in implementing defensible space
practices. State law requires a defensible space of 100 feet around homes and all accessory structures in
the very high FHSZ and on all identified properties in the SRA. The Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs
Association has developed the following list of required and recommended preventative measures that
are included in the mailing.
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Enforced Safety Measures:
A. Create 100 feet of defensible space around home. To accomplish this, create a Green Zone by
clearing flammable vegetation 30 feet around structures. Additionally create a Reduced Fuel
Zone for remaining 70 feet or to your property line.
B. Clear ornamental shrubs and trees of dead leaves and branches.
C. Remove all pine needles and leaves from roofs, eaves, and rain gutters.
D. Trim tree limbs 10 feet from chimneys or stovepipes and remove dead limbs that hang over
rooftops.
E. Cover chimney outlets or flues with a ½-inch mesh spark arrestor.
F. Post a clearly visible house address, using at least 6-inch-high numbers, for easy identification.
Additional Recommended Measures:
A. Trees 18 feet or taller should be limbed up 6 feet from the ground.
B. Stack woodpiles a minimum of 30 feet from buildings, fences, and combustible materials.
C. Clear vegetation and other flammable materials from underneath decks. Enclose elevated desks
with fire-resistive materials.
D. If you have any trees near power lines, please contact PG&E at 1-800-PGE-5000 for a free
inspection. State law requires vegetation clearance from electrical lines. For more information,
visit http://www.PGE.com. In most cases, PG&E will remove the tree at no cost to you.
E. The Santa Clara County Fire Safe Council offers defensible space chipping programs to assist
property owners, including special programs for qualified low-income seniors and disabled
property owners. For more information, visit http://www.sccfiresafe.org.
Santa Clara County fire personnel carry out the inspections beginning in the spring each year. For those
properties that are non-compliant, the department will advise the property owner that work is necessary to
be in compliance with the applicable regulations. Residents who are unable to complete the measures
due to physical disabilities, etc., are asked to contact the department. The resident is welcome to
complete the necessary work on their own or they can use a contractor. Follow-up inspections are
completed in early summer for properties that did not meet the Enforced Safety Measures (see above)
during the first inspection. If residents do not comply with items A through F of the Enforced Safety
Measures, the compliance work is completed by an authorized contractor of the relevant municipality,
and the charges for the service are applied to the next property tax bill for the property.
Home Ignition Zone Assessments
The Santa Clara County Fire Safe Council offers on-site assessments of structural ignitability and home
ignition zone vulnerabilities to residents in its service area. This program brings consultants to see the
home and yard in person and to review checklists and recommendations to reduce the risk of the
structure being ignited from flying embers, as well as flames in the yard and neighboring structures.
The assessment is based on NFPA’s 1144 Standard for Reducing Structure Ignition Hazards from
Wildland Fire.
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HAZARDOUS FUEL
Fuels should be modified with a strategic approach across the planning area to reduce the threat that
high intensity wildfires pose to lives, property, and other values. Pursuant to these objectives, the CWPP
contains recommendations developed in the context of existing and planned fuels management projects.
These recommendations initially focus on areas adjacent to structures (defensible space), then near
community boundaries (fuel breaks, cleanup of adjacent open spaces), and finally in the wildlands
beyond community boundaries (larger-scale forest health and restoration treatments). A common focus of
fuels treatment is to reduce brush, diseased trees, dead fuels, and immature trees in favor of healthy,
more mature trees and shrubs.
While not necessarily at odds with one another, the emphasis of each of these treatment types is
different. Proximate to structures, the recommendations focus on reducing fire intensity consistent with
County and code standards. Further into open space areas, treatments will tend to emphasize the
restoration of historic conditions and general forest health. Cooperators in fuels management should
include federal, state, and local agencies, as well as interested members of the public.
Fire management cannot be a one-size-fits-all endeavor; this plan is designed to be flexible. Treatment
approaches and methods will be site-specific and should be adapted to best meet the needs of the
landowner and the resources available. Moreover, each treatment recommendation should address
protection of CVARs, protection of people, critical infrastructure, cultural icons, economic engines, and
threatened and endangered species. It is the intent of this plan to be an evolving document that will
incorporate additional areas of the CWPP planning area as they change in risk category over time.
Current Hazardous Fuel Mitigation Programs
Vegetation Management Program
CAL FIRE’s Vegetation Management Program (VMP) is a formal cost-sharing program that applies
prescribed fire and various mechanical treatment methods to reduce wildland hazardous fuels and to
achieve other natural resource management goals within SRAs (CAL FIRE 2023c). The Santa Clara Unit
has a long history of partnering under such agreements with local landowners to reduce hazardous fuels,
improve range and wildlife habitat, and maintain natural ecosystems dependent upon periodic fires.
Vegetation management focuses on the volume, structure, and distribution of vegetation on a landscape.
Fuel treatments mainly focus on only the surface and ladder fuels.
The CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Fire Plan identifies the following priority areas for VMP projects:
• VMP projects where property owners meet the criteria for a cost share agreement and have a
signed agreement with CAL FIRE;
• areas with high hazardous fuel loading near WUI zones;
• areas with no recent fire history;
• areas with protected species requiring burning for habitat improvement; and
• areas needing improvement to range capacity or hydrologic production.
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OPEN SPACE CLEANUP
The next location priority for fuels treatments should be where the community meets wildland. This may
be the outer margins of a town or an area adjacent to occluded open spaces such as a park. Fuel breaks
(also known as shaded fuel breaks) are strips of land where fuel (for example, living trees and brush,
dead branches, leaves, or downed logs) has been modified or reduced to limit the fire’s ability to spread
rapidly. Fuel breaks should not be confused with firebreaks, which are areas where vegetation and
organic matter are removed down to mineral soil. Shaded fuel breaks may be created to provide options
for suppression resources or to provide opportunities to introduce prescribed fire. In many cases, shaded
fuel breaks may be created by thinning along roads. This provides access for mitigation resources and
firefighters, as well as enhancing the safety of evacuation routes.
Fuel Breaks and Roadside Treatments
After defensible space, the next location priority for fuels treatments is where the community meets the
wildland. This may be the outer margins of a town or an area adjacent to open spaces such as a park.
Fuel breaks are strips of land where natural vegetation fuels have been modified or reduced to limit the
fire’s ability to spread rapidly and generate large amounts of embers.
Fuel modifications can include removing dead trees, branches, and downed logs; reducing the amount of
deep duff such as needles, leaves, and twigs; mowing or plowing grasses; and pruning or thinning living
trees and shrubs. Fuel breaks can be underneath trees where they are called shaded fuel breaks, or out
in the sunlight, such as through chaparral, shrublands, or grasslands.
Fuel breaks are typically at least 75 feet wide and can be as much as 200 feet wide, however they retain
some vegetation within the fuel break and its habitat values. They should not be confused with fire
breaks, which are areas where vegetation and organic matter are removed down to mineral soil.
Fuel breaks may be created to provide options for suppression resources, opportunities to introduce
prescribed fire, or to create a zone where crown fire will be forced to the ground where it is more easily
contained.
In some cases, fuel breaks may be created by treating vegetation along roadsides where the road is
located on a ridge or other geographic feature that helps interrupt wildfire growth. The road surface is
included in the width of the fuel break, which can be on one or both sides of the road.
Another type of roadside treatment is evacuation route clearance and thinning. This treatment generally is
more modest than a fuel break and is used in locations where fire may easily cross the road, such as
where the road traverses a slope, or where homes, fencing, and other features prevent full-width fuel
break clearing.
Evacuation route treatments include removing weak trees that lean into or over the road, pruning
branches high and wide enough to ensure fire engine and truck passage, and then mowing grasses,
removing or thinning shrubs and small trees, removing dead branches, trees and logs, and removing low
branches on larger living trees to clear ladder fuels next to the road. Where roads are narrow, bulges and
turnouts are cleared to help provide places to pass. Generally, evacuation route treatments extend 6 to
30 feet from both road edges.
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Evacuation route treatments make the road safer to use during a wildfire, even when it is burning next to
the road, by keeping flame lengths low and the fire on the ground instead of in the crown of the trees,
which reduces heat, and by reducing the likelihood of burning trees and utility poles falling into and
blocking the roadway. They also help responding fire apparatuses pass evacuating residents.
Evacuation routes that have been treated are also less likely to be sites of fire starts from vehicle fires,
sparking trailer chains, burning cigarettes, or similar causes.
The Fire Safe Council has a robust fuel break and evacuation route vegetation treatment program that it
coordinates with private landowners, parks and open space managers, and roads departments. Funding
for these treatments comes from federal, state, county, and local sources, as well as road associations,
utilities, and other corporate or private grants. CAL FIRE also provides in-kind support through the use of
conservation/fire crews to provide manual treatments at low cost, which extends grant funds to treat more
ground.
LARGER-SCALE TREATMENTS
Farther away from WUI communities, the emphasis of treatments often becomes broader. While reducing
the buildup of hazardous fuels remains important, other objectives are often included, such as forest
health and resiliency to catastrophic wildfire and climate change considerations. Wildfires frequently burn
across jurisdictional boundaries, sometimes on landscape scales. As such, these larger treatments need
to be coordinated on a strategic level. This requires coordination between projects and jurisdictions, as is
currently occurring.
ACTION ITEMS FOR PROPERTY OWNERS TO REDUCE STRUCTURAL IGNITABILITY
Limited Investment (<$250)
• Regularly check fire extinguishers and have a 100-foot hose available to wet perimeter of home.
• Maintain defensible space within 30 feet around home. Collaborate with neighbors to provide adequate
fuels mitigation in the event of overlapping property boundaries.
• Ensure that house numbers are easily readable from the street.
• Keep wooden fence perimeters free of combustible materials. If possible, non-combustible material
should link the house and fence.
• Store combustible materials (propane, grills, firewood) away from the house.
• Remove flammable material from around propane tanks.
• Clear out materials from under decks and near structures. Stack firewood at least 30 feet away from the
house.
• Reduce your workload by considering local weather conditions. First, consider mitigating hazards on the
side of your property that faces the prevailing wind direction. Then work around to cover the whole
property.
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• Keep gutters free of combustible material. Gutters can act as collection points for embers. Gutter cleaning
costs: $0.50 to $1.50 per square foot; $110 to $185 for a one-story home; $125 to $250 for a two-story
home (national average).
• Maintain roofs by installing flashing, fixing holes, replacing shingles, and closing gaps: $150 to $400 for
minor repairs (national average).
• Purchase or use a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather alert radio to hear fire
weather announcements: $25 to $100.
Moderate Investment (<$1,500)
• When landscaping in the home ignition zone (HIZ) (approximately 30 feet around the property), select
non-combustible plants, lawn furniture, and landscaping material. Combustible plant material like junipers
and ornamental conifers should be pruned and kept away from siding. If possible, trees should be planted
in groups and no closer than 10 feet to the house. Tree crowns should have a spacing of at least 18 feet
when within the HIZ. Vegetation at the greatest distance from the structure and closest to wildland fuels
should be carefully trimmed and pruned to reduce ladder fuels, and density should be reduced with
approximately 6-foot spacing between trees and crowns.
• Work on mitigating hazards on adjoining structures (sheds, garages, barns, etc.). These can act as
ignition points to your home.
• Clear and thin vegetation along driveways and access roads so they can act as a safe evacuation route
and allow emergency responders access to the home.
• Construct a gravel turnaround in your driveway to improve access and mobilization of fire responders.
Single-car turnaround: $400 to $600. Two-car turnaround: $800 to $1200.
• Install a roof irrigation system: $230 to $1500.
High Investment ($1,500+)
• Install an environmentally friendly and fire-resistant xeriscape yard: $5 to $20 per square foot.
• Install screen vents with non-combustible meshing. Mesh openings should not exceed nominal ⅛ -
1/16‑inch size: $2.50 per square foot. Average cost per home: approximately $5,000.
• Enclose open space underneath permanently located manufactured homes using non-combustible
skirting: $300 to $3,000 with an average of $1,700. Added features include home egress: $50 to $85;
skirting vents: $7 to $25 each.
• Construct a non-combustible wall or barrier between your property and wildland fuels. This could be
particularly effective at mitigating the effect of radiant heat and fire spread where 30 feet of defensible
space is not available around the structure.
• Install fire resistant soffits and under eave vents to protect your home from heat and embers that can be
trapped beneath roof overhangs. Soffit and fascia: $7,000. Vents: $1,500.
• Replace exterior windows and skylights with tempered glass or multilayered glazed panels: Average cost
per home: $11,500.
• Update your roof to a non-combustible construction. Look for materials that have been treated and given
a fire-resistant roof classification of Class A: $10,000 to 15,000+.
• Upgrade exterior walls with fire resistant materials. Siding: $12,000+. Sheathing: $4,000+.
• Relocate propane tanks underground: $1,500 to $ 8,150.
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Additional resources regarding home hardening can be found in Appendix G.
FUEL TREATMENT METHODS
Several treatment methods are commonly used for hazardous fuels reduction, including manual
treatments, mechanized treatments, prescribed fire, and grazing (Table F.3). This brief synopsis of
treatment options is provided for general knowledge; specific projects will require further planning.
The appropriate treatment method and cost will vary depending on factors such as the following:
• Diameter of materials
• Proximity to structures
• Acreage of project
• Fuel costs
• Steepness of slope
• Area accessibility
• Density of fuels
• Project objectives
It is imperative that long-term monitoring and maintenance of all treatments are implemented. Post-
treatment rehabilitation, such as seeding with native plants and erosion control, may be necessary.
In addition, post-treatment fuel clean-up is a must as neglected piles of vegetation may result in increased
fire risk.
Table F.3. Summary of Fuels Treatment Methods
Treatment Comments
Machine mowing Appropriate for large, flat, grassy areas on relatively flat terrain.
Manual treatment with chipping or pile burning Requires chipping, hauling, and pile burning of slash in cases where lop and scatter is inappropriate.
Pile burning must comply with smoke management policy.
Brush mastication Brush species tend to re-sprout vigorously after mechanical treatment.
Frequent maintenance of treatments is typically necessary.
Mastication (ground-up timber) tends to be less expensive than manual (chainsaw) treatment and eliminates disposal issues.
Timber mastication Materials up to 10 inches in diameter and slopes up to 30% can be treated.
Eliminates disposal issues.
Environmental impact of residue being left on-site is still being studied.
Prescribed fire Can be very cost effective for public land but not close to the city.
Ecologically beneficial.
Can be used as training opportunities for firefighters.
May require manual or mechanical pretreatment.
Carries risk of escape.
Unreliable scheduling due to weather and smoke management constraints.
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Treatment Comments
Feller buncher Mechanical treatment on slopes more than 30% or of materials more than 10 inches in diameter may require a feller buncher rather than a masticator.
Costs tend to be considerably higher than masticator.
Grazing (goats) Can be cost effective.
Ecologically beneficial.
Can be applied on steep slopes and shrubby and flashy fuels.
Requires close management.
MANUAL TREATMENT
Manual treatment refers to crew-implemented cutting with chainsaws. Although it can be more expensive
than mechanized treatment, crews can access many areas that are too steep or otherwise inaccessible
with machines. Treatments can often be implemented with more precision than prescribed fire or
mechanized methods allow. Merchantable materials and firewood can be removed while non-
merchantable materials are often lopped and scattered, chipped, or piled and burned on-site. Care should
be exercised to not increase the fire hazard by failing to remove or treat discarded material in a site-
appropriate manner.
Strategic timing and placement of fuel treatments are critical for effective fuel management practices and
should be prescribed based on the conditions of each treatment area. Some examples of this would be to
place fuel breaks in areas where the fuels are heavier and in the path of prevailing winds and to mow
grasses just before they cure and become flammable. Also, fuel reductions on slopes/ridgelines
extending from the WUI are important to enhance community protection. In areas where the vegetation is
sparse and not continuous, fuel treatments may not be necessary to create a defensible area where
firefighters can work. In this situation, where the amount of fuel to carry a fire is minimal, it is best to leave
the site in its current condition to avoid the introduction of exotic species.
MECHANIZED TREATMENTS
Mechanized treatments include mowing, mastication, and whole tree felling. These treatments allow for
more precision than prescribed fire and are often more cost-effective than manual treatment.
Mowing, including ATV and tractor-pulled mower decks, can effectively reduce grass fuels adjacent to
structures and along highway rights-of-way and fence lines. For heavier fuels, several different
masticating machines can be used, including drum or blade-type masticating heads mounted on
machines and ranging in size from a small skid-steer to large front-end loaders. Some masticators can
grind standing timber up to 10 inches in diameter. Other masticators are more effective for use in brush or
surface fuels. Mowing and mastication do not actually reduce the amount of on-site biomass but alter the
fuel arrangement to a less combustible profile.
In existing fuel break areas maintenance is crucial, especially in areas of encroaching shrubs or trees.
In extreme risk areas more intensive fuels treatments may be necessary to keep the fire on the ground
surface and reduce flame lengths. Within the fuel break, shrubs should be removed, and the branches of
trees should be pruned from the ground surface to a height of 4 to 8 feet, depending on the height of the
fuel below the canopy, and thinned with a spacing of at least two to three times the height of the trees to
avoid movement of an active fire into the canopy.
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Mechanical shears mounted on feller bunchers are used for whole tree removal. The stems are typically
hauled off-site for utilization while the limbs are discarded. The discarded material may be masticated,
chipped, or burned to reduce the wildfire hazard and to speed the recycling of nutrients.
GRAZING
Fuel modifications targeted toward decreasing both vertical and horizontal continuity in fuels is critical as
a prevention method against fire proliferation. The primary objectives for these modifications are treating
surface fuels and producing low-density and vertically disconnected stands. Goat grazing is an effective,
nontoxic, nonpolluting, and practically carbon-neutral vegetation treatment method. A goat grazing
system typically consists of a high density of goats enclosed by a metallic or electrified fence guided by
herders. Goats feed on a variety of foliage and twigs from herbaceous vegetation and woody plants
(Lovreglio et al. 2014).
FUEL BREAKS
Fuel breaks, or shaded fuel breaks, are strips of land where fuel (for example, living trees and brush,
dead branches, leaves, or downed logs) has been modified or reduced to limit the fire’s ability to spread
rapidly. Because fuel breaks may not stop a fire under extreme fire behavior or strong winds, they should
be considered a mitigating measure rather than a fail-safe method for fire containment. Furthermore, fuel
break utility is contingent upon regular maintenance, as regrowth in a fuel break can quickly reduce its
effectiveness and vegetation in this ecosystem is known to quickly re-sprout and reestablish.
Maintenance of existing breaks could be more cost efficient than installation of new features.
It is not possible to provide a standard treatment prescription for the entire landscape because fuel break
dimensions should be based on the local fuel conditions and prevailing weather patterns. For example, in
some areas, clearing an area too wide could open the landscape to strong winds that could generate
more intense fire behavior and/or create wind throw.
Strategic placement of fuel breaks is critical to prevent fire from moving from wildland fuels into adjacent
neighborhoods. For effective management of most fuels, fuel breaks should be prescribed based on the
conditions in each treatment area. Some examples of this would be to place fuel breaks in areas where
fuels are heavier or in areas with easy access for fire crews. In areas where the vegetation is
discontinuous, fuel treatments may not be necessary. In these situations, it is best to leave sites in their
current conditions to avoid the introduction of more flammable, exotic species that may respond readily
following disturbance.
Well-managed fuels reduction projects often result in ecological benefits to wildlife and watershed health.
Simultaneously, planning and resource management efforts should occur when possible while reducing
fuels to ensure that the land remains viable for multiple uses in the long term. The effectiveness of any
fuels reduction treatment will increase over time with a maintenance and monitoring plan. Monitoring will
also ensure that objectives are being met in a cost-effective manner.
One example of a large fuel break in Santa Clara County is the State Route 17 Shaded Fuel break, which
was completed in May of 2019. The project represented the largest vegetative fuel reduction pursuit
among Governor Newsom’s priority wildfire protection projects for the year, amassing a cost of $9 million.
With the treatment of over 400 acres, the fuel break aimed to improve wildfire resiliency for the
neighborhoods along the Highway 17 corridor. This project was a collaborative effort between a collection
of public agencies as part of the California Climate Investments statewide initiative, funneling billions of
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Cap-and-Trade dollars toward projects that help facilitate meaningful climate benefits such as the
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and improving the health the environment (Santa Clara County
Fire Safe Council 2019).
PRESCRIBED BURNING
Prescribed burning (Figure 4.5) is also a useful tool to reduce the threat of extreme fire behavior by
removing excessive standing plant material, litter, and woody debris while limiting the encroachment of
shrubby vegetation. Where possible, prescribed fire could occur on public land since fire is ecologically
beneficial to this fire-adapted vegetation community and wildlife habitat. However, there is minimal
opportunity to apply prescribed fire within or close to city limits. Prescribed burning requires detailed
planning and coordination. In 2019, the CAL FIRE Prescribed Fire Working Group developed the CAL
FIRE Prescribed Fire Guidebook with the intent of educating CAL FIRE employees on how the
department utilizes prescribed fire to reduce fuels at a landscape scale while improving ecosystem health
in California (CAL FIRE 2019c).
Although the focus of wildfire risk mitigation is often on the reduction and removal of vegetation, and the
prevention and suppression of wildfire, fire under the right circumstances can be not only a useful tool to
reduce hazardous amounts of fuel but also an important factor in wildland ecosystems. Many fire and
resource management agencies at the local, state, and federal levels include the use of fire in their
programs.
The use of prescribed fire has several requirements to be successful, including:
• Planning documents include approval authority, burn objectives, preparation requirements,
weather and fuel conditions under which the burn will be performed, operational responsibilities,
contingency planning in the event of an escape, and post-burn monitoring to document the
attainment of burn objectives and other potential fire effects, such as the occurrence of invasive
species.
• Specific attention must be given to smoke management and weather forecasts concerning smoke
direction and atmospheric mixing patterns. Review of prescribed burn plans and smoke
management techniques need to be performed by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
Consultation between the agencies involved with the burn and the air district needs to occur early
in the planning cycle, especially regarding identification of suitable weather periods for the burn to
be conducted. Conditions suitable for the fire agency may not be suitable from the perspective of
the air district.
• Public education and outreach are vital given the frequent concern by the public over smoke, risk
of escape, and post-fire appearance of the burn unit. It is unlikely that all the public will support
the prescribed fire program, but outreach conducted through social media and on-site visits to the
post-burn areas as they recover can develop a broad base of support, especially if the fire has
stimulated the occurrence of desirable species considered to be rare.
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Figure F.5. Prescribed fire being used to reduce grass loads on public open space land in Santa Clara County.
More typically, hazardous fuels are managed with a variety of tools, including goats, disking, hand cutting
and piling, herbicides, mowing, and weed whips. As is the case with prescribed fire, the need remains to
define the objectives of the treatment, measurement to document that the objectives were met, and
follow-up monitoring to discover any unexpected deleterious effects on natural resources.
Cultural Burning
Within the Pacific West, fire has historically been a means of forest management and restoration by
Indigenous communities (Long et al. 2021). Cultural burning has been defined as the “purposeful use of
fire by a cultural group (e.g., family unit, Tribe, clan/moiety, society) for a variety of purposes and
outcomes,” and is included under the terms Indigenous fire management, Indigenous burning, and
Indigenous stewardship (Long et al. 2021).
Rather than focusing solely on fuel reduction, or as a means of wildfire mitigation, cultural burning is done
with a more holistic view, under the philosophy of “reciprocal restoration,” meaning, as stewardship
responsibilities to the land are fulfilled, those actions will in turn benefit the peoples who depend on those
ecosystems (Long et al. 2021). Cultural burning is typically performed with a variety of objectives, such as
landscape management, ecosystem and species biodiversity and health, transmission of environmental
and cultural knowledge, ceremonies and spiritual wellbeing, a sense of place, and material services
(i.e., food, medicine, plan materials). Extensive site preparation is typically done before a burn, and post-
burn monitoring and additional cultural practices are a common factor of the land stewardship tradition
(Long et al. 2021).
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Figure F.6. Photograph showing a prescribed burn carried out by San Jose Fire Department.
Thinning and Prescribed Fire Combined
Combining thinning and prescribed fire can be the most effective treatment (Graham et al. 2004).
In forests where fire exclusion or disease has created a buildup of hazardous fuels, prescribed fire cannot
be safely applied, and pre-burn thinning is required. The subsequent use of fire can further reduce
residual fuels and reintroduce this ecologically imperative process.
IMPACTS OF PRESCRIBED FIRE AND WILDFIRE SMOKE
ON COMMUNITIES
Prescribed burning produces smoke that is composed of toxic particulate and gaseous pollutants.
Inappropriate management of prescribed fires can be bothersome to residents, and it can negatively
affect community health. Smoke from burning vegetation produces air pollutants that are regulated by
both the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of California (EPA 2019).
Additionally, smoke can increase ambient air pollution levels to a point where it exceeds air quality
standards (California Air Resources Board [CARB] 2003). Therefore, effective smoke management is a
vital component of planning and conducting prescribed fires. In Santa Clara County, a Miscellaneous Fire
Marshal Review Application must be obtained to carry out a burn (Santa Clara County 2023f).
All prescribed fire operations will be conducted in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations.
Public safety would be the primary consideration in the design of any prescribed burn plan so as to not
negatively impact the WUI. Agency use of prescribed fire on public land would be carried out within the
confines of the agency’s fire management planning documents and would require individual prescribed
burn plans that are developed for specific burn units and consider smoke management concerns and
sensitive receptors within the WUI. Smoke monitors could be placed in areas where smoke concerns
have been raised in the past.
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In addition, the NWCG released the NWCG Smoke Management Guide for Prescribed Fire in 2020
(NWCG 2020). This plan is designed to act as a guide to all those who use prescribed fire. Smoke
management techniques, air quality regulations, public perception of prescribed fire, foundational science
behind prescribed fire, modeling, smoke tools, air quality impacts, and more are all discussed in this plan.
The document is meant to pair with NWCG’s Interagency Prescribed Fire Planning and Implementation
Procedures Guide for planning and addressing smoke when prescribed fire is used (NWCG 2020).
To view the plan, please visit: https://www.nwcg.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pms420-3.pdf.
Following any type of fuels reduction treatment, post-treatment monitoring should continue to ensure that
management actions continue to be effective throughout the fire season. The vegetation within this
ecosystem can change rapidly in response to drought or moisture from year to year and during the course
of the season, so fuels treatments should be adjusted accordingly. To learn more about firing techniques,
visit the EFIRE Fire Techniques webpage: https://efire.cnr.ncsu.edu/efire/fire-techniques/.
Several burns may be needed to meet full resource management objectives, so a solid maintenance plan
is needed to ensure success.
The CDC recommends taking personal steps to limit risk and exposure to wildfire smoke (CDC 2023).
These include buying an air filter cleaner to be used in sleeping areas, limiting outdoor activities, seeking
out clean air spaces if they are not available at home, and wearing a fit-tested, NIOSH-approved N95 or
P100 respirator. It is important to stay current on air quality in your area and plan appropriately for
outdoor activities. See Appendix G for links to property owner resources regarding smoke safety and risk
mitigation.
Santa Clara County current air quality conditions: http://baaqmdmapsprod.azurewebsites.net/map-air-
quality.html?baaqmdZoom=11&baaqmdLat=37.189396&baaqmdLng=-121.705327.
MANAGEMENT OF NON-NATIVE PLANTS
California Invasive Plant Council
California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting California's
natural ecosystems from the harmful impacts of invasive plants. They actively prevents the introduction
and spread of invasive plants through research, education, and collaboration with government agencies,
land managers, and the public. Cal-IPC provides resources, information, and training programs to raise
awareness and knowledge about invasive plants. The organization promotes science-based management
practices to control invasive plants, restore native habitats, and preserve California's biodiversity
(CAL IPC 2023).
USDA Noxious Weed Program
The USDA maintains a list of introduced, invasive, and noxious plants by state (USDA 2022). Fuel
treatment approaches should always consider the potential for introduction or proliferation of invasive
non-native species as a result of management actions.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture maintains a list of noxious weeds rated from A to C
based on the current degree of infestation of the species and the potential for eradication (California
Department of Food and Agriculture 2021).
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Fuel Management
Fuel treatment approaches should always consider the potential for introduction or proliferation of
invasive non-native species because of management actions. Several non-native plants present
significant fire hazards and will spread in fuel reduction areas when other vegetation is removed. When
feasible, fuel reduction projects should attempt to permanently remove scotch and French broom species,
eucalyptus trees, and acacia trees. Eradication can be achieved by manual pulling and/or herbicide use
followed up with long-term monitoring of the seed bank and re-sprouts.
SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGE
Well-managed fuel reduction projects often result in ecological benefits to wildlife and watershed health.
Simultaneously, planning and resource management efforts should occur when possible while reducing
fuels to ensure that the land remains viable for multiple uses in the long term.
Fuel break and fuel treatment utility is contingent upon regular maintenance, as regrowth in a treated area
can quickly reduce its effectiveness. Input provided during public outreach activities identified a need for
maintenance of existing fuel breaks that have become overgrown. Maintenance of existing breaks could
be more cost efficient than installation of new features.
The effectiveness of any fuel reduction treatment will increase over time with a maintenance and
monitoring plan. Monitoring will also ensure that objectives are being met in a cost-effective manner.
For information on monitoring and sustainability for CWPP projects, see Chapter 5.
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APPENDIX G:
Property Owner Resources
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SANTA CLARA COUNTY
SANTA CLARA COUNTY FIRESAFE COUNCIL
• Is Your Home in a WUI Area of Concern? https://sccfiresafe.org/resources/do-you-reside-in-
santa-clara-countys-wildland-urban-interface-wui/
• General Resource Guide for Wildfire Safety: https://sccfiresafe.org/resources/
• Wildfire Evacuation Workshop: https://sccfiresafe.org/learn/wildfire-evacuation-workshop/
• How to Create Defensible Space: https://www.fire.ca.gov/programs/communications/defensible-
space-prc-4291/
• Community Chipping Program: https://sccfiresafe.org/prepare/community-chipping-program/
• Hazardous Tree Removal Application: https://sccfiresafe.org/prepare/saratoga-tree-removal-app/
• Home Hardening Guide: https://sccfiresafe.org/prepare/home-hardening/
• Hazardous Fuels Reduction Guide: https://sccfiresafe.org/prepare/defensible-space-and-
hazardous-fuel-reduction-hfr/
SAN JOSE FIRE DEPARTMENT
• Create a Defensible Space:https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/fire-
department/public-education/wildfire-preparedness/defensible-space
• Harden Your Home: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/fire-
department/public-education/wildfire-preparedness/hardening-your-home
• Install a Fire-Resistant Landscape: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-
offices/fire-department/public-education/wildfire-preparedness/fire-resistant-landscaping
• Check if You Live in a WUI: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/fire-
department/public-education/wildfire-preparedness/wildland-urban-interface
• Draw up a Wildfire Action Plan: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-
offices/fire-department/public-education/wildfire-preparedness/wildfire-action-plan
• Assemble an Emergency Supply Kit: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-
offices/fire-department/public-education/wildfire-preparedness/emergency-supply-kit
• Prepare Your Insurance: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/fire-
department/public-education/wildfire-preparedness/insurance-preparedness
• Create a Pre-Evacuation List: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-
offices/fire-department/public-education/wildfire-preparedness/pre-evacuation
• Review Evacuation Steps: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/fire-
department/public-education/wildfire-preparedness/wildfire-evacuation
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GILROY FIRE DEPARTMENT
• Wildfire Preparedness and Local High Fire Risk Notices: https://www.cityofgilroy.org/911/Wildfire-
Preparedness-Local-High-Fire-Ri
• Fireworks Information: https://www.cityofgilroy.org/910/Fireworks-Information
o Fireworks Prohibited Locations:
https://www.cityofgilroy.org/DocumentCenter/View/6655/Fireworks-Prohibited-
Locations?bidId=
MORGAN HILL DEPARTMENT
• Wildfire Preparedness: https://www.morganhill.ca.gov/1396/Wildfire-Preparedness
• Be Ember Aware: https://www.morganhill.ca.gov/1596/Be-Ember-Aware
• Ready, Set, Go!: https://www.morganhill.ca.gov/1799/Ready-Set-Go
• PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff: https://www.morganhill.ca.gov/1848/Public-Safety-Power-
Shutoff
OTHER
• Wildfire Preparedness Resources: https://www.sccfd.org/education-and-preparedness-
overview/safety-information-referral-assistance/wildfire-preparedness/
• Santa Clara Fire Department Resources and Learning: https://www.santaclaraca.gov/our-
city/departments-a-f/fire-department/community-resources
• Wildfire Disaster Debris Removal: https://ehinfo.sccgov.org/wildfire-disaster-debris-removal
• Animal Evacuation Team: www.scclaet.org/default.aspx
• Sign Up for Emergency Notifications: https://emergencymanagement.sccgov.org/AlertSCC
• Resources for Wildfire Smoke Exposure: https://publichealth.sccgov.org/health-
information/emergency-preparedness/avoid-breathing-wildfire-smoke
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION (CAL FIRE)
Home and Fuels Management
Homeowners Checklist; How to Make Your Home Fire Safe:
https://www.lakeshastina.com/Docs_PDFs/Checklist.pdf
• Hardening Your Home: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/get-ready/hardening-
your-home/
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• Home Hardening Toolkit: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/campaign-toolkits/home-hardening-
toolkit/
• Defensible Space: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/get-ready/defensible-
space/
• Defensible Space Toolkit: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/campaign-toolkits/defensible-space-
toolkit/
• Defensible Space Self-Assessment Survey:
https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/77d52e2c982e480990320eb5bd53f5fc?portalUrl=https://CAL
FIRE-Forestry.maps.arcgis.com
• Fire-Resistant Landscaping: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/get-ready/fire-
resistant-landscaping/
• What Property Owners Need to Know to Reduce Wildfire Risk Each Season:
https://www.readyforwildfire.org/forest-health/seasonal-actions/
• Prescribed Fire Toolkit: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/campaign-toolkits/prescribed-fires-toolkit/
Preparing for Wildfire
• Wildfire Action Plan: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/get-set/wildfire-action-
plan/
• How to Prepare to Evacuate from a Wildfire: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-
wildfire/get-set/prepare-your-family/
• Pre-Evacuation Preparation Steps: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/go-
evacuation-guide/pre-evacuation-preparation-steps/
• Evacuation Steps: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/go-evacuation-
guide/evacuation-steps/
• Animal Evacuation: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/go-evacuation-
guide/animal-evacuation/
• GO! Evacuation Guide: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/go-evacuation-guide/
• GO! Evacuation Toolkit: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/campaign-toolkits/go-evacuation-toolkit/
• Emergency Supply Kit: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/get-set/emergency-
supply-kit/
• Insurance Preparedness: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/get-set/insurance-
preparedness/
• Power Outage Information: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/go-evacuation-
guide/power-outage-information/
• What To Do If Trapped: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/go-evacuation-
guide/what-to-do-if-trapped/
Preventing Wildfire
• Equipment Use: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prevent-wildfire/equipment-use/
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• Debris Burning: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prevent-wildfire/debris-burning/
• Vehicle Use: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prevent-wildfire/vehicle-use/
• Campfire Safety: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prevent-wildfire/campfire-safety/
• Target Shooting Safety: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prevent-wildfire/target-shooting-safety/
• One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire Toolkit: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prevent-wildfire/one-
less-spark-campaign/
• Forest Health: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/forest-health/
• Forest Health Toolkit: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/campaign-toolkits/forest-health-toolkit/
After the Fire
• Returning Home After a Wildfire: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/post-wildfire/
• What to Expect After a Wildfire: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/post-wildfire/after-a-wildfire/
• Immediate Safety: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/post-wildfire/returning-home/
• Rebuilding, Mobilizing Your Community: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/post-wildfire/rebuilding/
• Who Can Help? https://www.readyforwildfire.org/post-wildfire/who-can-help/
Miscellaneous
• Non-Renewals for California Homeowners: https://strongerca.com/wp-
content/uploads/2021/06/Non-renewals-for-CA-Homeowners.pdf
• Safer from Wildfires Insurance Partnership: https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/200-
wrr/saferfromwildfires.cfm
• Mass Tree Mortality, Fuels, and Fire: A Guide for Sierra Nevada Forest Landowners:
https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8683.pdf
• State Fire Marshal Listed Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Products Handbook:
https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/5e4drz1r/2021-sfm-wui-listed-products-handbook-12-14-2021.pdf
• Community Alliance with Family Farms (CAFF): www.caff.org
• Wildfire resilience program: https://caff.org/wildfire-resilience-program/
• Farm Resilience Resources: https://caff.org/resilience-resources/
• Stronger California Tax Fact sheet: https://strongerca.com/non-renewal/
o While property insurance frequently acts as the largest financial safety net in the event of an
emergency, many California homeowners are being denied home insurance renewal options
in areas deemed high risk, where they would need a financial safety net the most. Finding
home insurance with adequate coverage at an affordable price can be challenging.
An insurance trade coalition in California, Stronger California, produced a fact sheet to help
homeowners understand their coverages under California law and connect homeowners with
resources to find new insurance.
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NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION (NFPA)
Protecting Your Home
• Understanding the Wildfire Threat to Homes: https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-
Research/Publications-and-media/Blogs-Landing-Page/Fire-Break/Blog-
Posts/2020/12/08/Interactive-online-resource-helps-build-understanding-of-wildfire-risks
• Preparing Homes for Wildfire: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-
risks/Wildfire/Preparing-homes-for-wildfire
• If your Home Doesn’t Ignite, It Can’t Burn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqKFDDBGd5o
• How do Homes Burn in a Wildfire? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QthynXympI
• Wildfire Community Preparedness Day Toolkit: https://go.nfpa.org/l/14662/2022-01-11/8j6nqh
• 5 Key Areas Around the Home You Must Examine When Assessing Wildfire Risk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIUQVL3BvVg
• Your Home and Wildfire, Choices That Make a Difference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfbEcMeYFFA
• Home Hardening Fact Sheets: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-
risks/Wildfire/Firewise-USA/Firewise-USA-Resources/Research-Fact-Sheet-Series
Preparation and Evacuation
• Wildfire Preparedness Tips: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-
risks/Wildfire/Wildfire-safety-tips
• Wildfire Preparedness for Household Pets: https://www.nfpa.org//-/media/Files/Public-
Education/Campaigns/TakeAction/TakeActionPetsChecklist.pdf
• Wildfire Preparedness for Horses and Livestock: https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/Public-
Education/Campaigns/TakeAction/TakeActionHorseChecklist.ashx
• Backpack Emergency GO! Kit: https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/Public-
Education/Campaigns/TakeAction/TakeActionBackPackGoKit.ashx
• Outthink a Wildfire; Wildfire Action Policies: https://www.nfpa.org/wildfirepolicy
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA):
WILDFIRE SMOKE
• Smoke Ready Toolbox for Wildfires EPA: https://www.epa.gov/smoke-ready-toolbox-wildfires
• AirNow: https://www.airnow.gov/
• AirNow Fire and Smoke Map: https://fire.airnow.gov/
• Smoke Advisories: https://www.airnow.gov/air-quality-and-health/fires/smoke-advisories/
• Fires and Your Health: https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/fires-and-your-health
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• Wildfires and Indoor Air Quality: https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/wildfires-and-indoor-
air-quality-iaq
• Frequent Questions About Wildfire Smoke:
https://usepa.servicenowservices.com/airnow?id=kb_search&kb_knowledge_base=798f5d172fa0
50102be2d2172799b6d8&spa=1&kb_category=23bbbd9f1b681c104614ddb6bc4bcb70
• Smoke Sense App: https://www.epa.gov/air-research/smoke-sense-study-citizen-science-project-
using-mobile-app
• Wildfire Smoke and COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/covid-19/wildfire_smoke_covid-
19.html
• Air Monitoring in Santa Clara County: http://baaqmdmapsprod.azurewebsites.net/map-air-
monitoring.html?baaqmdZoom=11&baaqmdLat=37.189396&baaqmdLng=-121.705327
• Bay Area Air Quality Management District: https://www.baaqmd.gov/about-the-air-district/in-your-
community/santa-clara-county
Figure G.1. Santa Clara Public health flyer: Air Quality and Health.
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Figure G.2. Santa Clara Public Health flyer: Make a filter in 10 mins.
FEMA
• Protective Actions for Wildfires FEMA:
https://community.fema.gov/ProtectiveActions/s/article/Wildfire
• Flood Insurance Information: https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance
• Explore FEMA’s National Risk Index by County for risk, expected annual loss, social vulnerability,
and community resilience: https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/map
RED CROSS
• Red Cross – How to Prepare For Emergencies: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-
prepare-for-emergencies.html
• Red Cross – Colorado Wildfire Handbook:
https://sheriff.mesacounty.us/globalassets/divisions/emergency-services/arc-brochure.pdf
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• Red Cross – Wildfire Checklist (English):
https://sheriff.mesacounty.us/globalassets/divisions/emergency-services/arc-wildfire.pdf
• Red Cross – Wildfire Checklist (Spanish):
https://sheriff.mesacounty.us/globalassets/divisions/emergency-services/arc-wildfire_spn.pdf
• Red Cross – Preparing for Disaster for People with Disabilities and Other Special Needs:
https://sheriff.mesacounty.us/globalassets/divisions/emergency-services/arc-special-needs.pdf
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
• Prepare For Natural Disasters and Recovery: https://www.epa.gov/natural-disasters
READY.GOV
• Wildfires Ready.gov: https://www.ready.gov/wildfires
• Family Disaster Readiness: https://www.ready.gov/kids
• Kids: https://www.ready.gov/kids/be-ready-kids
• Teens: https://www.ready.gov/kids/teens
• Families: https://www.ready.gov/kids/prepare-your-family
• Educators and Organizations: https://www.ready.gov/kids/educators-organizations
• Wildfire Information Sheet: https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/ready_wildfire_info-
sheet.pdf
MISCELLANEOUS
• Non-Renewals for California Homeowners: https://strongerca.com/wp-
content/uploads/2021/06/Non-renewals-for-CA-Homeowners.pdf
• Mass Tree Mortality, Fuels, and Fire: A Guide for Sierra Nevada Forest Landowners:
https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8683.pdf
• Instructor Guide: The ability to identifying, analyzing, and using relevant situational information
about topographic features can help predict wildland fire behavior is the responsibility of everyone
on the fireline: https://www.nwcg.gov/sites/default/files/training/docs/s-190-ig04.pdf
• WiRē – Wildfire Research, an interdisciplinary collaboration on community adaptability to wildland
fire: https://wildfireresearchcenter.org/
• Wildfire Ready App:
o App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wildfire-ready-
virtual/id1540773278?msclkid=4eac0069a71411ecb26fa03c0b08eba2
o Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.BaltiVirtual.Wildfire&gl=US&msclkid=4eab
c8f6a71411ecbfe27aa64cd6d835
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APPENDIX H:
Post-Fire Recovery and Restoration
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POST-FIRE RESPONSE AND REHABILITATION
The recent increase in severe fires has highlighted the numerous complexities of post-fire response.
Research indicates that high-severity burn areas may produce erosion and runoff rates 5 to 10 times
higher than the rates produced by moderate-severity burn areas (Sierra Nevada Conservancy 2021).
Following a fire, heavy rains may result in widespread floods carrying trees, boulders, and soil through
canyons, ultimately damaging communities and critical infrastructure. In Santa Clara, the areas that are
susceptible to debris flows and mudslides include the mountain and foothill areas, e.g., the Santa Cruz
Mountains and Diablo Range (SCC OES 2017).
The SCU Lightning Complex occurred from August to October 2020 and burned approximately
396,624 acres across Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Joaquín, Stanislaus, and Merced
Counties. Of those acres burned, 165,205 acres were burned within Santa Clara County, with a total
of 222 structures destroyed and 26 structures experiencing damages from the fire complex’s impacts.
According to a Santa Clara Resource Conservation District (RCD) Watershed Emergency Response
Team evaluation, the SCU Lightning Complex resulted in 70.6% of the burned area sustaining low burn
severity and 7.3% moderate burn severity (Santa Clara RCD 2020). In general, the soil burn severity from
this incident was limited by the type of fuels present in the region. Because the burned area largely
displayed mostly low density fuels, the rate of spread was greater, resulting in a lower burn severity.
Despite this, there was still occurrences of moderate soil burn severity (SBS), which can dramatically
reduce soil cover, leading to increased water repellency and runoff. By contrast, soil cover is nearly non-
existent in areas experiencing high SBS and the surface mineral soil has been burned to fine powder.
Exposed, granular mineral soil is readily transported during rain events resulting in elevated soil erosion
and sediment loading in streams, creeks, and rivers (Burned Area Emergency Response [BAER] 2021).
Areas affected by the SCU Lightning Complex experience post-fire hazards such as debris flows,
flooding, and sediment loading that may pose a threat to infrastructure and general public safety. Despite
being located outside of the burned area, sections of San Benito County were still identified as having
post-fire flooding impacts.
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Figure H.1. Burn scar from the SCU Lightning Complex.
Figure H.2. Burn scar from the SCU Lightning Complex.
There are many facets to post-fire recovery, including but not limited to:
• Ensuring public health and safety—prompt removal of downed and hazard trees, addressing
watershed damage, and mitigating potential flooding.
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• Rebuilding communities and assessing economic needs—securing the financial resources
necessary for communities to rebuild homes, business, and infrastructure.
• Restoring the damaged landscape—restoration of watersheds, soil stabilization, and tree
planting.
• Reducing fire risk in the future—identifying hazard areas and implementing mitigation.
• Prioritizing the needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged communities during response and disaster
recovery efforts.
• Reducing post-fire recovery time by replanting native species.
• Ensuring fire protection measures enhance sustainability of restoration projects e.g., introducing
prescribed fire to a fire-dependent ecosystem where fire had previously been excluded.
• Retaining downed logs for erosion control and habitat maintenance.
• Evaluating and updating disaster recovery plans every 5 years to respond to changing needs and
characteristics of the community.
• Coordinating with planning, housing, health, and human services, and other local, regional, or
state agencies to develop contingency plans for meeting short-term, temporary housing needs of
those displaced during a catastrophic wildfire event.
• Incorporating forecasted impacts from climate change intro trends and projections of future risk
and consideration of policies to address identified risk.
• Updating codes and ordinances to specify procedures and standards for planning and permitting
the reconstruction of buildings destroyed by wildfire.
The USFS provides a science-based framework to guide post-fire restoration efforts in National Forest
lands in California. The framework is based on a five-step process that leads to the development of a
restoration portfolio that can inform project planning and monitoring (USFS 2021d). The framework is
available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/psw/publications/documents/psw_gtr270/psw_gtr270.pdf
COMMUNITY RESPONSE AND RECOVERY
Recovery of the vegetated landscape is often more straightforward than recovery of the human
environment. Assessments of the burned landscape are often well-coordinated through the use of
interagency crews who are mobilized immediately after a fire to assess the post-fire environment and
make recommendations for rehabilitation efforts.
For the community impacted by fire, however, there is often very little planning at the local level to guide
their return after the fire. Residents impacted by the fire need assistance making insurance claims; finding
temporary accommodation for themselves, pets, and livestock; rebuilding or repairing damaged property;
removing debris and burned trees; stabilizing the land for construction; mitigating potential flood damage;
repairing infrastructure; reconnecting to utilities; and mitigating impacts to health. Oftentimes, physical
impacts can be mitigated over time, but emotional impacts of the loss and change to surroundings are
long-lasting and require support and compassion from the community.
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After the Fire
Rebuilding and recovery from wildfire can vary greatly across income levels and demographics.
Rural areas, low-income neighborhoods, and immigrant communities generally do not have the
necessary resources to cover insurance and rebuilding expenses that occur after a fire. Due to this, many
of these areas take more time to recover than those with greater access to resources. In addition, the
occurrence of wildfire can worsen existing mental health conditions and lead to post-traumatic stress
(PTS), low self-esteem, and depression for at-risk populations (CA GOPR 2020).
Emergency Assistance: Before, During, and After a Fire
Team Rubicon is a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves communities around the world
before, during, and after disasters such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfire. Team
Rubicon focuses on serving vulnerable and at-risk populations affected by disasters, and all services are
provided free of charge. Services include incident management, debris management, hazard mitigation,
volunteer management, home repair, and emergency medicine. With respect to fire-related assistance,
Team Rubicon assists with any action that would limit the impact of a wildfire, such as helping property
owners to make their home fire safe, providing staff to assist with mitigation projects (e.g., fuels
reduction), and removing debris and hazardous trees (Team Rubicon 2022).
To find out more about Team Rubicon, please visit https://teamrubiconusa.org/capabilities-services/.
Returning Home
First and foremost, follow the advice and recommendations of emergency management agencies,
fire departments, utility companies, and local aid organizations regarding activities following the wildfire.
Do not attempt to return to your home until fire personnel have deemed it safe to do so.
When driving, watch for trees, brush, and rock which may have been weakened or loosened by the fire.
Be aware of any damage or debris on roads and driveways. Traffic may be delayed, or lanes closed due
to firefighter operations. Use extreme caution around trees, power poles, and any other tall objects that
may have been weakened by the fire (CAL FIRE 2020d).
Even if the fire did not damage your house, do not expect to return to normal routines immediately.
Expect that utility infrastructure may have been damaged and repairs may be necessary. When you
return to your home, check for hazards, such as gas or water leaks and electrical shorts. Turn off
damaged utilities if you did not do so previously. Request that the fire department or utility companies turn
the utilities back on once the area is secured. Similarly, water supply systems may have been damaged;
do not drink from the tap until you have been advised that it is safe to do so. Finally, keep a “fire watch”;
look for smoke or sparks in houses and other buildings. Once at home, check for the following (CAL FIRE
2019d):
• Check the roof and exterior areas for sparks or embers
• Check grounds for hot spots, smoldering stumps, and vegetation
• Check for fire damage to your home, turn off all appliances and make sure the meter is not
damaged before turning on the main circuit breaker
• Check the attic and throughout your house for any hidden burning sparks or embers
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• Do not drink water from the faucet until emergency officials say it is okay, water supply systems
can be damaged and become polluted during wildfires
• Discard any food that has been exposed to heat, smoke, flood water, or soot
• If you have a propane tank or natural gas, leave valves closed until the supplier or utilities can
inspect your system
• If you have a solar electrical system, this system should be inspected by a licensed technician to
verify that the solar panels and electrical wiring are safe for continued operation
• Consult local experts on the best way to restore and plant your land with fire-safe landscaping
• Contact 911 if any danger is perceived
• Ash contains toxic substances and may be irritating to the eyes, nose, throat, and skin. Ash is
harmful to breathe and may trigger asthma attacks. Follow these tips to reduce your exposure to
ash (California Department of Public Health 2017):
• Do not allow children to play in ash and wash off children’s toys before children play with them.
• Immediately was any part of your body that touches ash to avoid irritation.
• Wash fruits and vegetables from your garden thoroughly before eating them.
• Keep pets out of ash areas.
• Frequently clean indoor surfaces by wet mopping.
• Wear protective clothing and a respirator when working outside.
Insurance Claims
Your insurance agent is the best source of information for submitting a claim. It is recommended you take
photos of your home, of both the inside and outside, in preparation of an emergency. Keep the photos in
a safe place as this will make the insurance claim process easier. Most expenses incurred during the time
you are forced to live elsewhere may be reimbursed, so be sure to keep all receipts. Additional items that
may be covered are extra transportation costs to and from work or school, telephone installation, furniture
rental, extra food costs, and water damage. Do not start any repairs without the approval of your claims
adjuster (California Department of Insurance 2021).
Natural disasters aren’t always predictable, but there are steps property owners can make to better
prepare for an emergency.
• Review your insurance policy annually to see if your home is adequately insured
• Know your “loss of use” section – this covers living expenses should your home become unlivable
due to fire, smoke, or otherwise
You can view a guide on creating a home inventory here: https://www.iii.org/article/how-create-home-
inventory
Community Safety: Post-Fire Floods and Debris Flows
There are numerous natural hazards after a wildfire. Perhaps most dangerous are potential flash floods
and landslides following rainfall in a burned area upstream of a community. Wildfires increase risk of
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flooding because burned soil is unable to absorb rainfall and it becomes hydrophobic. Factors that
contribute to flooding and debris flows are steep slopes, heavy rainfall, weak or loose rock and soil,
and improper construction and grading. Even small rainfall can cause a flash flood, transporting debris
and damaging homes and other structures. Listen and look for emergency updates, weather reports, and
flash flood warnings (California Department of Conservation 2019). Develop an evacuation plan with your
family and stay away from waterways, storm channels, and arroyos. Be aware of your risk, pay attention
to weather forecasts, listen to local authorities, and have a household inventory with copies of critical
documents (California Department of Water Resources 2021).
Mobilizing Your Community
Wildfires that produce extensive damage require a community-scale response for recovery efforts.
The local Emergency Manager will collaborate with state and federal partners to manage disaster
response and urgent needs. Still, mobilizing a response and recovery team or a group of teams in a
community can function as a vital part of the recovery procedure. Coordinated and informed direction
throughout community-level volunteers and all levels of government are necessary for successful
recovery (California Silver Jackets Team [California SJT] 2019).
As opposed to wildfire response, post-fire response is not typically managed by a unified state or federal
team. Rather, each organization and each tier of government acts on its own authority. This produces a
greater demand for coordination at the local level and the sharing of information between organizations to
coordinate recovery efforts (California SJT 2019).
Residents throughout California are encouraged to join forces to create local Fire Safe Councils to
minimize and prevent wildfire losses. Fire Safe Councils are community-based organizations that mobilize
residents to protect their properties, communities, and environments from disastrous wildfires. Fire Safe
Councils educate property owners about community wildfire preparedness activities while collaborating
with local fire officials to plan and implement projects that increase the wildfire resilience of their
communities (California Fire Safe Council 2021).
In addition, each community is encouraged to create its own type of a Post-Fire Coordination Group
(PFCG) to direct the response to any ensuing post-wildfire natural hazards and aid in determining post-
fire mitigation actions. The PFCG should work directly with local, state, or federal agencies, emergency
response officials, and others to aid in a coordinated response. Primary duties of the PFCG include
coordinating the exchange of information among agencies and the risk assessment, assembling and
exchanging geospatial data, assisting public communications, and coordinating with elected officials
(California SJT 2019).
Communities are also encouraged to establish a post-fire coordinator. The post-fire coordinator is
appointed by the community to assist a coordinated response to a wildfire and to aid the community’s
post-fire recovery efforts. The post-fire coordinator is likely to collaborate with local, state, and federal
organizations that participate in emergency response and post-fire recovery efforts. It is important that the
post-fire coordinator have demonstrated management, internet, and social media skills, community
knowledge, and experience with government agencies and programs (California SJT 2019).
The recovery coordinator should become familiar with representatives from local, state, and government
agencies that will be helping with coordination or funding of post-fire recovery. The following resources
may be helpful for the post-fire and volunteer coordinators (California SJT 2019):
1. Housing
a. FEMA
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b. Federal Housing Administration
c. California Department of Housing and Community Development
d. The Salvation Army
2. Debris Removal
a. California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery
b. USACE
3. Debris Modeling
a. USGS
4. Hazardous Waste and Pollution
a. California Environmental Protection Agency
5. Pets and Livestock
a. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
b. CDFA
6. Food
a. USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
b. California Department of Social Services, Disaster CalFresh
7. Social Services
a. California Employment Development Department
b. FEMA Disaster Unemployment Assistance
c. U.S. Administration for Children and Families
d. Office of Access and Functional Needs
e. California Foundation for Independent Living Centers
8. Farm Rehabilitation
a. Farm Service Agency
b. USDA Rural Development Disaster Assistance
c. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) General Environmental Quality Incentives
Program Financial Assistance
9. General
a. The American Red Cross
b. CA OES
c. USFS
d. NPS
e. CAL FIRE
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Any large wildfire will also involve an Incident Command System (ICS), an appropriately sized team
assigned to aid in post-fire recovery. Learn more are https://www.nps.gov/articles/wildland-fire-incident-
command-system-levels.htm.
Communication
After a team is assembled and immediate tasks are identified, find the best way to spread information in
your community. You may distribute flyers, set up a voicemail box, work to find pets or livestock that have
been displaced, develop a mailing list for property owners, hold regular public meetings, etc. It is
important that a long-term communications plan is developed (California SJT 2019). Applying the
following steps can aid in successful communication (California SJT 2019):
• Convey post-wildfire hazards to the public.
• Develop and maintain emergency notification systems that allow authorized official to alert
residents of emergency situations.
• Hold public meetings to inform the public about programs and services available in the
community.
• Determine the best way to relay information, e.g., phone calls, radio, TV, or social media.
• Find out how emergency response teams, local officials, and volunteers will communicate with
the community.
Post-Fire Rehabilitation and Resources for Landowners
Wildfires that cause extensive damage necessitate dedicated efforts to avert issues afterwards.
As aforementioned, loss of vegetation increases soil susceptibility to erosion; water runoff may increase
and lead to flooding; sediments and debris may be transported downstream and damage properties or
saturate reservoirs putting endangered species and water reserves at risk (USFS 2021a). Following a
fire, the primary priority is emergency stabilization to prevent additional damage to life, property, or
natural resources. The soil stabilization work starts immediately and may proceed for up to a year.
The rehabilitation effort to restore damage caused by the fire starts after the fire is out and may persist for
various years. For the most part, rehabilitation efforts focus on the lands not likely to recover naturally
from wildfire damage (USFS 2021a).
The USFS’s post-fire emergency stabilization program is called the Burned Area Emergency Response
(BAER) program. The goal of the BAER program is to discover post-wildfire threats to human life and
safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on USFS lands and take appropriate actions to
mitigate unacceptable risks (NIFC 2022). BAER teams are composed of trained professionals in different
fields: soil scientists, engineers, hydrologists, biologists, botanists, archaeologists, and others who quickly
assess the burned area and advise emergency stabilization treatments (NIFC 2022.
The NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program provides technical and financial services
for watershed repair on public (state and local) and private land. The goal is reduced flood risk via
funding and expert advice for land treatments. The EWP program can provide up to 75% of funds;
remaining funds can be paid with in-kind volunteer labor (Coalition for the Upper South Platte [CUSP]
2016). This funding is used by the State Emergency Rehabilitation Team (a multi-agency group
assembled by the NRCS) to develop specific recovery and treatment plans.
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Examples of potential treatments include (USFS 2021b):
• Hillside stabilization (for example, placing bundles of straw parallel to the slope to slow erosion)
• Hazard tree cutting
• Felling trees perpendicular to the slope contour to reduce runoff
• Mulching areas seeded with native vegetation
• Stream enhancements and construction of catchments to control erosion, runoff, and debris flows
• Planting or seeding native species to limit spread of invasive species
The USFS provides a science-based framework to guide post-fire restoration efforts in National Forest
lands in California. The framework is based on a five-step process that leads to the development of a
restoration portfolio that can inform project planning and monitoring (USFS 2021a). The framework is
available at: https://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/psw_gtr270/psw_gtr270.pdf
A comparison of potential hillside, channel, and road treatments is available at:
https://www.afterwildfirenm.org/post-fire-treatments/which-treatment-do-i-use
The California state Watershed Emergency Response Teams (WERTs) play a crucial role in post-fire
assessments. Their duties involve identifying threats caused by debris flows, flooding, rockfall, and
surface erosion, which are exacerbated by wildfires. WERT members analyze the types and locations of
these threats to life, safety, and property, collectively known as "Values-at-Risk" (VARs), and propose
initial emergency protection measures for the affected areas. They then communicate their findings to the
relevant local emergency management agencies, ensuring effective coordination and response.
More information on post-wildfire recovery and what to expect after a wildfire can be found at:
https://www.readyforwildfire.org/post-wildfire/after-a-wildfire/
Specific Treatment Details
While the following is a description of treatment activity types, many of the areas for which one would do
these are under the jurisdiction of public agencies. In addition, these areas may also require additional
local, state and federal permits to perform such work.
Hillslope Treatments
Cover Applications:
Dry mulch: provides immediate ground cover with mulch to reduce erosion and downstream flow.
Wet mulch (hydromulch): provides immediate cover to hold moisture and seeds on slopes using a
combination of organic fibers, glue, suspension agents, and seeds (most effective on inaccessible
slopes).
Slash spreading: provides ground cover to reduce erosion by felling trees in burned areas.
Seeding: reduces soil erosion over time with an application of native seed mixtures (most successful in
combination with mulching). Breaking up and loosening topsoil to break down the hydrophobic layer on
top of the soil is also effective.
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Erosion Barrier Applications:
Erosion control mat: organic mats staked on the soil surface to provide stability for vegetation
establishment.
Log erosion barrier: trees felled perpendicular to the hillslope to slow runoff.
Fiber rolls (wattles): rolls placed perpendicular to the hillslope to reduce surface flows and reduce
erosion.
Silt fencing: permeable fabric fencing installed parallel to the slope contour to trap sediment as water
flows down the hillslope.
Channel Treatments
Check dam: small dams built to trap and store sediment in stream channels.
In-channel tree felling: felling trees in a staggered pattern in a channel to trap debris and sediment.
Grade stabilizer: structures made of natural materials placed in ephemeral channels for stabilization.
Stream bank armoring: reinforcing streambanks with natural materials to reduce bank cutting during
stream flow.
Channel deflector: an engineered structure to direct flow away from unstable banks or nearby roads.
Debris basin: constructed to store large amounts of sediment moving in a stream channel.
Road and Trail Treatments
Outsloping and rolling dips (water bars): alter the road shape or template to disperse water and
reduce erosion.
Overflow structures: protect the road by controlling runoff and diverting stream flow to constructed
channels.
Low water stream crossing: culverts replaced by natural fords to prevent stream diversion and keep
water in the natural channel.
Culvert modification: upgrading culvert size to prevent road damage.
Debris rack and deflectors: structure placed in a stream channel to collect debris before reaching a
culvert.
Riser pipes: filter out debris and allow the passage of water in stream channels.
Catchment-basin cleanout: using machinery to clean debris and sediment out of stream channels and
catchment basins.
Trail stabilization: constructing water bars and spillways to provide drainage away from the trail surface.
These treatments and descriptions are further detailed at: https://afterwildfirenm.org/post-fire-
treatments/treatment-descriptions
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For more information about how to install and build treatments, see the Wildfire Restoration Handbook at:
https://www.rmfi.org/sites/default/files/hero-content-files/Fire-Restoration-
HandbookDraft_2015_2.compressed_0.pdf
Timber Salvage
Many private landowners may decide to harvest trees killed in the fire, a decision that can be highly
controversial. Trees remaining post-fire can be instrumental for soil and wildlife habitat recovery, but dead
standing trees may also pose safety concerns and fuel loadings may still be conducive to future high
intensity wildfires. Burned soils are especially susceptible to soil compaction and erosion so it is
recommended to have professionals perform the timber salvage. Several programs assist landowners
with timber salvage, including the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) (CUSP 2016).
Invasive Species Management and Native Revegetation
Wildfire provides opportunity for many invasive species to dominate the landscape because many of
these species thrive on recently burned landscapes. It is imperative that landowners prevent invasive
establishment by eradicating weeds early, planting native species, and limiting invasive seed dispersal
(CUSP 2016).
Planting native seeds is an economical way to restore a disturbed landscape. Vegetation provides
protection against erosion and stabilizes exposed soils. In order to be successful, seeds must be planted
during the proper time of year and using correct techniques. Use a native seed mixture with a diversity of
species and consider the species’ ability to compete with invasive species. Before planting, the seedbed
must be prepared with topsoil and by raking to break up the hydrophobic soil layer. If you choose to
transplant or plant native species, consider whether the landscape has made a sufficient recovery to
ensure the safety of the individuals (CUSP 2016).
Long-Term Community Recovery
On non-federal land, recovery efforts are the responsibility of local governments and private landowners.
Challenges associated with long-term recovery include homes that were severely damaged or were
saved but are located in high-severity burn areas. Furthermore, homes saved but located on unstable
slopes or in areas in danger of flooding or landslides present a more complicated challenge.
Economically, essential businesses that were burned or were otherwise forced to close pose a challenge
to communities of all sizes. Given these complications, rebuilding and recovery efforts can last for years,
with invasive species control and ecosystem restoration lasting even longer (CUSP 2016). It is critical that
a long-term plan is in place and there is sufficient funding and support for all necessary ecosystem and
community recovery. To learn about more post-fire recovery resources, visit the Ready for Wildfire
website here: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/post-wildfire/after-a-wildfire/.
Additional resources regarding post-fire return and recovery can be found in Appendix G.
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APPENDIX I:
Project Outreach
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Table I.1 presents examples of the public outreach completed as part of the CWPP development prior to
the public review period – June 19th-July 2nd, 2023. Online resources were used to provide information to
the public and solicit feedback. Figures I.1 through I.10 show examples of outreach materials and online
posts.
Feedback, comments, and suggestions received from community members during community events
(e.g., meetings and walkthroughs), the community survey, and project recommendations review were
synthesized and utilized to craft project recommendations for the Santa Clara County CWPP. Therefore,
the project recommendations (see Chapter 4 or Appendix E) are specifically tailored to address the
concerns and priorities of Santa Clara County.
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Table I.1. Public Outreach Resources
Resource Description Location URL Date
Meetings
Community Outreach Public Meeting Saratoga https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27eu79RkYlo&feature=youtu.be 12/1/2022
Community Outreach Public Meeting Campbell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SMU0ehnxOc 12/6/2022
Community Outreach Public Meeting Downtown San Jose https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKytyYWlIxs&feature=youtu.be 12/7/2022
Community Outreach Public Meeting Milpitas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQWu5ToGKjU 12/13/2022
Community Outreach Public Meeting Morgan Hill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFCC3Hw-66Y&feature=youtu.be 12/15/2022
Community Wildfire Meeting Redwood Estates Pavilion, Lexington Basin 2/22/2023
Facebook Posts
CWPP Town Hall Meetings FB post Facebook https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=505925448241271&set=a.215499980617154 11/10/2022
CWPP Saratoga
Town Hall Meeting FB post
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=522225716611244&set=a.215499980617154 11/30/2022
CWPP Campbell
Town Hall Meeting FB post
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=526585952841887&set=a.215499980617154 12/05/2022
CWPP Downtown San Jose
Town Hall Meeting FB post
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=527381356095680&set=a.215499980617154 12/06/2022
CWPP Milpitas
Town Hall Meeting FB post
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=532525728914576&set=a.215499980617154 12/12/2022
CWPP Morgan Hill
Town Hall Meeting FB post
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=534375715396244&set=a.215499980617154 12/14/2022
Lexington Basin Community Wildfire Meeting FB post Facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/573356257745399/?ref=newsfeed 2/3/2023
Outreach Materials
CWPP Public Meeting Presentation Multiple; public meetings https://sccfiresafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/CWPP-public-meeting_web.pdf
Santa Clara County CWPP FAQ FireSafe Council website and hub https://sccfiresafe.org/cwpp/faqs/
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Resource Description Location URL Date
CWPP FAQ Flyer FireSafe Council website and hub https://sccfiresafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CWPP_FAQ-791x1024.jpg
CWPP Town Hall Meeting Flyer FireSafe Council website and hub https://sccfiresafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CWPP-TownHallMtgsFlier-791x1024.png
CWPP Press Release FireSafe Council website and hub https://sccfiresafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CWPP-Press-Release-Final-11-10-22.pdf 11/10/2022
CWPP Update Newsletter FireSafe Council website and hub https://myemail.constantcontact.com/CWPP-Update-Newsletter.html?soid=1101807391718&aid=Xz1lmHkHSj8
CWPP Advisory Team https://sccfiresafe.org/cwpp/advisory-team/
CWPP Survey Multiple; public meetings and FireSafe Council website https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfeTqYvfvH4Ex1Liik5HCkbxHP264BSCdl59etGbUNmQL3a2A/viewform
CWPP Story Map Online https://sccfiresafe.org/cwpp/cwpp-story-map/
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Figure I.1. CWPP press release.
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Figure I.2. CWPP update newsletter.
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Figure I.3. Town hall meeting flyer.
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Figure I.4. Frequently asked questions flyer.
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Figure I.5. CWPP online web survey.
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Figure I.6. Santa Clara County FireSafe Council CWPP community meetings Facebook posts.
Figure I.7. Santa Clara County Fire Department Lexington Hills community meeting Facebook post.
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Figure I.8. 2023 Santa Clara County CWPP Advisory Team meeting.
Figure I.9. San Jose FireSafe Council community outreach meeting.
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Figure I.10. Saratoga FireSafe Council community outreach meeting.
COMMUNITY MEETING SURVEY RESULTS
Survey Results (in percentage of respondents, 16 total respondents) from the Morgan Hill and
Saratoga Community Meetings - December 2022
How familiar are you with CWPPs?
Very Familiar 44%
Somewhat Familiar 44%
Not Familiar 12%
What is a CWPP? 0
Have you seen the current 2016 CWPP?
yes 69%
no 31%
Did you participate in the 2016 CWPP?
Yes, as a resident 0
Yes, as a Government, Special District, Non-profit, or Company Rep 10%
No 90%
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How great of a risk do you think wildfire poses to your community?
Extreme Risk 75%
Moderate Risk 25%
Low Risk
No Risk
How great of a risk do you think wildfire poses to your residence?
Extreme Risk 70%
Moderate Risk 12.5%
Low Risk 12.5%
No Risk
How do you feel that your residence is prepared for wildfire?
Not Prepared
Somewhat Prepared 80%
Hardened & Prepared 20%
What kind of wildfire support do you need?
Home ignition zone inspection 55%
Chipping 55%
Community Engagement 50%
Education 60%
None 10%
Other Evacuation planning 20%, Grant writing and funding help 40%.
STORY MAP
Santa Clara County developed the CWPP story map (online content, link in Table I.1) to accommodate
engagement with the public. The story map provides opportunities for both information sharing and
gathering between the public and the Advisory Team. The story map has several tabs, each
demonstrating information from various chapters in the CWPP document. The introductory tab presents
the purpose of the story map, project history, instructions for navigating the content, and the National
Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy framework (Figure I.11). Next, the public involvement tab
invites viewers to view past and future event announcements and recordings, funding information, and
links to additional communication tools. The fire environment, values at risk, WUI hazard and Risk-Hazard
Assessment, mitigation strategies, and monitoring and evaluation strategies tabs present the bulk of the
CWPP content. These tabs introduce the WUI concept, fire regimes and fire history in the county,
information regarding county fire planning and response, county values at risk from wildfire, areas with
high versus low risk, wildfire mitigation actions, and monitoring strategies for applied treatments.
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The story map also links the viewer to the CWPP document and contact information for the Santa Clara
County Advisory Team. Each map is interactive, with several clickable layers providing information on
numerous aspects of wildfire, including but not limited to communities in high-risk areas, vegetation and
fuels, current mitigation projects, and fire behavior.
Figure I.11. CWPP story map introduction tab sample.
STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH
Attempts to engage stakeholders and agencies in outreach were made through an email invitation
process, inviting stakeholders to participate as an Advisory Team member. If stakeholders accepted the
invitation, they were added to the Advisory Team list and included on all Advisory Team meetings and
communication. Advisory Team members served the role as local SME/Advisor to ensure local
knowledge and concerns for each community within Santa Clara County were represented. Advisory
Team members were given opportunities throughout the project to discuss/inform the planning approach,
data needs, the Risk-Hazard Assessment, mapping, and document narrative. As additional stakeholders
were identified, they were offered to be an Advisory Team member at any point in the planning process.
In addition, one-on-one calls were held to gather stakeholder perspectives throughout the planning
process.
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APPENDIX J:
Additional Mapping
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Map 1. Risk-Hazard Assessment inputs obtained from fire behavior analysis: flame length.
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Map 2. Risk-Hazard Assessment inputs obtained from fire behavior analysis: fireline intensity.
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Map 3. Risk-Hazard Assessment inputs obtained from fire behavior analysis: rate of spread.
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Map 4. Risk-Hazard Assessment inputs obtained from fire behavior analysis: crown fire activity.
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Map 5. Risk-Hazard Assessment inputs obtained from fire behavior analysis: ember load index.
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Map 6. Critical infrastructure.
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Map 7. CPUC fire threat districts.
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Map 8. Climate predicted wildfire hazard – mid-century.
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Map 9. Climate predicted wildfire hazard – late century.
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Map 10. Social vulnerability within Santa Clara County.
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APPENDIX K:
Forms
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1144 NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION ASSESSMENT FORM
The NFPA 1144 Assessment was used in the 2016 CWPP to evaluate each community and assign a
corresponding risk score of low, moderate, high, or extreme.
SWCA – 1144 Assessment
Community Notes:
Surveyor
Survey Date/Time
Means of Access
Ingress and Egress
2 or more roads in and out score | 0
1 road in and out | 7
Road Width
> 24 ft | 0
> 20 ft < 24 ft | 2
< 20 ft | 4
Road Conditions
Surfaced road, grade < 5% | 0
Surfaced road, grade > 5% | 2
Non-surfaced road, grade < 5% | 2
Non-surfaced road, grade > 5% | 5
Other than all season | 7
Fire Access
< 300 ft with turnaround | 0
> 300 ft with turnaround | 2
< 300 ft with no turnaround | 4
> 300 ft with no turnaround | 5
Street Signs
Present – reflective | 0
Present – non-reflective | 2
Not present | 5
Notes:
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Vegetation (Fuel Models)
Predominant Vegetation
Primary Predominant Vegetation
Non-Burnable (NB) Score | 2
Grass (GR) Score | 5
Grass-Shrub (GS) Score | 10
Shrub (SH) Score | 15
Timber-Understory (TU) Score | 20
Timber-Litter (TL) Score | 25
Slash-Blow (TU) Score | 30
Notes:
Defensible Space
> 100 ft around structure | 1
> 70 ft < 100 ft around structure | 3
> 30 ft < 70 ft around structure | 10
< 30 ft around structure | 25
Topography Within 300 ft of Structures
Slope
< 9% | 1
10% to 20% | 4
21% to 30% | 7
31% to 40% | 8
>41% | 10
Additional Rating Factors (rate all that apply)
Topographic features | 1-5
History of high fire occurrence | 1-5
Severe fire weather potential | 1-5
Separation of adjacent structures | 1-5
Notes:
Roofing Assembly
Roofing
Class A - metal roof, clay/concrete tiles, slate, asphalt shingles | 0
Class B - pressure treated composite shakes and shingles | 3
Class C - untreated wood shingle, plywood, particle board | 15
Unrated - Extremely poor roofing conditions | 25
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Notes:
Building Construction
Siding Materials (predominant)
Non-combustible (brick/concrete) | 5
Fire Resistive (stucco/adobe) | 10
Combustible (wood or vinyl) | 12
Deck and fencing (predominant)
No deck or fence/non-combustible | 0
Combustible deck and fence | 5
Building Set-Back
> 30 ft to slope | 1
< 30 ft to slope | 5
Notes:
Available Fire Protection
Water Sources
Water Source? | yes/no
Water Source Type | hydrant, water tank, other
Other Water Source
Water Source Score | Hydrant = 1 Water Tank = 3
Organized Response
Station < 5 mi from community | 1
Station > 5 mi from community | 3
Notes:
Placement of Gas and Electric Utilities
Both underground | 0
One above, one below | 3
Both above ground | 5
Values at Risk Observations
Forest Health Observations
Land Use Observations
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Misc Observations
Total
Hazard Rating Scale <40 Low >40 Moderate >70 High >112 Extreme
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APPENDIX L:
Funding Sources
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FUNDING SOURCES
The following section provides information on federal, state, and private funding opportunities for
conducting wildfire mitigation projects.
FEDERAL FUNDING INFORMATION
Source: 2022 Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act
Agency: Multiple
Website: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684
Description: The Infrastructure Investments and Jobs act allocated funding through various
departments for infrastructure projects including, but not limited to roads, bridges, and major projects;
passenger and freight rail; highway and pedestrian safety; public transit; broadband; ports and
waterways; airports; water infrastructure; power and grid reliability and resiliency; resiliency, including
funding for coastal resiliency, ecosystem restoration, and weatherization; clean school buses and
ferries; electric vehicle charging; addressing legacy pollution by cleaning up Brownfield and
Superfund sites and reclaiming abandoned mines; and Western Water Infrastructure.
Specifically, the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program is a $1 billion program where the
Department of Agriculture will provide grants to communities at risk from wildfire to develop or revise
their community wildfire protection plans and carry out projects described within those plans. It will
include a mix of formula and competitive funds. Applications are expected to open early in 2023.
Section 40803 addresses wildfire risk reduction, section 40804 deals with ecosystem restoration,
section 40806 handles the establishment of fuel breaks in forests and other wildland vegetation, and
section 70302 addresses reforestation. To learn more about the Act, please see guidebook located
here https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/BUILDING-A-BETTER-
AMERICA_FINAL.pdf?msclkid=48f8f465b51911ec85e010228d808d4d.
Source: Access to Ancestral Lands Grant Opportunity (AALG)
Agency: First Nations Development Institute
Website: https://www.firstnations.org/
Description: For more than 41 years, First Nations Development Institute (First Nations), a Native-
led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has worked to strengthen American Indian economies to support
healthy Native communities by investing in and creating innovative institutions and models that
strengthen asset control and support economic development for American Indian people and their
communities. First Nations began its national grantmaking program in 1993. Through mid-year 2021,
First Nations has successfully managed 2,276 grants totaling more than $46 million to tribal and
community institutions across Indian Country. The California Tribal Fund was created to support
California-based, California-Native-led nonprofits and tribal programs in controlling and protecting
their food systems, water, languages, traditional ecological knowledge, and land. Currently, the fund
is operated as a project of First Nations Development Institute. You can find more information on the
AALG here: https://www.firstnations.org/rfps/california-tribal-fund-access-to-ancestral-lands-grant-
opportunity/
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Source: Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Grant Program
Agency: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA)
Website: https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/building-resilient-infrastructure-communities
Description: BRIC will supports states, local communities, tribes, and territories as they undertake
hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards. The BRIC
program guiding principles are supporting communities through capability- and capacity-building;
encouraging and enabling innovation; promoting partnerships; enabling large projects; maintaining
flexibility; and providing consistency. You can find more information on the BRIC program here:
https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/building-resilient-infrastructure-communities
Source: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)
Agency: FEMA
Website: https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/hazard-mitigation
Description: The HMGP provides funding to state, local, tribal, or territorial governments (and
individuals or businesses if the community applies on their behalf) to rebuild with the intentions to
mitigate future losses due to potential disasters. This grant program is available after a presidentially
declared disaster.
Source: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) – Post Fire
Agency: FEMA
Website: https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/post-fire
Description: The HMGP Post Fire grant program provides assistance to communities for the
purpose of implementing hazard mitigation measures following a wildfire. Mitigation measures may
include:
• Soil stabilization
• Flood diversion
• Reforestation
Source: Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Grant
Agency: FEMA
Website: https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/floods
Description: The Flood Mitigation Assistance Program is a competitive grant program that provides
funding to states, local communities, federally recognized tribes, and territories. Funds can be used
for projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the
National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA chooses recipients based on the applicant’s ranking of the
project and the eligibility and cost-effectiveness of the project.
Source: Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG)
Agency: FEMA
Website: https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/emergency-management-performance
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Description: The EMPG program provides funding to state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency
management agencies with the overall goal of creating a safe and resilient nation. The two main
objectives of the program are 1) closing capability gaps that are identified in the state or territory’s
most recent Stakeholder Preparedness Review (SPR); and 2) building or sustaining those capabilities
that are identified as high priority through the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
(THIRA)/SPR process and other relevant information sources. The grant recipient and Regional
Administrator must come to an agreement on program priorities, which are crafted based on National,
State, and regional priorities.
Source: Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)
Agency: FEMA
Website: https://www.fema.gov/assistance/public/fire-management-assistance
Description: Fire Management Assistance is available to state, local, and tribal governments for the
mitigation, management, and control of fires on publicly or privately owned forests or grasslands,
which threaten such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. The Fire Management
Assistance declaration process is initiated when a state submits a request for assistance to the FEMA
Regional Director at the time a "threat of major disaster" exists. The entire process is accomplished
on an expedited basis and a FEMA decision is rendered in a matter of hours. Before a grant can be
awarded, a state must demonstrate that total eligible costs for the declared fire meet or exceed either
the individual fire cost threshold, which applies to single fires, or the cumulative fire cost threshold,
which recognizes numerous smaller fires burning throughout a state.
Source: Regional Catastrophic Preparedness (RCP) Grants
Agency: FEMA
Website: https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/regional-catastrophic
Description: The Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant program provides funding to increase
collaboration and capacity in regard to catastrophic incident response and preparation.
Source: Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP)
Agency: USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)
Website: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-
program/emergency-forest-restoration/index
Description: The Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) helps the owners of non-industrial
private forests restore forest health damaged by natural disasters. The EFRP does this by authorizing
payments to owners of private forests to restore disaster damaged forests. The local FSA County
Committee implements EFRP for all disasters with the exceptions of drought and insect infestations.
Eligible practices may include debris removal, such as down or damaged trees; site preparation,
planting materials, and labor to replant forest stand; restoration of forestland roads, fire lanes, fuel
breaks, or erosion-control structures; fencing, tree shelters; wildlife enhancement.
To be eligible for EFRP, the land must have existing tree cover; and be owned by any nonindustrial
private individual, group, association, corporation, or other private legal entity.
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Source: Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)
Agency: USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)
Website: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/emergency-
conservation/index
Description: The Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) helps farmers and ranchers to repair
damage to farmlands caused by natural disasters and to help put in place methods for water
conservation during severe drought. The ECP does this by giving ranchers and farmers funding and
assistance to repair the damaged farmland or to install methods for water conservation. The grant
could be used for restoring conservation structures (waterways, diversion ditches, buried irrigation
mainlines, and permanently installed ditching system).
Source: Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Agency: National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
Website: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/co/programs/financial/eqip/
Description: The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary program
authorized under the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill) that helps farmers, ranchers and forest
landowners who own or rent agricultural land to implement practices and/or install measures to
protect soil, water, plant, wildlife, and other natural resources while ensuring sustainable production
on their farms, ranches, and working forest lands. California EQUIP ranking pools include
Catastrophic Fire Recovery and Forest Tree Mortality.
Source: Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program
Agency: National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
Website: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/landscape/ewpp/
Description: The program offers technical and financial assistance to help local communities relieve
imminent threats to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms, and other natural disasters
that impair a watershed.
Eligible sponsors include cities, counties, towns, conservation districts, or any federally recognized
Native American tribe or tribal organization. Interested public and private landowners can apply for
EWP Program recovery assistance through one of those sponsors.
EWP Program covers the following activities.
• Debris removal from stream channels, road culverts, and bridges
• Reshape and protect eroded streambanks
• Correct damaged drainage facilities
• Establish vegetative cover on critically eroded lands
• Repair levees and structures
• Repair conservation practices
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Source: Funding for Fire Departments and First Responders
Agency: DHS, U.S. Fire Administration
Website: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/grants/
Description: Includes grants and general information on financial assistance for fire departments and
first responders. Programs include the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, Reimbursement for
Firefighting on Federal Property, State Fire Training Systems Grants, and National Fire Academy
Training Assistance.
Source: Tribal Environmental General Assistance Program (GAP)
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Website: https://www.epa.gov/tribal-pacific-sw/epa-region-9-tribal-environmental-gap-funding
Description: Funding under this program is used to aid Native American tribes in establishing and
implementing their own reservation-specific environmental protection programs. To find out more
about this funding opportunity please contact Tribal Branch Manager, Jeremy Bauer, at
bauer.jeremy@epa.gov.
Source: Specific EPA Grant Programs
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Website: https://www.epa.gov/tribal-pacific-sw/epa-region-9-tribal-environmental-gap-funding
Description: Various grant programs are listed under this site. Listed below are examples of grants
offered:
• Multipurpose Grants to States and Tribes: https://www.epa.gov/grants/multipurpose-
grants-states-and-tribes
• Environmental Education Grants: https://www.epa.gov/education/grants
• Environmental Justice Grants: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-
justice-grants-funding-and-technical-assistance
Source: Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)
Agency: National Resource Conservation Service
Website: Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) | NRCS California (usda.gov)
Description: CIG State Component. CIG is a voluntary program intended to stimulate the
development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while leveraging
federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in conjunction with agricultural
production. Under CIG, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funds are used to award
competitive grants to non-federal governmental or nongovernmental organizations, tribes, or
individuals. CIG enables the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to work with other
public and private entities to accelerate technology transfer and adoption of promising technologies
and approaches to address some of the nation's most pressing natural resource concerns. CIG will
benefit agricultural producers by providing more options for environmental enhancement and
compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. The NRCS administers the CIG program.
The CIG requires a 50/50 match between the agency and the applicant. The CIG has two funding
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components: national and state. Funding sources are available for water resources, soil resources,
atmospheric resources, and grazing land and forest health.
Source: Urban and Community Forestry Program, National Urban and Community Forestry
Challenge Cost Share Grant Program
Agency: U.S. Forest Service
Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/urban-forests/ucf
Description: U.S. Forest Service funding will provide for Urban and Community Forestry Programs
that work with local communities to establish climate-resilient tree species to promote long-term forest
health. The other initiative behind this program is to promote and carry out disaster risk mitigation
activities, with priority given to environmental justice communities. For more information, contact a
Forest Service Regional Program Manager.
Source: Catalog of Federal Funding Sources; Land Resources
Agency: Multiple
Website: https://ordspub.epa.gov/ords/wfc/f?p=165:512:10535656593775:::512::
Description: The Land Finance Clearing House is a catalogue of Federal funding sources for all
things land related.
Examples of the types of grants found at this site are:
• Forest and Woodlands Resource Management Grant:
https://sam.gov/fal/a798ad78cac749639b48270db3e86fdc/view?index=cfda&page=2&org
anization_id=100011100
• Environmental Education Grant: https://www.epa.gov/education/grants
• Public Assistance Grant Program: https://www.fema.gov/assistance/public
• Hazard Mitigation Grant: https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/hazard-mitigation
Source: Catalog of Federal Funding Sources; Water Resources
Agency: Multiple
Website: https://ofmpub.epa.gov/apex/wfc/f?p=165:12:6483383318137:::12::
Description: The Water Finance Clearing House is a catalogue of Federal funding sources for all
things water related.
Examples of the types of grants found at this site are:
• Water Conservation Field Services Program: https://www.usbr.gov/waterconservation/
• California Community Development Block Grant:
https://www.grants.ca.gov/grants/community-development-block-grant-cdbg/
• California Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program (CWSRF):
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/grants_loans/srf/index.html
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Source: Firewise Communities
Agency: Multiple
Website: http://www.firewise.org
Description: Many different Firewise Communities activities are available to help homes and whole
neighborhoods become safer from wildfire without significant expense. Community cleanup days,
awareness events, and other cooperative activities can often be successfully accomplished through
partnerships among neighbors, local businesses, and local fire departments at little or no cost.
The kind of help you need will depend on who you are, where you are, and what you want to do.
Among the different activities that individuals and neighborhoods can undertake, the following often
benefit from seed funding or additional assistance from an outside source:
• Thinning/pruning/tree removal/clearing on private property—particularly on very large,
densely wooded properties
• Retrofit of home roofing or siding to non-combustible materials
• Managing private forest
• Community slash pickup or chipping
• Creation or improvement of access/egress roads
• Improvement of water supply for firefighting
• Public education activities throughout the community or region
Source: The National Fire Plan (NFP)
Agency: DOI & USDA
Website: http://www.forestsandrangelands.gov/
Description: Many states are using funds from the NFP to provide funds through a cost-share with
residents to help them reduce the wildfire risk to their private property. These actions are usually in
the form of thinning or pruning trees, shrubs, and other vegetation and/or clearing the slash and
debris from this kind of work. Opportunities are available for rural, state, and volunteer fire assistance.
Source: Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER)
Agency: FEMA
Website: https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/firefighters/safer
Description: The purpose of SAFER grants is to help fire departments increase the number of
frontline firefighters. The goal is for fire departments to increase their staffing and deployment
capabilities and ultimately attain 24-hour staffing, thus ensuring that their communities have adequate
protection from fire and fire-related hazards. The SAFER grants support two specific activities:
(1) hiring of firefighters and (2) recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. The hiring of
firefighters activity provides grants to pay for part of the salaries of newly hired firefighters over the
five-year program.
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Source: The Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FP&S)
Agency: FEMA
Website: https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/firefighters/safety-awards
Description: FP&S offers support to projects that enhance the safety of the public and firefighters
who may be exposed to fire and related hazards. The primary goal is to target high risk populations
and mitigate high incidences of death and injury. Examples of the types of projects supported by
FP&S include fire-prevention and public-safety education campaigns, juvenile fire-setter interventions,
media campaigns, and arson prevention and awareness programs. In fiscal year 2005, Congress
reauthorized funding for FP&S and expanded the eligible uses of funds to include firefighter safety
research and development.
Source: Federal Excess Personal Property
Agency: USFS
Website: https://gsaxcess.gov/
Description: The Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) program refers to Forest Service-owned
property that is on loan to State Foresters for the purpose of wildland and rural firefighting. Most of
the property originally belonged to the Department of Defense (DoD). Once acquired by the Forest
Service, it is loaned to State Cooperators for firefighting purposes. The property is then loaned to the
State Forester, who may then place it with local departments to improve local fire programs. State
Foresters and the USDA Forest Service have mutually participated in the FEPP program since 1956.
Source: Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG)
Agency: FEMA
Website: https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/firefighters.
Description: The AFG program provides resources to assist fire departments in attaining critical
resources such as training and equipment.
Source: Community Wildfire Defense Grant
Agency: USDA Forest Service
Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/grants
Description: The community Wildfire Defense Grant is a program aimed at assisting local
communities and Tribes within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) in their planning efforts to reduce
wildfire risk. The Forest Service intends to do this through the implementation of three goals from the
National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (Cohesive Strategy). Included in these three
goals is restoring and maintaining landscapes, creating fire adapted communities, and improving
wildfire response within the specific at-risk community. Grant funding of no more than $250k will be
awarded for the development and revision of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) and no
more than $10 million will be awarded for the implementation of projects outline in CWPPs that are
less than ten years old. Communities, Tribes, states, non-profits, and Alaska Native Corporations are
all considered eligible for this grant.
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Source: Property Owners and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
Agency: FEMA
Website: https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/hazard-mitigation/property-owners
Description: The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides funding to homeowners whose
properties are located in states that have received a Presidential Disaster Declaration. Eligibility
requires an approved hazard mitigation plan, compliance with relevant regulations, and a cost-
effective and technically feasible rebuilding project. Homeowners work with their local community to
develop an HMGP grant proposal, and if approved, FEMA reimburses up to 75% of mitigation costs.
The benefits of mitigation include reducing future losses, strengthening homes against natural
hazards, lowering insurance premiums, increasing property value, and reducing personal expenses.
The application review process involves FEMA assessing cost-effectiveness and compliance, and
approved projects are implemented by the local community. Reimbursement is granted upon
completion of approved work. The process for businesses to be included in HMGP grant applications
is the same as for homeowners.
STATE FUNDING INFORMATION
Source: CAL FIRE Grant Programs
Agency: CAL FIRE
Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/grants/
Description: The CAL FIRE Grant Program offers a range of forest-related grants with differing
scopes and funding details. Some of the Grants include:
1. Forest Health Grants: https://www.fire.ca.gov/grants/forest-health-grants/
2. California Forest Improvement Program: https://www.fire.ca.gov/grants/california-forest-
improvement-program-cfip/
3. Fire Prevention Grants Program: https://www.fire.ca.gov/grants/fire-prevention-grants/
4. Urban & Community Forestry Grant Programs:
https://wwwresponse.fire.ca.gov/grants/urban-and-community-forestry-grant-programs/
5. Wildfire Resilience and Forestry Assistance Grant- Prop 68:
https://www.fire.ca.gov/programs/resource-management/resource-protection-
improvement/landowner-assistance/forest-stewardship/
Source: California Fire Safe Council Grant Programs
Agency: California Fire Safe Council
Website: https://cafiresafecouncil.org/grants-and-funding/apply-for-a-grant/
Description: The California Fire Safe Council provides a range of Federal, State, and Private funding
sources in addition to administering the USFS State Fire Assistance (SFA) Grant Programs.
Source: California Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Loans and Grants
Agency: Multiple
Website: https://calepa.ca.gov/loansgrants/
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Description: The California EPA Loans and Grants hosts a wide variety of EPA grants specifically for
California. While these funding sources may not tie directly to fuel management or fire recovery, there
is a wide array of funding opportunities for water and air resources which are directly impacted by
wildfire.
Source: Northern California Forests and Watersheds Program
Agency: Multiple
Website: https://www.nfwf.org/programs/northern-california-forests-and-watersheds
Description: The National Fish and Wildlife Foundations and the U.S. Forest Service have partnered
to restore and enhance National Forests and watersheds affected by wildfires in northern California.
This program will administer an initial $6 million in grants to projects that increase wildfire resiliency
for northern California National Forests and watersheds.
Source: Adaptation Clearinghouse
Agency: Multiple
Website: https://resilientca.org/
Description: This resource has numerous wildfire-related resources such as funding opportunities,
assessments, case studies, educational materials, data and tools, example plans and strategies, and
additional policy guidance.
Source: State of California’s Grants Portal
Agency: Multiple
Website: https://www.grants.ca.gov/
Description: The California Grants Portal helps users identify the latest grants that could support fire
hazard planning or related implementation efforts that support wildfire risk mitigation, fuels
management, and other related projects.
Source: California Air Resources Board Funding Wizard
Agency: Multiple
Website: https://fundingwizard.arb.ca.gov/web/
Description: The Funding Wizard aggregates current federal, state, regional, private, and other
funding opportunities for environmental and sustainability projects.
Source: California Grant Programs
Agency: California Fire Foundation
Website: https://www.cafirefoundation.org/programs/fireprevention/
Description: The California Fire Foundation (CFF) offers grant opportunities to fire departments,
firefighter associations, and community-based organizations whose projects help address wildfire and
disaster prevention, preparedness, relief, and recovery needs within the state of California. The CFF
directly supports high fire threat and/or under-resourced communities.
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Source: Wildfire Recovery Fund
Agency: California Community Foundation
Website: https://www.calfund.org/wildfirerecoveryfund/
Description: The Wildfire Recovery Fund supports intermediate and long-term recovery efforts for
major California wildfires. The Fund also supports wildfire prevention and preparedness efforts. Since
2003, the fund has granted more than $32 million to support relief and recovery efforts in the
aftermath of destructive wildfires.
Source: Wildfire Recovery Fund
Agency: California Community Foundation
Website: https://www.calfund.org/wildfirerecoveryfund/
Description: The Wildfire Recovery Fund supports intermediate and long-term recovery efforts for
major California wildfires. The Fund also supports wildfire prevention and preparedness efforts. Since
2003, the fund has granted more than $32 million to support relief and recovery efforts in the
aftermath of destructive wildfires.
Source: Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Grant Program
Agency: California Department of Conservation
Website: https://www.conservation.ca.gov/dlrp/grant-programs/Pages/Regional-Forest-and-Fire-
Capacity-Program.aspx
Description: The Department of Conservation has announced the release of the 2022 Regional
Forest and Fire Capacity (RFFC) Program Final Grant Guidelines. The RFFC Program is made
possible through the Public Resources Code section 4208.1 (California Department of Conservation
2023). The Department provides block grants to regional entities and eligible coordinating
organizations to support large and small scale project implementation. The Program aims to achieve
community wildfire resilience that is consistent with the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience
Action Plan, California Forest Carbon Plan, and Executive Order B-52-18. The State Coastal
Conservancy (SCC) is the current grantee for the Central Region.
Source: Wildfire Resilience Program
Agency: State Coastal Conservancy
Website: https://www.conservation.ca.gov/dlrp/grant-programs/Pages/Regional-Forest-and-Fire-
Capacity-Program.aspx
Description: This program supports local partners for the purpose of implementing projects that will
improve forest health and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire from occurring in developed areas.
The Conservancy has provided over $17 million to support forest management projects that reduce
wildfire risk (Coastal Conservancy 2023). The goal of the Wildfire Resilience Program is to “build
organizational capacity at the local and regional level to implement forest health and fire risk
reduction projects” (Coastal Conservancy 2023). The Coastal Conservancy funds these projects from
a block grant through the Department of Conservation’s Regional Fire and Forest Health Capacity
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Program, the California Climate Initiative Program, Proposition 68, and Proposition 84. Priorities for
the grant program include projects that:
• are in high wildfire risk areas, such as those identified in the CalFire Fire Hazard Severity
Zones or the FRAP Priority Landscape Maps
• implement the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan
• provide significant public benefit
Source: ReCoverCA
Agency: California Department of Housing and Community Development
Website: https://www.hcd.ca.gov/grants-and-funding/recoverca
Description: The ReCoverCA program offers financial assistance and construction management
services to assist homeowners in rebuilding single-family homes and manufactured housing units.
It focuses on community development beyond new construction, aiding communities in recovering
from various disasters like droughts, fires, and floods. By administering federal funds for recovery and
mitigation, the program collaborates with local governments and organizations to support long-term
recovery initiatives for housing, infrastructure, economic revitalization, and disaster risk reduction.
PRIVATE FUNDING INFORMATION
Source: State Farm Good Neighbor Citizenship (GNC) Grants
Agency: State Farm
Website: https://www.statefarm.com/about-us/corporate-responsibility/community-grants/good-
neighbor-citizenship-grants
Description: State Farm funding is directed at:
• Auto and roadway safety
• Teen Driver Education
• Home safety and fire prevention
• Disaster preparedness
• Disaster recovery
Source: The Urban Land Institute (ULI)
Website: http://www.uli.org
Description: ULI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education organization supported by its
members. The institute has more than 22,000 members worldwide, representing the entire spectrum
of land use and real estate development disciplines, working in private enterprise and public service.
The mission of the ULI is to provide responsible leadership in the use of land to enhance the total
environment. ULI and the ULI Foundation have instituted Community Action Grants that could be
used for Firewise Communities activities. Applicants must be ULI members or part of a ULI District
Council. Contact actiongrants@uli.org or review the web page to find your District Council and the
application information.
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Source: Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI)
Website: http://www.esri.com/grants
Description: ESRI is a privately held firm and the world's largest research and development
organization dedicated to geographic information systems. ESRI provides free software, hardware,
and training bundles under ESRI-sponsored Grants that include such activities as conservation,
education, and sustainable development, and posts related non-ESRI grant opportunities under such
categories as agriculture, education, environment, fire, public safety, and more. You can register on
the website to receive updates on grant opportunities.
Source: Matching Awards Program
Agency: National Forest Foundation (NFF)
Website: https://www.nationalforests.org/grant-programs/map
Description: The NFF is soliciting proposals for its Matching Awards Program (MAP) to provide
funds for direct on-the-ground projects benefitting America’s National Forests and Grasslands.
By pairing federal funds provided through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Forest Service with
non-federal dollars raised by award recipients, MAP measurably multiplies the resources available to
implement stewardship projects that benefit the National Forest System.
Source: Patagonia Environmental Grants and Support
Agency: Patagonia
Website: https://www.patagonia.com/how-we-fund/
Description: Patagonia supports innovative work that addresses the root causes of the
environmental crisis and seeks to protect both the environment and affected communities. Patagonia
focuses on places where they have built connections through outdoor recreation and through their
network of retail stores, nationally and internationally.
Source: Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Grants
Agency: Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation
Website: https://www.rewild.org/
Description: The foundation supports projects around the world that build climate resiliency, protect
vulnerable wildlife, and restore balance to threatened ecosystems and communities.
Source: U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities
Agency: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS), U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Economic Development
Agency
Website: https://www.usendowment.org/
Description: As the nation’s largest public charity dedicated to keeping our working forests working
and ensuring their bounty for current and future generations, the Endowment deploys the creativity
and power of markets to advance their mission: The Endowment works collaboratively with partners
in the public and private sectors to advance systemic, transformative and sustainable change for the
health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities.
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OTHER FUNDING INFORMATION
The following resources may also provide helpful information for funding opportunities:
• Western Forestry Leadership Coalition: https://www.thewflc.org/
• USDA Information Center: https://www.nal.usda.gov/main/information-centers
• Forest Service Fire Management website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire
• Insurance Services Office Mitigation Online (town fire ratings): http://www.isomitigation.com/
• National Fire Protection Association: http://www.nfpa.org
• Wildland Fire Prevention/Education: https://www.nifc.gov/fire-information/fire-prevention-
education-mitigation
• Department of Homeland Security U.S. Fire Administration: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/index.html
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APPENDIX M:
List of Preparers
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LIST OF PREPARERS
Name Organization
Victoria Amato SWCA Environmental Consultants
Breanna Plucinski SWCA Environmental Consultants
Ryan Saggese SWCA Environmental Consultants
Montiel Ayala SWCA Environmental Consultants
Sam Lashley SWCA Environmental Consultants
Liz Hitzfelder SWCA Environmental Consultants
Peggy Ford SWCA Environmental Consultants
Kimberly Proa SWCA Environmental Consultants
Esther Mandeno Digital Mapping Solutions
Carol Rice Wildland Resource Management
For additional information on this project, please contact Project Manager Victoria Amato at
vamato@swca.com.
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ANNEX 12: CITY OF GILROY
Organization and Jurisdiction
The City of Gilroy is a charter city governed by a publicly elected city council and has authority for General Plan
land use planning, code adoption, and permit processing. The City of Gilroy operates a municipal fire
department that provides fire suppression, emergency medical services, and rescue response to incorporated
areas and unincorporated areas through automatic and mutual aid agreements. The Gilroy Fire Department
works with the City’s Community Development Department to provide hazardous material and fire inspection
and investigation, fire prevention, and building safety assessments. The Gilroy Fire Department works with the
City’s Office of Emergency Management to provide public outreach, education, and wildfire resiliency.
Lying within the southernmost extension of Santa Clara County’s Santa Clara Valley at about 200 feet above
sea level and bounded by the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west and the Diablo Mountains to the east, the City
of Gilroy covers 16.54 square miles. At the time of the 2020 US Census, the City had a population of 59,520.
The Gilroy Planning Area, like other Planning Areas defined in the base CWPP, is not confined to a single
jurisdiction's boundary to encourage cooperation, communication, coordination, and collaboration with other
agencies and community stakeholders involved with wildfire mitigation activities. The California Resources Code
defines State Responsibility Areas (SRAs) and Local Responsibility Areas (LRAs). Gilroy Fire Department
provides fire protection to incorporated Gilroy, and the South Santa Clara Fire Protection District, under contract
with CAL FIRE, provides fire protection to unincorporated areas surrounding Gilroy within the LRA, while CAL
FIRE is responsible for fire protection in the SRA directly west of Gilroy's jurisdiction boundaries. All
departments provide automatic and mutual aid within the Gilroy Planning Area, as shown in Figure 12.1. The
City of Gilroy and parts of unincorporated Santa Clara County are within the Gilroy Planning Area and
designated LRA.
Planning Team Participation
The City of Gilroy has contributed to the development of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)
through collaboration with various stakeholders across the County of Santa Clara, including the Santa Clara
County FireSafe Council, CWPP Management and Advisory Team, and other stakeholders from local
government jurisdictions, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector. The City of Gilroy engaged
adjoining jurisdictions and the community in developing Annex 12. To update the annex, the City of Gilroy
utilized a risk and hazard assessment completed during the initial planning process to identify wildfire hazard
and risk potential and support wildfire prevention planning and mitigation priorities. A community information
meeting was held in South County with representatives from the Santa Clara County Fire/Safe Council, CAL
FIRE, South Santa Clara County Fire District, County of Santa Clara Office of Emergency Management, City of
Morgan Hill Office of Emergency Services, and the City of Gilroy Office of Emergency Management at the City
on December 15, 2022. This meeting allowed community members to receive information, review CWPP
planning progress and maps, provide input on areas of concern, and have their questions answered.
Risk-Hazard Summary
The City of Gilroy is identified as an at-risk community by the California Office of the State Fire Marshal. The
Planning Area has a complex wildfire environment, especially along the western wildland-urban interface, that
presents a significant risk to public safety and the built environment. The Planning Area experiences a
Mediterranean climate characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. This climate is conducive to
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wildfire as vegetation is often driest during the warmer summer and fall months. Extreme fire weather is also
possible, notably during wind events, which bring warm, dry air and high wind speeds along the hills, mountains,
and valley. Vegetation within the Planning Area includes woodlands, shrublands, grasslands, and non-native
urban vegetation associated with residential development that can facilitate wildfire spread.
The Planning Area and adjacent lands feature relatively flat and hilly terrain contributing to fire hazard. Fires can
spread more rapidly uphill, and steep terrain and valleys can channel and intensify winds, further exacerbating
wildfire risk. Steep slopes and limited accessibility can also make firefighting efforts more challenging. The
Planning Area also includes an extensive wildland urban interface (WUI). The development along the WUI
results in homes, roads, and other assets interspersed with vegetation with varying degrees of fuel loading
increasing hazard vulnerability in those areas. Large adjacent open space areas (primarily along the west edge
of the Planning Area) expose the community to wildfires originating outside the Planning Area and burning
toward it. If not quickly suppressed, these ignitions could move into the Planning Area and cause significant
wildfire impacts to the community.
Most of the homes in the Planning Area are not located within the WUI area. Homes along the WUI typically
maintain a defensible space of at least 30 feet, though many still need to achieve and maintain defensible space
treatment out to 100 feet from structures. Limited defensible space and combustible building materials increase
wildfire susceptibility and risk. Roads and narrow driveways are present within the Planning Area. Some
properties are accessed via dead-end public roads and private roads that rely solely on one route for emergency
evacuation, and some lots have limited space for turning around, posing a potential risk of entrapment for
community members and emergency responders.
The City of Gilroy is actively addressing wildfire risk reduction in the Planning Area through various methods.
This CWPP Annex also identifies recommended actions that can be implemented to reduce wildfire risk to the
community. These plans, programs, and actions are summarized below:
• Resident Programs: Includes debris removal and chipping when the Fire Safe Council makes this
opportunity available in South County.
• Community Education: Includes wildfire safety and personal preparedness education through
workshops and tabling events.
• Community Emergency Preparedness: Includes support of Community Emergency Response Teams
(CERT) and Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES), maintaining disaster tools and emergency
supplies, and utilizing AlertSCC for delivering critical emergency and evacuation information.
• Funding and Staffing: Includes vegetation assessment and abatement within City-owned parcels and
evaluating grant funding opportunities surrounding wildfire reduction projects and staff augmentation to
support community resilience efforts.
WUI Area Description
The wildland-urban interface (WUI) is an area where wildfire risk mitigation projects may be conducted to reduce
wildland fire threats to at-risk communities. The development pattern and land use within the Planning Area
create conditions that can be described as either a wildland-urban interface or a wildland-urban intermix. Urban
areas are predominantly built-up environments with little or no exposure to natural vegetative fuels. The area
where urban development abuts vegetative fuels would be characterized as a wildland-urban interface. This
condition exists where structures abut City parks, privately owned land, and open space. Areas where the
density of housing units and structures is lower and the space between structures consists of vegetative fuels
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capable of propagating fire are more typically characterized as a wildland-urban intermix. The wildland fire risk
associated with Interface and Intermix areas include:
• Fire propagation via structure-to-structure fire spread.
• Landscaping-to-structure fire spread.
• Ember intrusion.
Most of the Planning Area is away from the WUI but shares borders with the surrounding WUI and intermix.
WUI Area Defined
Much of the City of Gilroy is considered non-WUI. However, portions of the Planning Area are designated as
WUI and are assigned a low-risk rating. State wildland fire and defensible space laws apply outside City limits
but not within the City. The City of Gilroy has the authority to adopt wildland fire and defensible space
regulations throughout the City. The Countywide CWPP provides maps of WUI areas within the County,
including the Planning Area. The extent of these WUI areas is presented in Figure 2.1 in the base Santa Clara
County CWPP document (SWCA 2023). Figure 12.1 shows the Planning Area for the City of Gilroy.
Fire History
Fire history is an essential component of fire planning. It can provide an understanding of various fire-related
factors, including frequency, type, and behavior, as well as the most vulnerable community areas and significant
ignition sources. One important use for this information is as a tool for pre-planning. It is advantageous to know
which areas may have burned recently and, therefore, may provide a tactical defense position, what type of fire
burned in the area, and how fires may spread. Gilroy’s Planning Area has no history of notable wildfires.
However, several notable wildfires have occurred in the west Gilroy and east Gilroy Planning Areas that border
the Gilroy Planning Area. Additional fire history information is shown in Figure 2.9 in the base CWPP document.
Hazardous Fuel Characteristics
The City of Gilroy is classified primarily as an urban fuel model with pockets of grass and timber interspersed
throughout the city boundary. The hillside areas are mainly grass and shrub fuels intermixed with agricultural
and grazed lands. The dominant vegetation in the hillside areas includes annual grassland, coastal live oak
woodland, and coastal scrub. The scrub fuel types burn with high intensity in the event of ignition, particularly
during periods of drought that follow a wet spring, where grass fuel loads provide the fine fuel layer capable of
carrying wildfire. According to the Tuckman Risk Assessment, most of the Planning Area is rated as being in a
moderate to high hazard area. The assessment indicates that most of the City is not within a hazard zone.
Appendix D of the base CWPP document provides additional details on the Tuckman Risk Assessment and
Wildfire Hazard.
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Figure. 12.1 Gilroy Planning Area.
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Neighborhood and Structural Characteristics
Gilroy is a diverse community composed of retail/commercial core, medium to high-density residential areas
with small lots, and larger single-family homes. The areas of greatest concern are where structures in proximity to open space preserves, certain parks, and open parcels with heavy vegetation have the greatest risk to wildfire. Water Supply: Gilroy has a good water supply through a hydrant system linked to the City’s supply system. Some newer development areas have community water systems with fire hydrants. However, by and large there are little to no fire hydrants in the less densely development areas. Water supplies are very limited except for the reservoirs in the area. However, many property owners recognize this danger and have private water tanks with fittings for use by fire engines. CAL FIRE helicopters use the reservoirs as a source of water to fight fires in this area.
Roads and Access: Access is generally good throughout the community with well-maintained roads. However, there are communities within the Planning Area that are accessed via one artery. In the event this road becomes unpassable, safe evacuation and emergency access will be compromised.
Defensible Space Characteristics: Most homes in WUI areas throughout the Planning Area have well maintained and irrigated yards with adequate defensible space. Parcel owners who fail to adequately maintain vegetation are assessed and notified annually to act. Notable in the neighborhoods at the base of the west hills are homes with minimal setbacks from the slope and adjacency to open space property with long grass, chaparral, and oak trees. Most homes in these areas are newer and subject to ordinances that
specify building construction in the WUI. Figure. 12.2. The images below depict the physical environments along the WUI in and around the Planning Area.
Figure 12.2.1. Gilroy and the WUI surrounding. Figure 12.2.2. Recreation trail and housing development along the WUI.
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Figure 12.2.3. View near Christmas Hill Park and Uvas Park Preserve with grass and oak trees.
Figure 12.2.4 Development along the WUI looking towards West Hills.
Emergency Response Capacity
Fire Suppression Resources
Fire response for the incorporated City of Gilroy is provided by the Gilroy Fire Department and operates out
of three full-time fire stations and one part-time fire station. The following resources are available at each station staffed with one crew:
• Chestnut Station, 7070 Chestnut Street, Gilroy. o Type 1 Engine. o Type 1 Truck. o Type 6 Engine (OES).
• Las Animas Station, 8383 Wren Avenue, Gilroy.
o Type 1 Engine. o Type 3 Engine.
o Type 1 Engine (Reserve).
• Sunrise Station, 880 Sunrise Drive, Gilroy.
o Type 1 Engine. o Type 1 Engine (Reserve).
• Santa Teresa Station, 7049 Miller Ave, Gilroy.* o Type 1 Engine. o Type 6 Engine. * The Santa Teresa Station operates on a part-time basis year-round, with staffing during periods of heightened public safety concerns, such as:
• Local emergency declarations.
• Red flag warnings.
• 4th of July and surrounding weekend.
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• Potential flood or other disaster.
• Public events or gatherings in which there is a significant public safety concern.
The South Santa Clara County Fire District handles both automatic and mutual aid, as well as primary
response duties within the Planning Area. It operates from the Masten Fire Station, Treehaven Fire
Station, and Morgan Hill CAL FIRE Headquarters. Additionally, the CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit, based at
the Morgan Hill Headquarters, is responsible for unincorporated areas not covered by the district and can
provide resources through mutual aid. CAL FIRE can provide additional resources by type to meet
specific wildfire response needs through mutual aid.
Water Availability
The City’s water supply and fire department connection system is complex and built with many redundancies to support firefighting efforts. The South Santa Clara County Fire District also has water
tenders available through mutual aid in any areas where hydrant access may be limited.
Fire Response
Federal Responsibility Area (FRA): A term designating areas where the federal government is
responsible for fire response efforts. These areas include land under federal ownership (CA GOPR 2020).
Local Responsibility Area (LRA): A term designating areas where the local government is responsible
for wildfire protection. The LRA includes incorporated cities, cultivated agricultural land, and portions of
the desert. LRA fire protection is typically provided by city fire departments, fire protection districts,
counties, and by CAL FIRE under contract to local government (CA GOPR 2020).
State Responsibility Area (SRA): A term designating areas where the state has financial responsibility
for wildland fire protection. Incorporated cities and land under federal ownership are not included in the
SRA. Land under federal ownership is in the federal responsibility area (CA GOPR 2020).
Source for more information- California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (CA GOPR). 2020.
Fire Hazard Planning Technical Advisory. Available at: https://www.opr.ca.gov/docs/20201109-
Draft_Wildfire_TA.pdf [Accessed August 2021].
Agricultural Pass Program
The County of Santa Clara has established a Livestock Pass program to enable commercial livestock
producers in the City of Gilroy and unincorporated areas to access their livestock during wildfire
emergencies. The Livestock Pass program provides a standardized identification system for commercial
livestock producers, enabling firefighting personnel, law enforcement officers, and emergency responders
to facilitate access during a wildfire or similar disaster. With a Livestock Pass, ranchers may have limited
emergency access to restricted areas for feeding, watering, caring for livestock that is sheltering in place,
or evacuation. To qualify for the Livestock Pass program, eligible livestock owners must complete a 4-
hour fire safety training workshop. To find more information about the Livestock pass program visit:
https://ag.santaclaracounty.gov/apply-ranchers-livestock-pass
Public Education and Outreach Programs
The City of Gilroy recognizes and supports the Ready Set, Go! program and is actively involved with the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council (http://www.SCCFireSafe.org). This organization provides
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information regarding chipping programs, defensible space mitigation, forest health issues, and much more. They also offer public meetings and forums to support wildfire awareness.
The Gilroy Fire Department provides comprehensive wildfire preparedness information on the City Website: https://www.cityofgilroy.org/165/Fire-Department.
The City of Gilroy’s Fire Prevention Division, under the Community Development Department provides comprehensive information regarding fire codes and regulations, wildfire hazard awareness and preparedness on the City’s website: https://www.cityofgilroy.org/166/Fire-Prevention.
The City of Gilroy’s Emergency Services Division, under the Administration Department, provides comprehensive emergency preparedness information on the City website: http://www.cityofgilroy.org/174/Emergency-Preparedness.
Social Vulnerabilities
Key Issues
There are multiple census tracts identified as being exposed to multiple hazards and having increased
social vulnerability that are indicated on Cal OES’ Hazard Exposure and Vulnerability Map:
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/3c78aea361be4ea8a21b22b30e613d6e. Disadvantaged
communities often face heightened risks and long-term impacts from wildfire and smoke due to a
combination of socioeconomic and systemic factors.
Below is a brief overview of increased community risk during wildfires:
• Economic Vulnerabilities – Substandard housing is increasingly susceptible and potential barriers
to resource access to transportation and emergency information that can hinder awareness,
preparedness, and response may exist.
• Health and Mobility Issues – Those with pre-existing health conditions may be impacted by
smoke and those with physical limitations may require additional assistance.
Below is a brief overview of the long-term impacts post-wildfire:
• Economic Recovery – Wildfires can destroy residences, businesses, and critical infrastructure
resulting in a phased recovery with prolonged hardship.
• Health and Well-being – Mental health may be adversely impacted, and smoke inhalation may
exacerbate respiratory conditions or other health issues.
• Community and Social Dynamics – Social networks and community cohesion can be disrupted
and barriers to accessing recovery services and support is possible.
Addressing these challenges requires targeted interventions that consider the unique needs of
disadvantaged communities, including equitable risk reduction strategies, community engagement, and
policy changes to support long-term recovery and resilience.
Response and Recovery Priorities
Essential services support the health, safety, and economic security of a community. The absence of
these essential services can have adverse impacts during and post-wildfire. These elements have been
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identified under FEMA’s Community Lifelines and should be considered when prioritizing and focusing
efforts during response and recovery.
FEMA’s Community Lifelines address the following key impacts:
• Safety and Security
• Food, Hydration, and Shelter
• Health and Medical
• Energy
• Communications
• Transportation
• Hazardous Materials
• Water Systems
Additional information on Community Lifelines can be found at https://www.fema.gov/emergency-
managers/practitioners/lifelines.
Policies, Regulations, Ordinances, and Codes
City of Gilroy General Plan
Hilly areas in the northern and western portions of the city, as well as the adjacent areas outside of the
city limits, are prone to wildfires. Gilroy is susceptible to wildfires in the “wildland-urban interface” areas of
Gilroy. In addition, wildfires locally and regionally could lead to heavy smoke conditions in Gilroy that
would require emergency management. Policies in this section are designed to minimize urban wildfire
risks through public education, fire prevention codes, and hillside management practices that reduce the
potential for wildfires.
The City of Gilroy’s General Plan identifies the following goals within the Potential Hazards element under
wildfire hazards:
• Goal PH 4 – Protect life and minimize property damage from wildfires in the wildland/urban
interface area and hazardous fire areas.
o PH 4.1 – Fire Hazard Severity Zones – Ensure the development in the Gilroy
Wildland/Urban Interface area conforms to the most current standards for wildfire
protection.
o PH 4.2 – Development Review – Provide plan checks for new construction, remodels,
tenant improvements, and demolitions to ensure compliance with applicable life safety
and fire protection system requirements, including special requirements for fire safety in
areas with wildfire risk.
o PH 4.3 – Roofing Requirements – Require “Class A” fire-rated roofs on all new
construction or re-roofing in the following areas:
West of Santa Teresa Boulevard, and south of Mantelli Drive.
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West of Rancho Hills Drive.
In all other areas, “Class C” or better fire rated roofs shall be required for new
construction and re-roofing.
o PH 4.4 – Hillside Areas – Require development in hillside areas to comply with the fire
hazard policies and codes adopted into the Gilroy Fire Code for wildland/urban interface
areas.
o PH 4.5 – Fire Safety Education and Training – Provide information on wildfire safety and
prevention to raise public awareness on fire hazard issues and encourage preventive
measures.
City of Gilroy Municipal Code
The City of Gilroy uses the updated California Fire Code, published by the International Code Council,
Inc. and the California Building Standards Commission in Part 9 of Title 24 of the California Code of
Regulations, was adopted by resolution in 2022 and incorporated into Chapter 10, Section 10 of the
Gilroy City Code (https://www.codepublishing.com/CA/Gilroy/#!/Gilroy10.html#10.10).
The City of Gilroy Fire Prevention Program enforces the City’s Fire Codes. This consists of providing
development review services for new streets and subdivisions, providing plan check and inspection
services for new and modified construction, managing the fireworks and the weed abatement programs,
conducting regulatory inspections of new businesses and existing businesses that are required by the
code to have a regulatory permit, complaint investigation and code enforcement and providing training,
consultation, and technical assistance to the Fire Department.
Extracts from this code relating to WUI are provided below:
103.2.1 General. The Fire Marshal Carries out the functions of the fire code official on behalf of and under
the direction of the Fire Chief and implements, administers and enforces the provisions of this code. The
Fire Marshal’s Office is established within the City of Gilroy as the Office of Fire Prevention. The Fire
Marshal carries out the functions of the fire code official on behalf of and under the direction of the Fire
Chief and implements, administers and enforces the provisions of this code.
The Residential Hillside Zoning areas are designated as the “City of Gilroy Wildland-Urban Interface Fire
Area” and subject to the construction methods of Section 4905.2 of the Gilroy City Code.
The establishment of limits for the Wildland-Urban Interface Area’s required construction methods shall
be designated pursuant to the California Public Resources Code for SRAs, and in the City of Gilroy the
areas designated as Residential Hillside (RH) zoning are designated based on their topography,
vegetation, climatic and proximity to SRAs which make these methods necessary for effective fire
protection within this area.
4906.2.1 Application. Buildings and structures located in the following areas shall maintain the required
hazardous vegetation and fuel management:
1. All unincorporated lands designated by the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection as State
Responsibility Areas (SRA) including:
o 1.1. Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zones
o 1.2. High Fire Hazard Severity Zones
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o 1.3. Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones
o 1.4. Land designated as a Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zone or designated “City of
Gilroy Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area” as established in Section 4905.3.
2. Areas designated as High Fire Hazard Severity Zones and adjacent to “City of Gilroy Wildland-
Urban Interface Fire Area” may be subject to all or part of the hazardous vegetation and fuel
management requirements when determined necessary by the Fire Chief.
In addition to the Fire Code there are several policies and guidance documents:
• Fire Code Policies
• Allowable Grade
• Electric Security Gates (Width and KNOX requirement)
• Fire Service Access Roads (road length and turn around requirements)
• Fire Works Booths
• Key Box / KNOX Box Requirement
• Private Fire Underground Main
• Spark Arrestors for Chimneys
• Tents, Canopies and Membrane structures
• Fire Hydrant Distance to buildings and intervals on public street
• Fuel Transition Zone for Hillside Development
• Large Family Day Care Facilities
• Residential Hillside Development and Construction
Additional information and resources can be found on the City of Gilroy’s Fire Prevention Program
webpage at https://www.cityofgilroy.org/166/Fire-Prevention-Division.
Risk-Hazard Assessment
A regionally specific wildfire hazard and risk assessment was conducted for the Planning Area to
supplement the existing countywide risk assessment (Tukman 2022). This assessment incorporated
additional inputs that are believed to represent wildfire hazards specifically for the Planning Area.
The Tukman Risk Assessment is a third-party risk assessment based on fire behavior modeling derived
from fuel mapping classified at a 5m resolution, as well as historic weather, topographic conditions, and
ignition history. The risk assessment has been developed as part of a collaborative effort with multi-
jurisdictional participation. The County CWPP presents data on the Wildfire Hazard and Wildfire Risk to
Structure layers.
Additional information about this assessment can be found in Appendix D of the base CWPP document.
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2023 Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan: Annex 12 City of Gilroy
Page | 12 Table of Contents
County Risk Assessment
Figure 12.3. Composite Risk/Hazard Assessment for the Gilroy Planning Area.
Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSV)
The CAL FIRE FHSZ system is a science-based system where severity zones are defined based on
vegetation, topography, and weather (temperature, humidity, and wind) and represent the likelihood of an area burning over a 30- to 50-year period without considering modifications such as fuel reduction efforts. The CAL FIRE FHSZ maps present wildfire hazard and not wildfire risk. In California, CAL FIRE maintains FSHZ data within the SRA. There are three classes of fire hazard severity ratings within FHSZs:
Moderate, High, and Very High (CA GOPR 2020). The CAL FIRE FSHZ is shown in Figure 12.1. The City’s FSHZ, also shown in Figure 12.1., highlights the areas where local authorities manage and enforce regulations to improve fire safety and building standards in the identified wildfire hazard areas.
Gilroy Community Level Risk Assessment
Community hazard assessments include ratings of community conditions compared to best practices for
WUI fire mitigation. These ratings consider applicable state codes, local ordinances, and recognized best
practices guidelines.
The National Fire Protection Association Standard 144 (NFPA 144) defines WUI hazards and risks at
community and parcel levels. This plan utilized components of NFPA 11444, California laws, and local
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2023 Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan: Annex 12 City of Gilroy
Page | 13 Table of Contents
ordinances to evaluate neighborhood WUI hazards and risks. California PRC 4290 and 4291 sections
address WUI community design and defensible space standards.
The community risk assessment conducted in 2016 reflects the average risk to communities in the
Planning Area. The NFPA 144 community risk assessment for the Gilroy Community assigned the WUI
community a risk rating of Moderate with a score of 48 (<40 = low, >40 = moderate, >70 = High, >112 =
Extreme). Averages are recorded across the community for each of these parameters. There were no
changes to this assessment upon review in 2023. Factors that contributed to the risk are illustrated below
in Figure 12.4.
Parameter Condition Rating
Access Two roads in and out +
Narrow road width +
Surfaced road with greater than 5% grade +
Poor fire access, dead end spurs, lack turnaround +\-
Street signs are present, some are non-reflective
Vegetation Adjacent fuels: Medium +
Defensible space: >30 feet, <70 feet around structure +\-
Topography within 300 feet of structure 21%–30 % +\-
Topographic features Moderate to high concern +
History of high fire occurrence Moderate +
Severe fire weather potential Low +
Separation of adjacent structures Good separation +
Roofing assembly* Class C +\-
Building construction Combustible siding and deck +\-
Building set back <30 feet to slope +
Available fire protection* Water: hydrants present with variable pressure +\-
Response: Station <5 miles from structure +
Internal sprinklers: none +\-
Utilities One above and one below ground +\-
Risk Rating- Moderate (48)
Figure 12.4. Gilroy Community Risk Assessment.
*Since the early 2000s, all new construction within the City of Gilroy’s WUI is required to have Class A roofing, and internal fire protection sprinkler systems.
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2023 Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan: Annex 12 City of Gilroy
Page | 14 Table of Contents
Critical Infrastructure and Community Values at Risk
The critical utility infrastructure in Gilroy, including electric generation facilities, substations, power distribution
and supply lines, natural gas lines, water supply systems, and communications lines, plays a vital role in
supplying essential services to the community. These services, which are often critical to health and life safety,
are at risk from the significant threat of wildfire to the electric utility supply.
The project area has several watersheds that are community values at risk. Watersheds must be protected and
maintained from catastrophic wildfire damage to prevent mass movement, erosion, sedimentation, and water
contamination. Several open space preserves and parks within and adjacent to the Planning Area exist. Several
transportation routes serve as potential ingress for fire response resources and evacuation routes, and the
roadways require maintenance to ensure adequate vegetation clearance. Critical firefighting infrastructure
includes access and egress routes, fire hydrants, water storage tanks and lakes, ponds, and swimming pools
that can be used as water sources to fight wildfire. Other crucial public welfare and emergency facilities, such as
radio repeaters, also occur in this area. Other community values at risk include places of worship, life safety,
homes and property, infrastructure, recreation facilities, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and environmental
resources.
Commercial operations proximal to or within WUI areas, including several farms, ranches, and vineyards, are at
risk. Loss of services from infrastructure sites can also be far-reaching and affect people and operations at a
considerable distance from the fire itself. Potential losses include but are not limited to human and animal
casualties, crop loss, facility loss, and associated economic losses.
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2023 Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan: Annex 12 City of Gilroy
Page | 15 Table of Contents
Mitigation Projects and Prioritizations
The following project matrices have been developed by the community and Core Team to direct specific project implementation for the City of Gilroy (Table 12-1.1–Table 12-1.3). The matrices below are tiered to the strategic goals presented in the body of the CWPP through project IDs in the first column of each matrix. The matrices are broken down into projects for addressing public education and outreach, reducing structural ignitability, improving fire response capability, and reducing hazardous fuels.
Table 12-1.1. Recommended Projects for Creating Resilient Landscapes (Fuel Reduction Projects) in the Gilroy Planning Area.
Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
GIL RL1 Ongoing M Ongoing Continue to align the CWPP, MJHMP, General Plan, and other relevant plans to maintain consistency across all plans and leverage funding opportunities for hazardous fuel treatments.
Citywide and Countywide. City, County, State Build and retain partnerships between agencies and decision-making bodies at the City and County government level to develop solutions that mitigate the risks of common hazards:
• Assess values at risk.
• Build upon existing hazard mitigation planning from other agencies.
• Use CWPP story map and projected tracking tools to increase accessibility and public awareness.
• Utilize the established CWPP Management Team to foster collaboration.
Protect life and property by identifying hazards and reducing associated risks.
Protect public and first responder safety.
Review and updated plans as indicated.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool.
General fund, Grants
GIL RL2 Upcoming M Ongoing Identify and evaluate areas where herbivory prescribed fuel treatments should occur.
Prioritize highest risk areas. City, County, State, Federal, Private landowners
Utilize prescribed herbivory as fuel reduction and maintenance technique, especially adjacent to WUI areas:
• Collaborate with organizations to develop fuel reduction projects.
• Employ grazing as a solution to where topography may not allow for safe treatment utilizing alternative methods.
• Identify and evaluate fuel reduction projects that eliminate invasive plant species and restore areas back to their natural environment.
Protect life and property by mitigating fuels, providing defensible space for firefighters protecting structures.
Create a fuel arrangement to reduce wildfire spread.
Ensure the protection of vulnerable ecosystems and values at risk.
Regular monitoring is needed to mitigate environmental damage and invasive species.
Continued management of fire breaks maintained by grazing, brush breaking, controlled burns.
Update the CWPP project tracking tool.
Grants
GIL RL3 Upcoming M Ongoing Encourage the use of intentional fire where ecologically sound and feasible.
Prioritize highest risk areas. City, County, State, Private Landowners
Utilize prescribed burn planning that follows agency and regulatory protocols.
• Reach out to other surrounding fire agencies to collaborate on prescribed burns. This will improve the capacity to accomplish larger acreage burns.
• Assess opportunities to use prescribed fire for habitat restoration to increase wildfire resilience.
Reduce fuel load of fine fuels and understory species to mitigate potential for intense fire behavior in the event of an unplanned ignition.
Increase capacity and training for fire departments.
Promote healthy successional vegetation.
Provide habitat for fire-adapted species.
Regular monitoring is needed to mitigate environmental damage and invasive species in burned areas.
Establish annual goals and objectives for prescribed burning operations
Update the CWPP project tracking tool.
Grants
GIL RL4 Upcoming M Ongoing Encourage landowners to reduce fuel around homes and communities.
Prioritize highest risk areas. City, County, State, FireSafe Council, Local Landowners
Work with the FireSafe Council to empower property owners to conduce mitigation:
Assist with assessment and identify best mitigation practices.
Consider working with community-based organizations and volunteers to provide support and increase capacity.
Provide residents with information that helps them prioritize and plan their defensible space projects.
Evaluate and monitor cost effectiveness through a cost-benefit analysis.
Assess completed work post assessment.
Update CWPP project tracking tool.
General Fund, Grants
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Page | 16 Table of Contents
Table 12-1.2. Recommended Projects for Creating Fire Adapted Communities (Public Education and Outreach and Structural Ignitability Projects) in the Gilroy Planning Area
Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
GIL FAC1 Ongoing H Ongoing Identify vulnerable populations located in the WUI Prioritize high risk areas. Santa Clara County OEM, Fire Department, Community Development, Administration Department
The City and County needs to identify vulnerable populations (elderly, disabled, low income) who may need additional help to mitigate home hazards and to evacuate during a wildfire.
Seek grant opportunities to support assistance for vulnerable populations.
Protect life and property of the most vulnerable members of the community.
Annual review of the number of actions taken to address vulnerable populations.
General Fund, Grants
GIL FAC2 Upcoming M Ongoing Identify priority ignition concerns. Prioritize high risk areas. Fire Department, Community Development, Public Works Department, Utilities Department Administration Department
Utilize fire history data to identify areas with frequent fire starts and develop a strategy to reduce incidence of ignitions. Convene a working group to develop strategies to reduce human ignitions:
• Education campaign
• Signage
• Fire response plans
Reduce unnecessary ignition through unlawful or irresponsible behavior.
Annual evaluation of priority ignition concerns.
5-year re-run of risk assessment to determine success in mitigating hazards.
Review fire history data on a 2-year frequency to monitor trends.
General Fund, Grants
GIL FAC3 Ongoing H Ongoing Improve wildfire awareness and preparedness. All Planning Area with focus along WUI.
Fire Department, Community Development Department, Administration Department, Local Partners
Continue and expand awareness and education to residents in the following areas:
• Social media
• Newsletter
• Webpage
• Tabling Events
• Workshops
Prepare and educate community and promotes safety and resilience.
Annually evaluate the effectiveness of outreach efforts on an annual basis.
General Fund, Grants
GIL FAC4 Ongoing M Ongoing Provide support to assess and educate property owners on wildfire prevention compliance including defensible space and home hardening.
Prioritize high risk areas. Fire Department, Community Development, Utilities Department, Public Works Department, Administration Department, Local Partners
Promote defensible space and home hardening standards:
• Encourage new structures follow applicable codes outlined in City ordinance and ensure older structure owners are aware of emerging wildfire mitigation standards. • Educate and encourage compliance with 30-100 feet of defensible space around structures. • Clean and maintain ingress/egress routes and ensure alternate routes when possible.
• Continue educating property owners on tangible actions to mitigate their risk to wildfire hazards.
Reduce loss of life and structures through defensible space and property hygiene and maintenance education and outreach programs.
Annual program review and consider updates to City code as required.
General Fund, Grants
GIL FAC 5 Ongoing H Ongoing Improved air quality and smoke awareness and education. All Planning Area with a focus on vulnerable populations.
Fire Department, Community Development, Administration Department, Local Partners
Identify individuals and portions of the community most vulnerable to the impacts of smoke.
Work with Fire Departments and FireSafe Council to develop materials and provide resources to at-risk communities.
Disseminate information through various platforms:
• Social media
• Newsletter
• Outreach and training events
Empower the community with knowledge to mitigate health-related impacts from smoke.
Annually evaluate and update program as indicated. General Fund, Grants
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Page | 17 Table of Contents
Table 12-1.3. Recommended Projects for Safe and Effective Wildfire Response (Fire Fighting Capability Projects) in the Gilroy Planning Area.
Project ID Status Priority (H,M,L) Timeline for Action Project Description Location Land Ownership/ Lead Agency Methodology/Approach Serves To: Monitoring/Maintenance Requirements Funding Sources
GIL FR1 Upcoming M Ongoing Develop a coordinated approach between the fire department and water district to identify needed improvements to the water distribution system, initially focusing on areas of highest wildfire hazard as determined in the risk assessment and areas with limited water pressure or no existing water supply.
Prioritize high risk areas. Santa Clara County, City of Gilroy, Valley Water, Private landowners
Initiate a detailed study of feasible locations for water development improvements including but not limited to additional distribution and supply lines with hydrants in difficult to access locations.
Install hand pumps or other methods independent of the grid for accessing private well water.
Evaluate and consider heli hydrants and mapping out potential drafting locations.
Improve fire-fighting response if water is more readily available or closest locations could be identified on a GIS map on a tablet/computer.
Alleviates public and agency concern for limited water supply in some WUI areas
Convene annually
Document number of meetings held
Document number of actions taken
General Fund, Grants
GIL FR2 Upcoming H Ongoing Develop strategies to enhance safe wildfire response in areas with poor ingress and egress.
Prioritize high risk areas. City, County, State, SSCCFD, CAL FIRE
Address narrow access concerns for wildfire apparatus through road improvements, new egress points, or development of response plans.
Identify alternative apparatus for access into narrow areas.
Identify potential areas that threaten entrapment of response crews and develop response plans and/or safety zones.
Map all alternative ingress/egress.
Identify areas with limited all-weather access and develop response plans.
Work with HOAs and Community Associations to address locked gates and access concerns
Improve fire-fighting response if smaller more agile vehicles are available to navigate narrow unimproved roads
Annually evaluate areas of concern and address ads required. General fund, Grants
GIL FR3 Upcoming M Ongoing Participate with County, CAL FIRE, and SSCCFD to support a countywide early warning fire detection system.
Prioritize high risk areas. City, County, SSCCFD, CAL FIRE
Determine costs, upkeep, and operational capacity of an early warning fire detection system.
Consider feasibility of early waring fire detection technologies for use in the West Gilroy Hills.
Improve early detection of new wildfire ignitions. Yearly testing and maintenance. Grants
GIL FR4 Upcoming L Ongoing Determine the feasibility of implementing a drone program for the purpose of monitoring wildfire ignitions, reignitions, and initial attack operations.
City WUI areas that are not easily or safely accessible.
City OEM, County OEM, GFD Conduct a cost-benefit analysis determining the economic viability of a UAS program.
Identify and establish training protocols and required licensure.
Emphasize to the public that unauthorized UASs in active fire area could interfere with firefighting operations.
Improve fire reporting of difficult to access fires.
Notify fire suppression agencies of wildfire ignition and spread.
Pilots will be required to maintain licensure and operate consistent with FAA Part 107 rules.
Notify local civilian and fire-related aviation authorities of the program and during flight operations.
Grants
GIL FR5 Upcoming H Ongoing Collaborate to implement an evacuation platform. All areas within Planning Area City OEM, County OEM Implement evacuation software and create evacuation maps based on a zone configuration. Notify community members of evacuation status and provide links to additional information
Requires annual community outreach and testing. Grants
GIL FR6 Upcoming M Ongoing Improve and provide wildland fire-specific training opportunities to firefighters
Countywide City, County, State Expand certification and qualifications for fire department personnel. Ensure that all firefighters are training in basic wildfire behavior, basic fire weather, and that all company, officers and chief level officers are trained in the wildland command and strike team leader level.
Develop agreements between agencies to provide training opportunities to fire staff.
Ensure fire departments require all firefighters to be red card. A red card is a requirement to work on an active federal fire incident.
Reach out to the National Wildfire Coordination Group (NCWG) for training materials, online courses, and instructor needs.
Provide training opportunities for firefighter trainees to meet NCWG standards,
Improve department and wildland fire response and suppression capabilities.
Reduce damage caused by wildfires.
Reduce the likelihood of firefighter casualties.
Provide annual red card training/refresher/pack test events before the start of fire season.
Provide online wildfire training courses/refresher courses.
Establish inter-agency training.
Grants
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RESOLUTION NO. 2024-XX
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GILROY ADOPTING THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY
COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN AND THE GILROY ANNEX
WHEREAS, wildfires pose a significant threat to the safety, property, and environment of communities
within Santa Clara County, particularly in the wildland-urban interface (WUI); and
WHEREAS, the development of a comprehensive wildfire protection plan is critical to reducing the risk
of wildfires and enhancing community preparedness, resilience, and recovery; and
WHEREAS, the Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) was updated in 2023,
through the collaboration of the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council, CAL FIRE, the County of Santa Clara
Office of Emergency Management, local stakeholders, and community input; and
WHEREAS, the 2023 CWPP update builds upon the previous 2016 plan, incorporating enhanced
mitigation strategies, priority areas for wildfire risk reduction, community collaboration, and public
education initiatives to address the increasing wildfire threat; and
WHEREAS, a supporting annex was developed specifically for the Gilroy Planning Area (the “Gilroy
Annex”), outlining tailored mitigation measures and priorities to protect the lives, property, and critical
infrastructure within the City of Gilroy; and
WHEREAS, the CWPP and Gilroy Annex were developed through a robust public engagement process
that included multiple community outreach events, public feedback opportunities, and the participation
of various stakeholders to ensure that the plan reflects local needs and priorities; and
WHEREAS, the City of Gilroy has reviewed the Santa Clara County CWPP and the Gilroy Annex, both of
which provide essential strategies and resources for wildfire prevention and preparedness within the
city; and
WHEREAS, the adoption of the CWPP and Gilroy Annex will help the City of Gilroy align with regional
wildfire prevention efforts, secure potential funding for mitigation projects, and enhance coordination
with state and local agencies during wildfire emergencies.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Gilroy hereby adopts the Santa
Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and the Gilroy Annex, and directs city staff to
incorporate the provisions of these plans into the City’s hazard mitigation strategies, land-use planning,
and emergency preparedness efforts.
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PASSED AND ADOPTED this 4th day of November 2024 by the following roll call vote:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
APPROVED:
Marie Blankley, Mayor
ATTEST:
Beth Minor, Interim City Clerk
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Page 1 of 3
City of Gilroy
STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item Title:Approval of a second Amendment to the Agreement
with Circlepoint, Inc. for the Gilroy Data Center
Project Environmental Impact Report in the amount of
$36,757.25 for a total project cost of $244,009.30.
Meeting Date:November 4, 2024
From:Jimmy Forbis, City Administrator
Department:Community Development
Submitted By:Sharon Goei, Community Development Director
Prepared By:Cindy McCormick, Planning Manager
STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS Not Applicable
RECOMMENDATION
Approve a Second Amendment to the Agreement with Circlepoint, Inc. for the Gilroy
Data Center Project Environmental Impact Report in the amount of $36,757.25 for a
total project cost of $244,009.30 and authorize the City Administrator to execute the
contract amendment and associated documents.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Amazon Web Services (AWS), the applicant for the Gilroy Data Center project, made
modifications to their project description that result in out-of-scope work and additional
costs associated with preparation of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) by
Circlepoint, Inc. (Consultant). The requested modifications by AWS require the
Consultant to complete additional research, make modifications to work already
completed on the Draft EIR (DEIR), review the entire Draft EIR to ensure or remedy any
consistency or methodological issues, coordinate with City staff and the applicant, and
attend additional meetings with City staff and the applicant. The requested amendment
is necessary to allow the Consultant to complete the final EIR documentation. The
requested modifications result in $36,757.25 of additional costs for a total project cost of
$244,009.30 for the Gilroy Data Center Project EIR.
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Approval of a second Amendment to the Agreement with Circlepoint, Inc. for the Gilroy Data
Center Project Environmental Impact Report in the amount of $36,757.25 for a total project cost
of $244,009.30.
City of Gilroy City Council Page 2 of 3 November 4, 20241
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8
7
BACKGROUND
Amazon Web Services (AWS) submitted an application to construct and operate a data
center on an industrial zoned vacant property, located on Camino Arroyo near the Gilroy
Outlets. The 50-acre Gilroy Data Center project will consist of the following components
to be constructed in two phases. Phase I would include the first single-story
(approximately 35-foot high) data center building of approximately 218,000 square feet
(Building 1), a security building, a substation/switchyard, offsite transmission upgrades
to the existing Pacific Gas and Electric transmission and distribution system, potentially
a future Battery Energy Storage System (Phase I BESS) of up to 50-megawatt (MW),
and other utility interconnections. Phase II would include a similar single-story, 35-foot-
high data center building of 218,000 square feet (Building 2) that would utilize the
aforementioned utilities that would be constructed in Phase I.
The project required preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in
compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the CEQA
Guidelines. On June 6, 2022, the City Council awarded a contract to Circlepoint, Inc.
(Consultant), in the amount of $175,000 ($158,988 plus a $16,012 contingency budget).
The contract was executed on June 27, 2022. On January 8, 2024, the City Council
approved a first amendment to the agreement for an additional $32,252.05 to cover
costs associated with a request by AWS to include additional tasks in the EIR.
ANALYSIS
The applicant for the Gilroy Data Center project, Amazon Web Services (AWS), made
modifications to their project description that has resulted in out-of-scope work and
additional costs associated with preparation of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
by the consultant.
•Extensive coordination, meetings, phone calls and research: The changes to the
project description require substantial research regarding relevant case law,
technological specifications and considerations, and past investigations. The
changes also require extensive coordination with AWS and City staff (e.g.,
Community Development and Fire Department) including at least 2 additional
meetings and several phone calls, to resolve consistency and/or methodological
issues.
•Additional DEIR drafts: The changes also require additional drafts of the DEIR be
prepared and reviewed and commented on by City staff, as well as printing and
delivering two hardcopies of the DEIR to the City for public access at the City
Library and City Hall.
ALTERNATIVES
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Approval of a second Amendment to the Agreement with Circlepoint, Inc. for the Gilroy Data
Center Project Environmental Impact Report in the amount of $36,757.25 for a total project cost
of $244,009.30.
City of Gilroy City Council Page 3 of 3 November 4, 20241
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The City Council may choose not to approve the amendment to the contract.
Circlepoint, Inc. would not be able to adequately complete the EIR for the Gilroy Data
Center Project. Staff does not recommend this action.
FISCAL IMPACT/FUNDING SOURCE
Staff does not anticipate any net costs to the City as this is an applicant-paid project.
Attachments:
1. Draft Circlepoint Agreement for Services – Second Amendment
2. Circlepoint Agreement for Services – First Amendment, January 9, 2024
3. Circlepoint Agreement for Services, June 27, 2022
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-1-
SECOND AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT FOR SERVICES BETWEEN THE CITY OF GILROY AND CIRCLEPOINT, INC.
WHEREAS, the City of Gilroy, a municipal corporation (“City”), and Circlepoint, Inc. entered
into that certain agreement entitled Agreement for Services, effective on 6/27/2022, hereinafter referred to as “Original Agreement”; and
WHEREAS, on January 9, 2024, a First Amendment to the Original Agreement was executed between City and Circlepoint, Inc. to modify the scope of work and project cost to perform additional tasks associated with the Gilroy Data Center Environmental Impact Report (EIR); and
WHEREAS, City and Circlepoint, Inc. have determined it is in their mutual interest to execute a second amendment to certain terms of the Original Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, FOR VALUABLE CONSIDERATION, THE PARTIES AGREE AS FOLLOWS:
1. Article 1. Term of the Agreement of the Original Agreement shall be amended to read as
follows:
“This agreement will become effective on June 27, 2022 and will continue into effect through December 31, 2025 unless terminated in accordance with the provisions of Article 7 of this Agreement.”
2. Article 3, Section A (Specific Services) of the Original Agreement shall be amended to include
Exhibit “B-2” (“Scope of Services”).
3. Article 4, Section A (Consideration) of the Original Agreement shall be amended to include Exhibit “D-2” (“Payment Schedule”).
4. Article 4, Section A (Consideration) of the Original Agreement shall be amended to read as follows:
“In consideration for the services performed by CONSULTANT, CITY agrees to pay CONSULTANT the amounts set forth in Exhibit “D” (Payment Schedule”). In no event however shall the total compensation paid to CONTRACTOR exceed $244,009.30.”
4. This Amendment shall be effective retroactively on 10/21/2024.
5. Except as expressly modified herein, all of the provisions of the Original Agreement shall
remain in full force and effect. In the case of any inconsistencies between the Original Agreement and this Amendment, the terms of this Amendment shall control.
6. This Amendment may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
[Signatures on the next page.]
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-2-
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Amendment to be executed as of the dates set forth besides their signatures below.
CITY OF GILROY CIRCLEPOINT, INC.
By: By:
[signature] [signature]
Jimmy Forbis Audrey Zagazeta
[employee name] [name]
City Administrator President and CEO
[title/department] [title]
Date: Date:
Approved as to Form ATTEST:
City Attorney City Clerk
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EXHIBIT “B-2”
SCOPE OF SERVICES
Changes in the project description: Between February 2024 and July 2024, a number of changes
to the project description were proposed by the applicant (“Amazon”), including:
• Removal of the use of recycled water and recycled water pipeline from the project
description
• Change in the function of the Battery Energy Storage Systems from backup power supply to
peak power management/power demand management
• Description of the BESS facilities changed to allow these facilities to be optional in nature
• Relocation of Phase 1 BESS from the southwest building façade to the southeast building
facade
• Inclusion of lithium-ion batteries as a transitory power source for the data racks
• Removal of hydrogen as a potential energy source for the BESS facilities
Each of the changes identified above require Circlepoint to edit the project description in the DEIR
and update the entire EIR to ensure or remedy any consistency or methodological issues. Revisions
to document graphics are also required.
Extensive coordination, meetings, phone calls and research: The changes to the project
description require substantial research regarding relevant case law, technological specifications and
considerations, and past investigations. The changes also require extensive coordination with AWS
and City staff (e.g., Community Development and Fire Department) including at least 2 additional
meetings and several phone calls, to resolve consistency and/or methodological issues.
Additional DEIR drafts: The changes also require additional drafts of the DEIR to be prepared and
reviewed and commented on by city staff. Print and deliver two hardcopies of the DEIR to the City
for public access at the City Library and City Hall.
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EXHIBIT “D-2”
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
Consultant will reallocate funds within the existing budget and receive $36,757.25 in additional
funds, for a total contract amount of $244,009.30
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6.3
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-1-4845-8215-5540v1 MDOLINGER\04706083
FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT FOR SERVICES BETWEEN THE CITY OF
GILROY AND CIRCLEPOINT, INC.
WHEREAS, the City of Gilroy, a municipal corporation (“City”), and Circlepoint, Inc. entered
into that certain agreement entitled Agreement for Services, effective on 6/27/2022, hereinafter
referred to as “Original Agreement”; and
WHEREAS, City and Circlepoint, Inc. have determined it is in their mutual interest to amend
certain terms of the Original Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, FOR VALUABLE CONSIDERATION, THE PARTIES AGREE AS
FOLLOWS:
1. Article 1. Term of the Agreement of the Original Agreement shall be amended to read as
follows:
“This agreement will become effective on June 27, 2022 and will continue into effect through
December 31, 2024 unless terminated in accordance with the provisions of Article 7 of this
Agreement.”
2. Article 3, Section A (Specific Services) of the Original Agreement shall be amended to include
Exhibit “B-1”(“Scope of Services”).
3. Article 4, Section A (Consideration) of the Original Agreement shall be amended to include
Exhibit “D-1”(“Payment Schedule”).
4. Article 4, Section A (Consideration) of the Original Agreement shall be amended to read as
follows:
“In consideration for the services performed by CONSULTANT, CITY agrees to pay
CONSULTANT the amounts set forth in Exhibit “D”(Payment Schedule”). In no event
however shall the total compensation paid to CONTRACTOR exceed $207,252.05.”
This Amendment shall be effectiveUHWURDFWLYHO\on 12/1/2023.
Except as expressly modified herein, all of the provisions of the Original Agreement shall
remain in full force and effect. In the case of any inconsistencies between the Original Agreement and
this Amendment, the terms of this Amendment shall control.
This Amendment may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original,
but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Amendment to be executed as of the
dates set forth besides their signatures below.
[Signatures on the next page.]
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-2-4845-8215-5540v1 MDOLINGER\04706083
CITY OF GILROY CIRCLEPOINT, INC.
By:By:
[signature][signature]
Jimmy Forbis Audrey Zagazeta
[employee name][name]
City Administrator President and CEO
[title/department][title]
Date:Date:
Approved as to Form ATTEST:
City Attorney City Clerk
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EXHIBIT “B-1”
SCOPE OF SERVICES
Attendance at Meetings in Exceedance of Original Assumptions:
x Consultant attendance at nine (9) additional meetings, ZLWKDGGLWLRQDOPHHWLQJ V
DQWLFLSDWHG
Public Scoping Meeting:
x Prepare an agenda and slides for the scoping meeting presentation.
Air Quality Impact Assessment (AQIA):
x Two additional reviews and coordination of the required revisions for each version of the
AQIA (with the exception of Consultant’s initial review), which are necessary to ensure
legal defensibility in the FaVe of a challenge to the EIR.
7UDQVSRUWDWLRQ$QDO\VLVMemorandum:
x Coordinate with Hexagon 7UDQVSRUWDWLRQ&RQVXOWDQWV,QFto walk the City through their
peer review of the original 7UDQVSRUWDWLRQassessment and to ultimately prepare a new
assessment to support the EIR.
x Review and incorporate a new memorandum, prepared by Hexagon, into the EIR.
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EXHIBIT “D-1”
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
Consultant will reallocate funds within the existing budget and receive $32,252.05 in additional
funds, for a total contract amount of $207,252.05.
.
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City of Gilroy
Agreement/Contract Tracking
Today’s Date:
June 27, 2022 Your Name: Monica Sendejas
Contract
Type:
Services over $5k - Consultant Phone Number: 408-846-0266
Contract Effective Date:
(Date contract goes into effect)
6/27/2022
Contract Expiration Date: 12/30/2023
Contractor / Consultant Name:
(if an individual’s name, format as
last name, first name)
Circlepoint, Inc.
Contract Subject:
(no more than 100 characters)
Prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Gilroy Data Center
Project (AWS)
Contract Amount:
(Total Amount of contract. If no
amount, leave blank)
$175,000.00
By submitting this form, I confirm
this information is complete:
➢ Date of Contract
➢ Contractor/Consultant name and complete address
➢ Terms of the agreement (start date, completion date or “until
project completion”, cap of compensation to be paid)
➢ Scope of Services, Terms of Payment, Milestone Schedule and
exhibit(s) attached
➢ Taxpayer ID or Social Security # and Contractors License # if
applicable
➢ Contractor/Consultant signer’s name and title
➢ City Administrator or Department Head Name, City Clerk
(Attest), City Attorney (Approved as to Form)
Routing Steps for Electronic Signature
Risk Manager
City Attorney Approval As to Form
City Administrator or Department Head
City Clerk Attestation
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AGREEMENT FOR SERVICES
(For contracts over $5,000 - CONSULTANT)
This AGREEMENT made this 27th day of June, 2022, between:
CITY: City of Gilroy, having a principal place of business at
7351 Rosanna Street, Gilroy, California
and CONSULTANT: Circlepoint, Inc., having a principal place of business at 200 Webster
Street, Suite 200, Oakland, CA 94607.
ARTICLE 1. TERM OF AGREEMENT
This Agreement will become effective on June 27, 2022 and will continue in effect through
December 30, 2023 unless terminated in accordance with the provisions of Article 7 of this
Agreement.
Any lapse in insurance coverage as required by Article 5, Section D of this Agreement shall
terminate this Agreement regardless of any other provision stated herein. ______
Initial
ARTICLE 2. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR STATUS
It is the express intention of the parties that CONSULTANT is an independent contractor and not
an employee, agent, joint venturer or partner of CITY. Nothing in this Agreement shall be
interpreted or construed as creating or establishing the relationship of employer and employee
between CITY and CONSULTANT or any employee or agent of CONSULTANT. Both parties
acknowledge that CONSULTANT is not an employee for state or federal tax purposes.
CONSULTANT shall not be entitled to any of the rights or benefits afforded to CITY’S
employees, including, without limitation, disability or unemployment insurance, workers’
compensation, medical insurance, sick leave, retirement benefits or any other employment
benefits. CONSULTANT shall retain the right to perform services for others during the term of
this Agreement.
ARTICLE 3. SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED BY CONSULTANT
A. Specific Services
CONSULTANT agrees to: Perform the services as outlined in Exhibit “A” (“Specific
Provisions”) and Exhibit “B” (“Scope of Services”), within the time periods described in
Exhibit “C” (“Milestone Schedule”).
B. Method of Performing Services
CONSULTANT shall determine the method, details and means of performing the above-
described services. CITY shall have no right to, and shall not, control the manner or determine
the method of accomplishing CONSULTANT’S services.
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C. Employment of Assistants
CONSULTANT may, at the CONSULTANT’S own expense, employ such assistants as
CONSULTANT deems necessary to perform the services required of CONSULTANT by this
Agreement, subject to the prohibition against assignment and subcontracting contained in
Article 5 below. CITY may not control, direct, or supervise CONSULTANT’S assistants in the
performance of those services. CONSULTANT assumes full and sole responsibility for the
payment of all compensation and expenses of these assistants and for all state and federal income
tax, unemployment insurance, Social Security, disability insurance and other applicable
withholding.
D. Place of Work
CONSULTANT shall perform the services required by this Agreement at any place or location
and at such times as CONSULTANT shall determine is necessary to properly and timely perform
CONSULTANT’S services.
ARTICLE 4. COMPENSATION
A. Consideration
In consideration for the services to be performed by CONSULTANT, CITY agrees to pay
CONSULTANT the amounts set forth in Exhibit “D” (“Payment Schedule”). In no event
however shall the total compensation paid to CONSULTANT exceed $175,000 including a base
budget of $158,988 and a contingency budget of $16,012.
B. Invoices
CONSULTANT shall submit invoices for all services rendered.
C. Payment
Payment shall be due according to the payment schedule set forth in Exhibit “D”. No payment
will be made unless CONSULTANT has first provided City with a written receipt of invoice
describing the work performed and any approved direct expenses (as provided for in
Exhibit “A”, Section IV) incurred during the preceding period. If CITY objects to all or any
portion of any invoice, CITY shall notify CONSULTANT of the objection within thirty (30)
days from receipt of the invoice, give reasons for the objection, and pay that portion of the
invoice not in dispute. It shall not constitute a default or breach of this Agreement for CITY not
to pay any invoiced amounts to which it has objected until the objection has been resolved by
mutual agreement of the parties.
D. Expenses
CONSULTANT shall be responsible for all costs and expenses incident to the performance of
services for CITY, including but not limited to, all costs of equipment used or provided by
CONSULTANT, all fees, fines, licenses, bonds or taxes required of or imposed against
CONSULTANT and all other of CONSULTANT’S costs of doing business. CITY shall not be
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responsible for any expenses incurred by CONSULTANT in performing services for CITY,
except for those expenses constituting “direct expenses” referenced on Exhibit “A.”
ARTICLE 5. OBLIGATIONS OF CONSULTANT
A. Tools and Instrumentalities
CONSULTANT shall supply all tools and instrumentalities required to perform the services
under this Agreement at its sole cost and expense. CONSULTANT is not required to purchase
or rent any tools, equipment or services from CITY.
B. Workers’ Compensation
CONSULTANT agrees to provide workers’ compensation insurance for CONSULTANT’S
employees and agents and agrees to hold harmless, defend with counsel acceptable to CITY and
indemnify CITY, its officers, representatives, agents and employees from and against any and all
claims, suits, damages, costs, fees, demands, causes of action, losses, liabilities and expenses,
including without limitation reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising out of any injury, disability, or
death of any of CONSULTANT’S employees.
C. Indemnification of Liability, Duty to Defend
1. As to professional liability, to the fullest extent permitted by law,
CONSULTANT shall defend, through counsel approved by CITY (which approval shall not be
unreasonably withheld), indemnify and hold harmless CITY, its officers, representatives, agents
and employees against any and all suits, damages, costs, fees, claims, demands, causes of action,
losses, liabilities and expenses, including without limitation attorneys’ fees, to the extent arising
or resulting directly or indirectly from any willful or negligent acts, errors or omissions of
CONSULTANT or CONSULTANT’S assistants, employees or agents, including all claims
relating to the injury or death of any person or damage to any property.
2. As to other liability, to the fullest extent permitted by law, CONSULTANT shall
defend, through counsel approved by CITY (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld),
indemnify and hold harmless CITY, its officers, representatives, agents and employees against
any and all suits, damages, costs, fees, claims, demands, causes of action, losses, liabilities and
expenses, including without limitation attorneys’ fees, arising or resulting directly or indirectly
from any act or omission of CONSULTANT or CONSULTANT’S assistants, employees or
agents, including all claims relating to the injury or death of any person or damage to any
property.
D. Insurance
In addition to any other obligations under this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall, at no cost to
CITY, obtain and maintain throughout the term of this Agreement: (a) Commercial Liability
Insurance on a per occurrence basis, including coverage for owned and non-owned automobiles,
with a minimum combined single limit coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence for all damages
due to bodily injury, sickness or disease, or death to any person, and damage to property,
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including the loss of use thereof; and (b) Professional Liability Insurance (Errors & Omissions)
with a minimum coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence or claim, and $2,000,000 aggregate;
provided however, Professional Liability Insurance written on a claims made basis must comply
with the requirements set forth below. Professional Liability Insurance written on a claims made
basis (including without limitation the initial policy obtained and all subsequent policies
purchased as renewals or replacements) must show the retroactive date, and the retroactive date
must be before the earlier of the effective date of the contract or the beginning of the contract
work. Claims made Professional Liability Insurance must be maintained, and written evidence
of insurance must be provided, for at least five (5) years after the completion of the contract
work. If claims made coverage is canceled or non-renewed, and not replaced with another
claims-made policy form with a retroactive date prior to the earlier of the effective date of the
contract or the beginning of the contract work, CONSULTANT must purchase so called
“extended reporting” or “tail” coverage for a minimum of five (5) years after completion of
work, which must also show a retroactive date that is before the earlier of the effective date of
the contract or the beginning of the contract work. As a condition precedent to CITY’S
obligations under this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall furnish written evidence of such
coverage (naming CITY, its officers and employees as additional insureds on the Comprehensive
Liability insurance policy referred to in (a) immediately above via a specific endorsement) and
requiring thirty (30) days written notice of policy lapse or cancellation, or of a material change in
policy terms.
E. Assignment
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, neither this Agreement nor any duties or
obligations of CONSULTANT under this Agreement may be assigned or subcontracted by
CONSULTANT without the prior written consent of CITY, which CITY may withhold in its
sole and absolute discretion.
F. State and Federal Taxes
As CONSULTANT is not CITY’S employee, CONSULTANT shall be responsible for paying
all required state and federal taxes. Without limiting the foregoing, CONSULTANT
acknowledges and agrees that:
• CITY will not withhold FICA (Social Security) from CONSULTANT’S
payments;
• CITY will not make state or federal unemployment insurance contributions on
CONSULTANT’S behalf;
• CITY will not withhold state or federal income tax from payment to
CONSULTANT;
• CITY will not make disability insurance contributions on behalf of
CONSULTANT;
• CITY will not obtain workers’ compensation insurance on behalf of
CONSULTANT.
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ARTICLE 6. OBLIGATIONS OF CITY
A. Cooperation of City
CITY agrees to respond to all reasonable requests of CONSULTANT and provide access, at
reasonable times following receipt by CITY of reasonable notice, to all documents reasonably
necessary to the performance of CONSULTANT’S duties under this Agreement.
B. Assignment
CITY may assign this Agreement or any duties or obligations thereunder to a successor
governmental entity without the consent of CONSULTANT. Such assignment shall not release
CONSULTANT from any of CONSULTANT’S duties or obligations under this Agreement.
ARTICLE 7. TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT
A. Sale of Consultant’s Business/ Death of Consultant.
CONSULTANT shall notify CITY of the proposed sale of CONSULTANT’s business no later
than thirty (30) days prior to any such sale. CITY shall have the option of terminating this
Agreement within thirty (30) days after receiving such notice of sale. Any such CITY
termination pursuant to this Article 7.A shall be in writing and sent to the address for notices to
CONSULTANT set forth in Exhibit A, Subsection V.H., no later than thirty (30) days after
CITY’ receipt of such notice of sale.
If CONSULTANT is an individual, this Agreement shall be deemed automatically terminated
upon death of CONSULTANT.
B. Termination by City for Default of Consultant
Should CONSULTANT default in the performance of this Agreement or materially breach any
of its provisions, CITY, at CITY’S option, may terminate this Agreement by giving written
notification to CONSULTANT. For the purposes of this section, material breach of this
Agreement shall include, but not be limited to the following:
1. CONSULTANT’S failure to professionally and/or timely perform any of the
services contemplated by this Agreement.
2. CONSULTANT’S breach of any of its representations, warranties or covenants
contained in this Agreement.
CONSULTANT shall be entitled to payment only for work completed in accordance with the
terms of this Agreement through the date of the termination notice, as reasonably determined by
CITY, provided that such payment shall not exceed the amounts set forth in this Agreement for
the tasks described on Exhibit C” which have been fully, competently and timely rendered by
CONSULTANT. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if CITY terminates this Agreement due to
CONSULTANT’S default in the performance of this Agreement or material breach by
CONSULTANT of any of its provisions, then in addition to any other rights and remedies CITY
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may have, CONSULTANT shall reimburse CITY, within ten (10) days after demand, for any
and all costs and expenses incurred by CITY in order to complete the tasks constituting the scope
of work as described in this Agreement, to the extent such costs and expenses exceed the
amounts CITY would have been obligated to pay CONSULTANT for the performance of that
task pursuant to this Agreement.
C. Termination for Failure to Make Agreed-Upon Payments
Should CITY fail to pay CONSULTANT all or any part of the compensation set forth in Article
4 of this Agreement on the date due, then if and only if such nonpayment constitutes a default
under this Agreement, CONSULTANT, at the CONSULTANT’S option, may terminate this
Agreement if such default is not remedied by CITY within thirty (30) days after demand for such
payment is given by CONSULTANT to CITY.
D. Transition after Termination
Upon termination, CONSULTANT shall immediately stop work, unless cessation could
potentially cause any damage or harm to person or property, in which case CONSULTANT shall
cease such work as soon as it is safe to do so. CONSULTANT shall incur no further expenses in
connection with this Agreement. CONSULTANT shall promptly deliver to CITY all work done
toward completion of the services required hereunder, and shall act in such a manner as to
facilitate any the assumption of CONSULTANT’s duties by any new consultant hired by the
CITY to complete such services.
ARTICLE 8. GENERAL PROVISIONS
A. Amendment & Modification
No amendments, modifications, alterations or changes to the terms of this Agreement shall be
effective unless and until made in a writing signed by both parties hereto.
B. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Throughout the term of this Agreement, the CONSULTANT shall comply fully with all
applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“the Act”) in its current
form and as it may be amended from time to time. CONSULTANT shall also require such
compliance of all subcontractors performing work under this Agreement, subject to the
prohibition against assignment and subcontracting contained in Article 5 above. The
CONSULTANT shall defend with counsel acceptable to CITY, indemnify and hold harmless the
CITY OF GILROY, its officers, employees, agents and representatives from and against all suits,
claims, demands, damages, costs, causes of action, losses, liabilities, expenses and fees,
including without limitation reasonable attorneys’ fees, that may arise out of any violations of
the Act by the CONSULTANT, its subcontractors, or the officers, employees, agents or
representatives of either.
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C. Attorneys’ Fees
If any action at law or in equity, including an action for declaratory relief, is brought to enforce
or interpret the provisions of this Agreement, the prevailing party will be entitled to reasonable
attorneys’ fees, which may be set by the court in the same action or in a separate action brought
for that purpose, in addition to any other relief to which that party may be entitled.
D. Captions
The captions and headings of the various sections, paragraphs and subparagraphs of the
Agreement are for convenience only and shall not be considered nor referred to for resolving
questions of interpretation.
E. Compliance with Laws
The CONSULTANT shall keep itself informed of all State and National laws and all municipal
ordinances and regulations of the CITY which in any manner affect those engaged or employed
in the work, or the materials used in the work, or which in any way affect the conduct of the
work, and of all such orders and decrees of bodies or tribunals having any jurisdiction or
authority over the same. Without limiting the foregoing, CONSULTANT agrees to observe the
provisions of the Municipal Code of the CITY OF GILROY, obligating every contractor or
subcontractor under a contract or subcontract to the CITY OF GILROY for public works or for
goods or services to refrain from discriminatory employment or subcontracting practices on the
basis of the race, color, sex, religious creed, national origin, ancestry of any employee, applicant
for employment, or any potential subcontractor.
F. Conflict of Interest
CONSULTANT certifies that to the best of its knowledge, no CITY employee or office of any
public agency interested in this Agreement has any pecuniary interest in the business of
CONSULTANT and that no person associated with CONSULTANT has any interest that would
constitute a conflict of interest in any manner or degree as to the execution or performance of
this Agreement.
G. Entire Agreement
This Agreement supersedes any and all prior agreements, whether oral or written, between the
parties hereto with respect to the rendering of services by CONSULTANT for CITY and
contains all the covenants and agreements between the parties with respect to the rendering of
such services in any manner whatsoever. Each party to this Agreement acknowledges that no
representations, inducements, promises or agreements, orally or otherwise, have been made by
any party, or anyone acting on behalf of any party, which are not embodied herein, and that no
other agreement, statement or promise not contained in this Agreement shall be valid or binding.
No other agreements or conversation with any officer, agent or employee of CITY prior to
execution of this Agreement shall affect or modify any of the terms or obligations contained in
any documents comprising this Agreement. Such other agreements or conversations shall be
considered as unofficial information and in no way binding upon CITY.
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H. Governing Law and Venue
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of
California without regard to the conflict of laws provisions of any jurisdiction. The exclusive
jurisdiction and venue with respect to any and all disputes arising hereunder shall be in state and
federal courts located in Santa Clara County, California.
I. Notices
Any notice to be given hereunder by either party to the other may be effected either by personal
delivery in writing or by mail, registered or certified, postage prepaid with return receipt
requested. Mailed notices shall be addressed to the parties at the addresses appearing in
Exhibit “A”, Section V.H. but each party may change the address by written notice in
accordance with this paragraph. Notices delivered personally will be deemed delivered as of
actual receipt; mailed notices will be deemed delivered as of three (3) days after mailing.
J. Partial Invalidity
If any provision in this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void
or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will nevertheless continue in full force without being
impaired or invalidated in any way.
K. Time of the Essence
All dates and times referred to in this Agreement are of the essence.
L. Waiver
CONSULTANT agrees that waiver by CITY of any one or more of the conditions of
performance under this Agreement shall not be construed as waiver(s) of any other condition of
performance under this Agreement.
Executed at Gilroy, California, on the date and year first above written.
CONSULTANT: CITY:
CIRCLEPOINT, INC. CITY OF GILROY
By: By:
Name: Audrey Zagazeta Name: Jimmy Forbis
Title: President and CEO Title: City Administrator
Social Security or Taxpayer
Identification Number 94-3171809
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Approved as to Form ATTEST:
City Attorney City Clerk
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EXHIBIT “A”
SPECIFIC PROVISIONS
I. PROJECT MANAGER
CONSULTANT shall provide the services indicated on the attached Exhibit “B”, Scope of
Services (“Services”). (All exhibits referenced are incorporated herein by reference.) To
accomplish that end, CONSULTANT agrees to assign Andrew Metzger, who will act in the
capacity of Project Manager, and who will personally direct such Services.
Except as may be specified elsewhere in this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall furnish all
technical and professional services including labor, material, equipment, transportation,
supervision and expertise to perform all operations necessary and required to complete the
Services in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
II. NOTICE TO PROCEED/COMPLETION OF SERVICE
A. NOTICE TO PROCEED
CONSULTANT shall commence the Services upon delivery to CONSULTANT of a written
“Notice to Proceed”, which Notice to Proceed shall be in the form of a written communication
from designated City contact person(s). Notice to Proceed may be in the form of e-mail, fax or
letter authorizing commencement of the Services. For purposes of this Agreement, Cindy
McCormick shall be the designated City contact person(s). Notice to Proceed shall be deemed to
have been delivered upon actual receipt by CONSULTANT or if otherwise delivered as provided
in the Section V.H. (“Notices”) of this Exhibit “A”.
B. COMPLETION OF SERVICES
When CITY determines that CONSULTANT has completed all of the Services in accordance
with the terms of this Agreement, CITY shall give CONSULTANT written Notice of Final
Acceptance, and CONSULTANT shall not incur any further costs hereunder. CONSULTANT
may request this determination of completion when, in its opinion, it has completed all of the
Services as required by the terms of this Agreement and, if so requested, CITY shall make this
determination within two (2) weeks of such request, or if CITY determines that CONSULTANT
has not completed all of such Services as required by this Agreement, CITY shall so inform
CONSULTANT within this two (2) week period.
III. PROGRESS SCHEDULE
The schedule for performance and completion of the Services will be as set forth in the attached
Exhibit “C”.
IV. PAYMENT OF FEES AND DIRECT EXPENSES
Payments shall be made to CONSULTANT as provided for in Article 4 of this Agreement.
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Direct expenses are charges and fees not included in Exhibit “B”. CITY shall be obligated to
pay only for those direct expenses which have been previously approved in writing by CITY.
CONSULTANT shall obtain written approval from CITY prior to incurring or billing of direct
expenses.
Copies of pertinent financial records, including invoices, will be included with the submission of
billing(s) for all direct expenses.
V. OTHER PROVISIONS
A. STANDARD OF WORKMANSHIP
CONSULTANT represents and warrants that it has the qualifications, skills and licenses
necessary to perform the Services, and its duties and obligations, expressed and implied,
contained herein, and CITY expressly relies upon CONSULTANT’S representations and
warranties regarding its skills, qualifications and licenses. CONSULTANT shall perform such
Services and duties in conformance to and consistent with the standards generally recognized as
being employed by professionals in the same discipline in the State of California.
Any plans, designs, specifications, estimates, calculations, reports and other documents furnished
under this Agreement shall be of a quality acceptable to CITY. The minimum criteria for
acceptance shall be a product of neat appearance, well-organized, technically and grammatically
correct, checked and having the maker and checker identified. The minimum standard of
appearance, organization and content of the drawings shall be that used by CITY for similar
purposes.
B. RESPONSIBILITY OF CONSULTANT
CONSULTANT shall be responsible for the professional quality, technical accuracy, and the
coordination of the Services furnished by it under this Agreement. CONSULTANT shall not be
responsible for the accuracy of any project or technical information provided by the CITY. The
CITY’S review, acceptance or payment for any of the Services shall not be construed to operate
as a waiver of any rights under this Agreement or of any cause of action arising out of the
performance of this Agreement, and CONSULTANT shall be and remain liable to CITY in
accordance with applicable law for all damages to CITY caused by CONSULTANT’S negligent
performance of any of the services furnished under this Agreement.
C. RIGHT OF CITY TO INSPECT RECORDS OF CONSULTANT
CITY, through its authorized employees, representatives or agents, shall have the right, at any
and all reasonable times, to audit the books and records (including, but not limited to, invoices,
vouchers, canceled checks, time cards, etc.) of CONSULTANT for the purpose of verifying any
and all charges made by CONSULTANT in connection with this Agreement. CONSULTANT
shall maintain for a minimum period of three (3) years (from the date of final payment to
CONSULTANT), or for any longer period required by law, sufficient books and records in
accordance with standard California accounting practices to establish the correctness of all
charges submitted to CITY by CONSULTANT, all of which shall be made available to CITY at
the CITY’s offices within five (5) business days after CITY’s request.
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D. CONFIDENTIALITY OF MATERIAL
All ideas, memoranda, specifications, plans, manufacturing procedures, data (including, but not
limited to, computer data and source code), drawings, descriptions, documents, discussions or
other information developed or received by or for CONSULTANT and all other written and oral
information developed or received by or for CONSULTANT and all other written and oral
information submitted to CONSULTANT in connection with the performance of this Agreement
shall be held confidential by CONSULTANT and shall not, without the prior written consent of
CITY, be used for any purposes other than the performance of the Services, nor be disclosed to
an entity not connected with the performance of the such Services. Nothing furnished to
CONSULTANT which is otherwise known to CONSULTANT or is or becomes generally
known to the related industry (other than that which becomes generally known as the result of
CONSULTANT’S disclosure thereof) shall be deemed confidential. CONSULTANT shall not
use CITY’S name or insignia, or distribute publicity pertaining to the services rendered under
this Agreement in any magazine, trade paper, newspaper or other medium without the express
written consent of CITY.
E. NO PLEDGING OF CITY’S CREDIT.
Under no circumstances shall CONSULTANT have the authority or power to pledge the credit
of CITY or incur any obligation in the name of CITY.
F. OWNERSHIP OF MATERIAL.
All material including, but not limited to, computer information, data and source code, sketches,
tracings, drawings, plans, diagrams, quantities, estimates, specifications, proposals, tests, maps,
calculations, photographs, reports and other material developed, collected, prepared (or caused to
be prepared) under this Agreement shall be the property of CITY, but CONSULTANT may
retain and use copies thereof subject to Section V.D of this Exhibit “A”.
CITY shall not be limited in any way in its use of said material at any time for any work,
whether or not associated with the City project for which the Services are performed. However,
CONSULTANT shall not be responsible for, and City shall indemnify CONSULTANT from,
damages resulting from the use of said material for work other than PROJECT, including, but
not limited to, the release of this material to third parties for work other than on PROJECT.
G. NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARY.
This Agreement shall not be construed or deemed to be an agreement for the benefit of any third
party or parties, and no third party or parties shall have any claim or right of action hereunder for
any cause whatsoever.
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H. NOTICES.
Notices are to be sent as follows:
CITY: Cindy McCormick
City of Gilroy
7351 Rosanna Street
Gilroy, CA 95020
CONSULTANT: Andrew Metzger
Circlepoint, Inc.
42 South First Street, Suite D
San Jose, CA 95113
I. FEDERAL FUNDING REQUIREMENTS.
If the box to the left of this sentence is checked, this Agreement involves federal
funding and the requirements of this Section V.I. apply.
If the box to the left of this sentence is checked, this Agreement does not involve
federal funding and the requirements of this Section V.I. do not apply.
1. DBE Program
CONSULTANT shall comply with the requirements of Title 49, Part 26, Code of Federal
Regulations (49 CFR 26) and the City-adopted Disadvantaged Business Enterprise programs.
2. Cost Principles
Federal Acquisition Regulations in Title 48, CFR 31, shall be used to determine the allowable
cost for individual items.
3. Covenant against Contingent Fees
The CONSULTANT warrants that he/she has not employed or retained any company or person,
other than a bona fide employee working for the CONSULTANT, to solicit or secure this
Agreement, and that he/she has not paid or agreed to pay any company or person, other than a
bona fide employee, any fee, commission, percentage, brokerage fee, gift or any other
consideration, contingent upon or resulting from the award or formation of this Agreement. For
breach or violation of this warranty, the Local Agency shall have the right to annul this
Agreement without liability or, at its discretion, to deduct from the agreement price or
consideration, or otherwise recover, the full amount of such fee, commission, percentage,
brokerage fee, gift or contingent fee.
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EXHIBIT “B”
SCOPE OF SERVICES
Attached
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Exhibit B—Scope of Work
EXHIBIT B—SCOPE OF WORK
Thank you for this exciting opportunity to work with the City of Gilroy (City). We are pleased to provide this
proposal, which outlines Circlepoint’s approach to preparing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Gilroy
Data Center (project) proposed by Amazon Data Services (the Applicant).
PROJECT UNDERSTANDING
Circlepoint understands that the project will consist of the following components to be constructed in two
phases:
• Two data center buildings and one security building totaling approximately 438,500 square feet;
• Backup generating facilities to provide electricity to critical data center operations in the event of a loss of
utility power;
• Two battery energy storage systems;
• A new substation/switchyard and a double circuit transmission upgrade;
• A new recycled water pipeline;
• Ancillary utility infrastructure for connection to existing stormwater and potable water pipelines;
• Security fencing;
• General Site Grading, Stormwater and Landscaping.
Phase I will be a traditional data center set up, requiring the use of diesel-powered backup generators. Circlepoint
understands that the Applicant is committed to Tier-4 compliant backup generators, as required by the Bay Area
Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD). Phase II will utilize an emerging technology to provide backup energy
in the event of a power failure. Given that Phase I will have a maximum electrical demand of 49 MW and Phase II
would leverage an alternative energy supply instead of diesel generators, the California Energy Commission (CEC)
would not have jurisdiction over the project. Therefore, the project is not required to seek a Small Power Plant
Exemption (SPPE) from CEC’s jurisdiction, and the project can follow the normal CEQA clearance process at the
local level.
The project will require water for cooling when outside air temperatures exceed 83 degrees F. The data center
will be designed to use recycled water provided by the City of Gilroy, once available, and a potable water
connection will serve as a back-up source to the recycled water supply. Given the level of water demand required
for the project, both potable and recycled, it is critical that the availability of water resources to meet project
demand is adequately analyzed.
The project site’s former use for agricultural production indicates that vehicle miles traveled (VMT) generated
from construction and operations of the project would be considered net new to the project site. The project is
expected to include 25 employees to operate the data center and 37 employees to assemble the data equipment.
Circlepoint will use the peer-reviewed VMT analysis to carefully consider impacts.
APPROACH
process and environmental document as clear and straightforward as possible, so the general public and
agencies understand the process, analysis, and issues being addressed.
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Exhibit B—Scope of Work
Based on the Request for Proposal (RFP) Letter provided by the City, Circlepoint understands that the City
envisions preparing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that conservatively assesses the potential impacts of
the project. While other less robust environmental document options (such as an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative
Declaration) may also be feasible, Circlepoint agrees with the City’s preferred approach because an EIR will allow
maximum public and agency involvement and be more legally defensible in the event of a challenge. Circlepoint
anticipates that the project will face the greatest scrutiny surrounding impacts associated with water supply and
operation, and noise introduced to the project site. Strong project management will be required to execute the
preparation of a timely and meticulous document that will withstand legal and public scrutiny with regards to
these topics. This requires experience and the right skills which Circlepoint possesses based on our extensive
history working on data centers in Santa Clara, San José, and Los Angeles.
opportunities for environmental streamlining. The EIR could address topics such as Mineral Resources,
the CEQA Guidelines Section 15128.
Circlepoint understands the Applicant has submitted a detailed project description that includes a “mitigation
incorporated into the project design” approach. This approach is common within the CEC’s SPPE process, but
presents legal concerns from a local agency CEQA perspective (such as Lotus v. Department of Transportation
(223 Cal. App. 4th 645)). Circlepoint will work closely with the City to review the applicable standard conditions of
approval along with existing local, regional, state, and federal policies and best practices that could support the
use of some Applicant-provided measures as “project features.” Circlepoint will apply our robust understanding
impacts and discloses necessary mitigation.
QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL PROCESS
Circlepoint’s quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) process ensures the continuing integrity and quality of all
services and deliverables. Our QA/QC process includes senior review responsibilities for both the Project
Manager and the Principal-in-Charge. The Project Manager directs and reviews project team work on deliverables
products before a work product is delivered to a client or printer. The following table summarizes the
management structure that Circlepoint uses to ensure the quality of every document we produce.
ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES
Principal-in-Charge • Overall quality control and quality assurance of all work products
Project Manager • Primary client contact
• Oversees document preparation and coordination with technical subconsultants
• Provides intermediate QA review and technical editing prior to PIC review
Senior Associate • Secondary client contact, often acting in a Deputy Project Manager capacity
• Coordinates information requests, delivery schedules, and day-to-day
communication with technical consultant
• Lead reviewer and proofreader for most documents
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Exhibit B—Scope of Work
ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES
Associate / Assistant • Authorship of individual document sections
• Research for document sections not covered by a technical report
• Technical editing / formatting / production of all work products
Coordinator / Graphics • Preparation of graphics and maps
WORK PLAN
TASK 1: KICKOFF AND MEETINGS
anticipates attendance at the following meetings:
•
• Twenty four (24) Bi-weekly Check In Meetings with City (Based on anticipated project schedule)
•
TASK 2: SCOPING MEETING AND NOTICE OF PREPARATION
Circlepoint will prepare a Notice of Preparation (NOP) to inform the public and applicable stakeholders that
environmental documentation is being prepared for the project. Consistent with Section 15082 of the CEQA
Guidelines, the NOP materials shall include a description of the project, the location of the project, and probable
impacts are anticipated, such as mineral and forestry resources. Following distribution of the NOP, Circlepoint will
work closely with the City to facilitate a Public Scoping Meeting and provide recommendations in meeting
response to the Public Scoping Meeting and the NOP and strategize with the City on incorporating these “known
issues” into the EIR.
TASK 3: PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Circlepoint will prepare and submit a project description for City review and approval. Circlepoint will build upon
the project description prepared by the Applicant and ensure it meets the requirements of CEQA Guidelines
Section 15124. Circlepoint anticipates that the existing project description contains the majority of information
needed for CEQA analysis. Circlepoint will revise the project description in response to one round of comments
from the City. Circlepoint will utilize the following background materials (to be provided by the City/Applicant) to
complete the project description:
• Preliminary geotechnical feasibility report
•
systems
• Commissioning test details (duration, number of generators) and maintenance testing plan
•
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Exhibit B—Scope of Work
• Utility “will-serve” letters for electrical and water utilities and/or supply assessments if required by the City or
utility provider
• Total anticipated power consumption (average, daily or annual)
• Total daily water demand ; can be prorated from annual demand
• Sanitary sewer capacity study, if required by City
• Arborist report, if required by City
• Construction assumptions, including duration, phasing, construction start and end months, and review of
construction equipment list
Key Deliverable: Project Description
TASK 4: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Circlepoint will provide ongoing project management throughout the environmental review process including
maintain a project schedule and provide regular updates to the City. Circlepoint will also prepare monthly
progress reports to accompany monthly invoices containing the following information: the beginning and ending
dates of the billing period; budget summary including budget spent to date and budget remaining; and a Task
Summary for each work task, containing the name of the person doing the work, the hours spent by each person,
and a brief description of the work.
TASK 5: TECHNICAL STUDIES
Based on the background materials provided with the City’s RFP, Circlepoint understands that the Applicant has
provided several background documents for consideration including aesthetics, biological resources, cultural
resources, geology and soils, land use, mineral resources, public services, recreation, hazardous materials,
prepared by the Applicant and/or City:
• Air Quality Impact Assessment
• Natural Resources Memorandum
• Archaeological Literature Search
• Geotechnical Desktop Review
• Geotechnical Considerations Report
• Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
• Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
• Environmental Noise & Vibration Assessment
• Environmental Noise & Vibration Assessment Addendum
• Transportation Attachments, VMT Analysis, including Peer Review of VMT Assessment
• California Energy Commission Tribal Outreach Letters
• City of Gilroy Assessment of Water Supply
• Arborist Report
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Exhibit B—Scope of Work
Circlepoint will conduct a gap analysis to ensure each of these technical studies provides the information
necessary to support and complete the EIR per CEQA guidelines. If additional technical analysis is required,
Circlepoint will coordinate with the City to strategize on the best course of action. Additional studies would
require an amendment to this scope and fee. We assume all reports listed above will be provided to Circlepoint in
a format acceptable for use in supporting a CEQA document and can be publicly circulated.
TASK 6: DRAFT EIR
Circlepoint will prepare a Draft EIR consistent with CEQA Guidelines Article 9. The Draft EIR will meet all City
standards for content and formatting.
Task 6.1: Administrative Draft EIR
The background materials provided with the City’s RFP Letter included CEQA-related documents which assess and
analyze project impacts for a number of resources. Circlepoint will rely upon the analysis already prepared to the
prepare the setting, impacts, and mitigation discussions for each environmental topic area set forth in Appendix
G of the CEQA Guidelines. Circlepoint will prepare a summary of existing conditions, pertinent regulations, and a
description of the regional setting, placing special emphasis on any rare or unique environmental resources in
the project area. Circlepoint will review and reference relevant policies and regulations from the City’s General
Plan and Zoning Code, and other documents required for the analysis as applicable. The EIR will also include an
analysis of alternatives to the project, an assessment of cumulative impacts associated with the project, and a
description of comments received during the scoping period. Circlepoint assumes that up to three alternatives
will be evaluated in the EIR, including (for example) a reduced development alternative, a reduced backup electric
generation alternative, and/or a backup electric generation technology alternative. For the cumulative impacts
analysis, Circlepoint will use the City’s General Plan as a guide for reasonably foreseeable projects in the
surrounding area.
Circlepoint will prepare a draft mitigation monitoring and reporting program (MMRP) to be submitted with the
Administrative Draft EIR for City review. The draft MMRP will develop and present feasible mitigation for
monitoring each mitigation measure, and identify monitoring triggers and reporting frequency for each measure.
The Administrative Draft and MMRP will be provided in electronic formats to the City.
Key Deliverables: Administrative Draft EIR, draft MMRP
Task 6.2: Screencheck Draft EIR
Circlepoint will then provide clean, compiled PDF and MS Word versions of the screencheck draft EIR to verify that
Key Deliverables: Second Administrative Draft EIR, Screencheck Draft EIR.
Task 6.3: Public Draft EIR
comments and submit web-ready versions of the EIR and all associated appendices. Hardcopies of the EIR can
be provided on a time and materials basis, if requested by the City. Circlepoint will also prepare the combined
Notice of Availability/Release and a Notice of Completion in accordance with Section 15087 of the CEQA
Guidelines, and provide advice as needed to the City regarding distribution of the Draft EIR pursuant to CEQA
and City review procedures. Consistent with Section 15087, notice availability of the Draft EIR will be published
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Exhibit B—Scope of Work
project is to be located, and mailed to the owners and occupants of property contiguous to the parcel or
parcels on which the project is located.
The Draft EIR will be circulated for a minimum of 45 days. While public hearings are not required as an element of
the CEQA process, they are encouraged to facilitate the public commenting process and address known issues of
the project. Circlepoint recommends that the City hold a public hearing during the circulation period given the
anticipated public controversy surrounding the project. This scope includes a public hearing as an optional task.
OPTIONAL TASK: Public Hearing
Key Deliverables: Draft EIR, NOA, NOC
TASK 7: FINAL EIR
Task 7.1: Response to Public Comments
Circlepoint will prepare written responses to comments on the Draft EIR following the public review period.
Circlepoint assumes the City will provide copies of all written comments. Should the City decide to advance with
the public hearing, which is included in this scope as an optional task, Circlepoint will assist the City in recording
written and verbal comments at the hearing. Circlepoint will compile all comments with alpha-numeric codings
close of the comment period to discuss the best approach, which may include the use of master responses to
facilitate the response to similar or repeated comments. Comment responses will be incorporated to the Final EIR
for the City’s review.
Circlepoint hours listed in the proposed budget for responses to comments are an allowance. If an unusually
large volume of comments are received (over 15 distinct comment letters), Circlepoint will confer with the City to
determine an appropriate path forward. The scope and budget also assumes responses do not require
substantial additional research, analysis, or meetings with commenters.
Task 7.2: Final EIR
Circlepoint will prepare a Final EIR which includes responses to all public comments received during the
circulation period. Consistent with Section 15132 of the CEQA Guidelines, the Final EIR will comprise the following
elements:
• Project Description
• A Summary of the Environmental Process
•
• Responses to Comments, including a list of persons, organizations, and public agencies commenting on the
draft EIR; the comments received, and the City’s responses to each comment
• An Erratum to address any necessary changes to the Draft EIR that may result from public comments
• Appendices (as needed)
Based on up to two (2) sets of consolidated comments from the City, Circlepoint will revise the responses to
Key Deliverables: Response to Public Comments, Final EIR.
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Exhibit B—Scope of Work
ASSUMPTIONS
The following assumptions apply to this project:
Circlepoint anticipates responding to three (3) rounds of revisions from the City on the EIR including two (2)
administrative drafts and one (1) screencheck draft prior to publication.
Comments on draft documents will be provided to Circlepoint electronically using Microsoft Word’s Track
All submittals will be conducted electronically (PDF and Microsoft Word versions). Electronic versions will
be provided in both word and pdf format. Additional hard copies and electronic versions can be provided
upon request by the City.
Circlepoint assumes that all edits and revisions between the Draft and Final EIR would be minor in nature,
the Draft EIR may need to be recirculated pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15088.5.
distribution for the Public Scoping Meeting. Should the City request additional support in this task, this can
be addressed in coordination with the City and the preparation of a scope addendum.
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EXHIBIT “C”
MILESTONE SCHEDULE
Attached
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Exhibit C—Milestone Schedule
EXHIBIT C—MILESTONE SCHEDULE
The Circlepoint team will initiate work on this project upon contract execution. Background research, site visits,
and reporting will commence immediately. The completion of the EIR process typically takes 10 to 12 months,
depending on the City’s review time.
MILESTONE ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE
Mid-to-Late June, 2022
Receipt of Requested Data Early July, 2022
Submittal of Draft Project Description Late July, 2022
City Comments on Draft Project Description Mid-to-Late August, 2022
Finalization of Project Description August/September, 2022
Technical Reports Gap Analysis September, 2022
NOP Preparation September/October, 2022
City Reviews NOP materials Early-To-Mid October, 2022
Scoping Meeting Early November, 2022
Compilation of NOP Comments to be included in EIR Late November, 2022
Submittal of Administrative Draft EIR December, 2022
City Provides Comments on Administrative Draft EIR January 2023
Submittal of Second Administrative Draft EIR January/February, 2023
City Provides Comments on Second Administrative Draft EIR
(3 week review)
February, 2023
Submittal of Screencheck Draft EIR March, 2023
Public Circulation of Draft EIR March, 2023
Public Meetings (Optional) April, 2023
Meeting with City to discuss Public Comments received May, 2023
Submittal of First Draft of Final EIR May, 2023
City Review Provides Comments on First Draft of Final EIR
(3 week review)
June, 2023
Submittal of Final EIR June/July, 2023
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EXHIBIT “D”
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
Attached
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Exhibit D—Payment Schedule
EXHIBIT D—PAYMENT SCHEDULE
Circlepoint would complete the tasks described above for a not-to-exceed fee of $158,988.
M5528 Gilroy AWS Data Center
Tasks Principal
Comms
Sr. PM PM Sr. Assoc Associate
Assistant /
Coordinator
Sr. Web/
Graphics
Rates 252$ 197$ 173$ 138$ 118$ 103$ 144$
Task 1 Kickoff, Project Description, and other Meetings
1.1 Kick Off Meeting 1 - 4 3 - - 8 1,244.00$
1.2 Bi-Weekly Check In Meetings - - 24 24 - - - 48 7,464.00$
1.3 Planning Comissions/City Council Meetings 4 - 27 6 - - 37 6,570.00$
Subtotal Task 1 Kickoff, Project Description, a 5 - 55 33 - - - 93 15,278.00$
Task 2 Public Scoping and NOP
2.1 Public Scoping Meeting 1 4 2 2 8 2 19 2,608.00$
2.2 NOP materials 1 6 7 8 - 20 2,912.00$
Subtotal Task 2 Public Scoping and NOP 1 - 6 7 8 - - 39 5,520.00$
Task 3 Project Description
3.1 Project Description 2 - 10 8 8 6 - 34 4,878.00$
Subtotal Task 3 Project Description 2 - 10 8 8 6 - 34 4,878.00$
Task 4 Project Management
4.1 Project Management and Coordination 8 18 72 18 - - - 116 20,540.00$
Subtotal Task 4 Project Management 8 18 72 18 - - - 116 20,540.00$
Task 5 Technical Studies
5.1 Gap Analysis 4 - 20 18 15 - 57 8,580.00$
Subtotal Task 5 Technical Studies 4 - 20 18 15 - - 57 8,580.00$
Task 6 Admin Draft EIR
6.1 Admin Draft EIR 10 - 40 85 92 100 - 327 42,270.00$
6.2 Screencheck Draft EIR 4 - 20 30 40 50 - 144 18,500.00$
6.3 Public Draft EIR 4 - 20 28 38 38 - 126 16,440.00$
Subtotal Task 6 Admin Draft EIR 18 - 80 142 170 188 - 597 77,210.00$
Task 7 Final EIR
7.1 Response to Public Comments and Final EIR 2 - 20 20 22 22 - 85 11,386.00$
7.2 Final EIR 4 10 12 12 14 52 7,126.00$
Subtotal Task 7 Final EIR 2 - 20 20 22 22 - 137 18,512.00$
Labor Subtotal 37 18 257 240 215 216 - 1,072 150,518.00$
Labor Contingency -$
Total Labor 150,518.00$
ODCs
Travel 500.00$
Scoping Meeting (Printing, Materials, Misc)1,000.00$
Notification Mailer (NOA)5,000.00$
Display Ad Placement 1,200.00$
-$
-$
-$
-$
Subtotal ODCs 7,700.00$
10.0% Mark-Up on ODCs 770.00$
Total ODCs 8,470.00$
TOTAL 158,988.00$
Assumptions
Rates are effective through December 31, 2022 and are subject to annual escalation
Please see scope of work for detailed assumptions
Total
Hours
Total
Dollars
Circlepoint Budget
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Page 1 of 1
City of Gilroy
STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item Title:Claim of Jesus Diaz Chavez (The City Administrator
recommends a "yes" vote under the Consent
Calendar shall constitute denial of the claim)
Meeting Date:November 4, 2024
From:Jimmy Forbis, City Administrator
Department:Administrative Services
Submitted By:LeeAnn McPhillips, Administrative Services and Human
Resources Director / Risk Manager
Prepared By:LeeAnn McPhillips, Administrative Services and Human
Resources Director / Risk Manager
STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS Not Applicable
RECOMMENDATION
Based on the recommendation from Municipal Pooling Authority (MPA) and/or legal
counsel, this claim is recommended for rejection.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Based on the recommendation from Municipal Pooling Authority (MPA) and/or legal
counsel, the following claim is submitted to the City Council for rejection at the
November 4, 2024 meeting:
• Claim of Jesus Diaz Chavez
Attachments:
1. Claim of Jesus Diaz Chavez
6.4
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6.4
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6.4
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Page 1 of 1
City of Gilroy
STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item Title:Claim of Roberto Patricio Justor (The City
Administrator recommends a "yes" vote under the
Consent Calendar shall constitute denial of the claim)
Meeting Date:November 4, 2024
From:Jimmy Forbis, City Administrator
Department:Administrative Services
Submitted By:LeeAnn McPhillips, Administrative Services and Human
Resources Director / Risk Manager
Prepared By:LeeAnn McPhillips, Administrative Services and Human
Resources Director / Risk Manager
STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS Not Applicable
RECOMMENDATION
Based on the recommendation from Municipal Pooling Authority (MPA) and/or legal
counsel, this claim is recommended for rejection.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Based on the recommendation from Municipal Pooling Authority (MPA) and/or legal
counsel, the following claim is submitted to the City Council for rejection at the
November 4, 2024 meeting:
• Claim of Roberto Patricio Justor
Attachments:
1. Claim of Roberto Patricio Justor
6.5
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6.5
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6.5
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Page 1 of 3
City of Gilroy
STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item Title:Approval of a Notice of Acceptance of Completion for
the FY23 Citywide Pavement Rehabilitation Project
No. 23-PW-278 and Approval of a Final Contract with
Teichert Construction in the Amount of $5,977,011.86
Meeting Date:November 4, 2024
From:Jimmy Forbis, City Administrator
Department:Public Works
Submitted By:Daniel Padilla, City Engineer
Prepared By:Julie Oates, Engineer II
STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS Maintain and Improve City Infrastructure
RECOMMENDATION
a) Approve a Notice of Acceptance of Completion for the FY23 Citywide Pavement
Rehabilitation Project No. 23-PW-278.
b) Approve a final contract in the amount of $5,977,011.86 with Teichert Construction
for the FY23 Citywide Pavement Rehabilitation Project No. 23-PW-278.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Public Works Department has completed construction of the FY23 Citywide
Pavement Rehabilitation Project (Project) and has reviewed and approved all Project
documentation. The Project scope of work included preventive maintenance and
rehabilitation of 119 street segments, installation of 57 ADA-compliant curb ramps,
pavement striping and markings, and associated work. The street segments were
selected based on the City’s Pavement Management Program, StreetSaver, which
evaluates and prioritizes maintenance of the City’s overall road network. Staff also
received feedback from Public Works street maintenance crews.
Staff recommends the City Council approve the Notice of Acceptance of Completion
9.1
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Approval of a Notice of Acceptance of Completion for the FY23 Citywide Pavement
Rehabilitation Project No. 23-PW-278 and Approval of a Final Contract with Teichert Construction
in the Amount of $5,977,011.86
City of Gilroy City Council Page 2 of 3 November 4, 20241
7
8
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and approve a final contract in the amount of $5,977,011.86 with Teichert Construction
for the FY23 Citywide Pavement Rehabilitation Project No. 23-PW-278.
BACKGROUND
The City of Gilroy Fiscal Year 2024 to Fiscal Year 2028 Capital Improvement Program
(FY24-FY28 CIP) was adopted by the City Council on June 5, 2023. The FY23 Citywide
Pavement Rehabilitation Project is included in the FY24-FY28 CIP as Project #800060.
On May 1, 2023, the City Council awarded a construction contract for the Project to
Teichert Construction in the amount of $6,080,374.35 with a project contingency of
$608,037.65 (10%) for a total construction allocation of $6,688,413.00 and authorized
the City Administrator to execute the contract and associated documents.
ANALYSIS
The Project scope of work included preventive maintenance and rehabilitation of 119
street segments, installation of 57 ADA-compliant curb ramps, pavement striping and
markings, and associated work. The Project’s total construction change orders resulted
in a net decrease of $103,362.49 to the contract amount.
The original construction schedule for the Project was May 31, 2023 to October 5, 2023.
The contractor reported the work as complete in September 2023. However, based on
the City’s inspection of the slurry seal work, the contractor was required to perform
repairs on 39 street segments. Repair work began in November 2023. The repair work
was subsequently suspended due to inclement weather conditions. Repair work
resumed in July 2024 and the City deemed the Project Substantially Complete on
August 1, 2024. Project documentation has been completed and all punch list items
have been addressed by the contractor.
Staff recommends the City Council approve the Notice of Acceptance of Completion
and the final contract in the amount of $5,977,011.86 with Teichert Construction for the
FY23 Citywide Pavement Rehabilitation Project No. 23-PW-278.
FISCAL IMPACT/FUNDING SOURCE
The Project’s final construction cost was $5,977,011.86. The Project was under budget
by $103,362.49. In addition, the $608,037.65 in contingency funds that were allocated
to the Project were not used. It is recommended that the savings from this FY23 project
be allocated to expand the City’s FY25 Citywide Pavement Rehabilitation Project, which
is currently under development. Staff will bring forward the recommendation as part of
the comprehensive mid-cycle budget adjustments report at the November 18 City
Council meeting. The Project’s funding sources are summarized below.
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Approval of a Notice of Acceptance of Completion for the FY23 Citywide Pavement
Rehabilitation Project No. 23-PW-278 and Approval of a Final Contract with Teichert Construction
in the Amount of $5,977,011.86
City of Gilroy City Council Page 3 of 3 November 4, 20241
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Funding Source Amount
Gas Taxes (205)$2,887,660.00
Road Funds SB1 (210)$1,300,752.00
Measure B (212)$900,000.00
General Fund (100)$888,599.86
Total $5,977,011.86
Attachments:
1. 23-PW-278 NOC
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Page 1 of 3
City of Gilroy
STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item Title:Zoning Ordinance Update Progress Report
Meeting Date:November 4, 2024
From:Jimmy Forbis, City Administrator
Department:Community Development
Submitted By:Sharon Goei, Community Development Director
Prepared By:Cindy McCormick, Planning Manager
STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS Not Applicable
RECOMMENDATION
Receive the staff report and provide feedback.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Gilroy Planning Division of the Community Development Department is drafting
amendments for a comprehensive update to Gilroy City Code, Chapter 30 (Zoning
Ordinance). The City has traditionally completed a comprehensive code update
following adoption of a new General Plan. For example, in November 2003 the City
Council adopted a comprehensive update to the entire Zoning Ordinance following
adoption of the 2020 General Plan in June 2002. In addition to minor amendments
following the 2003 update, a major update was completed in 2013, followed by minor
amendments between 2013 and 2024, to primarily address state legislation that
affected City regulations (e.g., Accessory Dwelling Units).
The Gilroy 2040 General Plan was adopted in November 2020 and a comprehensive
Zoning Ordinance update is being proposed.
Given the length and complexity of the Zoning Ordinance, the draft will be developed
and presented to the general public, the Planning Commission, and the City Council,
over a series of public meetings. It is anticipated that the public review process will take
approximately nine months, followed by a recommendation by the Planning
Commission in late summer / early fall 2025. During this time, staff will also be hosting
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Zoning Ordinance Update Progress Report
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community meetings for public feedback on the more substantive sections of the Zoning
Ordinance, including, for example, downtown uses and development standards. Staff
will incorporate feedback from the Planning Commission and the public into a
comprehensive draft that is anticipated to be presented to the City Council during the
last quarter of the 2025 calendar year. In the meantime, staff will provide the City
Council with periodic updates on the Zoning Ordinance update progress, including links
to the draft sections of code that the Planning Commission has reviewed.
BACKGROUND
On September 5, 2024, Planning staff provided an introduction of the update to the
public and the Planning Commission. To date, the Planning Commission has reviewed
the following preliminary drafts: Enactment and Administration, Non-Conforming Uses
and Structures, and Application Procedures. The following drafts will be reviewed in the
next few meetings: Architectural and Site Review, Conditional Use Permits, Minor Use
Permits, Temporary Use Permits, and Variances and Minor Deviation Permits. Because
the Zoning Ordinance will have a completely new format, it is not possible to provide
track changes. However, staff is providing a summary of the changes during each
Planning Commission meeting (e.g., Section 30.1.030 [Application of the Zoning
Ordinance] can now be found in Section 30.10.050 [Applicability]). When new provisions
or substantive changes are proposed, these will be noted in the summary document for
discussion at the public meeting.
ANALYSIS
While the General Plan sets forth a wide-ranging and long-term vision for the City, the
Zoning Ordinance is the primary tool used to implement General Plan goals and
policies, through guidance and regulation of land use development. The current Zoning
Ordinance lacks regulations for new General Plan land uses including the new City
Gateway District, Industrial Park, Employment Center and Mixed-Use districts. The
update is also intended to implement community goals identified in the General Plan,
including but not limited to ensuring orderly development and land use compatibility,
housing needs, employment needs, recreational opportunities, commercial growth, and
downtown revitalization.
The update will also address noise impacting residential properties and drive-throughs
near residential areas.
In addition to addressing new land uses and policies adopted under the new General
Plan, the update is intended to be responsive to needs identified by the Planning
Division in their daily interactions with residents and businesses. For example, new
provisions in the Temporary Use Permit Division will allow existing businesses to
expand while applying for planning and building permits. The City’s current regulations
generally restrict temporary uses to 30 or fewer days.
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The update will also include a new format intended to make the Zoning Ordinance more
user-friendly by adding subtitles for easy navigation, clarifying or revising language to
limit misinterpretation and adding figures to better depict standards. The new Zoning
Ordinance will also provide more transparency to the public regarding how City staff and
decision makers process and make decisions on development applications.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
On September 12, 2024, the City advertised the zoning update in the Gilroy Dispatch. A
dedicated website https://www.cityofgilroy.org/1004/Zoning-Code-Update has also been
created and will be updated as new preliminary drafts are developed and reviewed by
the Planning Commission. Staff also intends to conduct more extensive outreach to the
business community, residential stakeholders, and other stakeholders who must comply
with the Zoning Code (e.g., development standards and downtown uses). These
community meetings will most likely be virtual to supplement the in-person meetings
being held by the Planning Commission.
NEXT STEPS
In addition to the planning permit drafts linked in the background section, the Planning
Commission will review the remaining planning permit drafts, including but not limited to
Historic Resource Permits and Planned Development Permits. Future meetings will
introduce preliminary drafts of the more substantive sections of the Zoning Ordinance,
including definitions; zoning districts, allowed uses, and development standards;
standards applicable to all zones (e.g., noise standards); and standards for specific land
uses (e.g., drive-through facilities). Once all preliminary drafts have been reviewed and
revised pursuant to Planning Commission direction, a comprehensive draft of the entire
ordinance will be brought back to the Commission for a recommendation to the City
Council. In the meantime, staff will provide the City Council with periodic updates on the
Zoning Ordinance update progress.
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