Fire Safety in Belmont
City Council Meeting
December 3, 2024
It’s Always Fire Season in California
INTERVAL WILDLAND FIRES ACRES
2024 Combined YTD
(CALFIRE & US Forest
Service)
7,636 1,039,892
2023 Combined YTD
(CALFIRE & US Forest
Service)
6,376 308,958
5-Year Average (same
interval) 7,201 1,284,584
CALIFORNIA TOTAL WILDLAND FIRE STATS YTD - As of November 15, 2024 Source: https://www.fire.ca.gov/our-impact/statistics
VISION
GOALS
Rain (statewide: 141% of average in 2023)
• Keeps fire danger low in the short term)
• Promotes new plant growth
• Not all new growth is good
Heat (record temps in July 2024)
• Reduces fuel growth
• Reduces moisture content
Rain vs Heat in 2024
Increased fire danger
Increased fire intensity
VISION
GOALS
City of Belmont and SMC Fire
City of Belmont
- Oversees 300+ acres of open space
- Vegetation Management and Fuel Reduction in open space - Tree removal permitting
- private property => Parks & Recreation Dept
- in conjunction with development => Community Development San Mateo Consolidated Fire (SMC Fire)
- 9 stations – San Mateo, Belmont, Foster City
- Service area of approx. 40 square miles.
- Responds to over 13,500 emergency calls for service a year, - Over 60 percent of calls are emergency medical incidents (SMC Fire, 2023).
- SMC Fire participates in a Joint Powers Agreement whereby the closest apparatus of the participating cities responds to each call (SMC Fire, 2018).
What Are We Doing/ What Can We Do?
City of Belmont SMC Fire Residents
Fuel reduction/
Vegetation
Management projects
- Cal Fire Crews
- Grant Funded
projects
Inspections of
properties adjacent to
open space
Home hardening
Community chipping
program
Consequences for
non-compliance
Create defensible
space
Trail/ Park closures
during high heat/ red
flag days
Multi-agency fire
response
Fire resistant
landscaping
Education/ outreach Education/ outreach Create a Firewise Community
Tree Ordinance Know Your Zone
Fuel Reduction/ Hazard Mitigation Work
Grants received for fuel reduction/ vegetation management along emergency access roads in open space
Fuel Reduction Treatment Plan Describes scope and methods of work Describes process for managing sensitive habitats
Education and outreach
Collaboration with Fire Safe San Mateo County for selective tree removal and fuel reduction in non-open space areas Coordination with other City projects
Residential chipping program - expanded to properties west of Alameda de las Pulgas
2025 Chipping Program
2025 Chipping Program
SMC Fire Inspections
Letter to homes adjacent to open space
Site visit by SMC Fire personnel
Recommendations for action are discussed with homeowner OR letter left advising of inspection and action required Follow up visit to verify compliance
If no action by homeowner, SMC Fire may act, at resident’s expense
Be Prepared
• Plan evacuation route(s)
• Plan for your pets
• Keep supplies in your car
• Plan for power outage
• Sign up for SMC alerts (email, cell phones and landlines) • Know your Zone: Genasys (aka Zonehaven)
www.project.genasys.com/search
Homeowner Resources
Be proactive!
• Follow recommendations re: home
hardening, defensible space, etc.
More information at
www.readyforwildfire.org
• Confirm that any assessment was
done based on current, correct
information
• Resource for insurance assistance:
www.uphelp.org
• Resource for Firewise Community:
www.nfpa.org
Takeaways
• It’s always fire season
• Fire knows no boundaries
• The time to prepare is
NOW
Thank you!
belmont.gov