TO: HO NORABLE MAYOR AND FROM: Robert Sapien, Jr.
CITY COUNCIL
S
UBJECT: Study Session: 2025 San José DATE: May 2, 2025 Wildfire Planning and
Preparedness
Approved Date
5/ 8/25
S
UMMARY AND O UTCOME
To pr
ovide the Mayor and City Council with an overview of current City efforts to reduce wildfire risk with particular focus on wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas, including the Almaden Valley and Eastern foothills, and to facilitate a policy discussion around future opportunities and improvements.
BACKGROUND
In response to the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires that broke out under extreme conditions on January 7, 2025 in Los Angeles County, the City Manager released the February 3, 2025 informational memorandum City of San José Wildfire Preparedness Update1 engaging multiple City departments with varying disciplines to provide information on City efforts already undertaken to minimize the threat of wildfire and opportunities to improve community resiliency in WUI areas, including the Almaden Valley and Eastern foothill areas.
Evidenced by eight of the ten largest fires in state history occurring in the last five years, frequency of extreme wildfires across California is intensifying and is attributed to a combination of factors including climate change, fuel accumulation from decades of fire suppression, historical land-use practices, expanding development into WUI areas, and limited funding for risk mitigation. These conditions now converge to pose serious threats to communities, property, and the environment. While vegetation fire fuel types vary regionally, WUI environments present fire risk throughout the state. San José is no 1 https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/117648/638741997651770000 STUDY SESSION: 5/20/2025
FILE: 25-551
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
exception and is identified as one of over 1,300 “Communities at Risk” by the California Office of the State Fire Marshal due to its proximity to fire-prone wildland areas.
The San José Fire Department (Department) engages annually in wildfire risk reduction through regional cooperation, specialized staffing, and deployment of wildland firefighting resources. The City remains committed to reducing the threats WUI fires pose to San José’s residents and natural assets – efforts that must be ongoing and recurring in advance of each annual fire season.
ANALYSIS
2025 Los Angeles Fire Assistance
The Department is a participating agency in the California Fire Service and Rescue Emergency Mutual Aid Plan. In January 2025, the Department deployed multiple engines, Battalion Chiefs, and California Task Force 3 certified personnel to assist with the Eaton and Palisades Fires in Southern California. These two fires collectively burned over 21,000 acres, destroyed nearly 17,000 structures, and claimed 30 lives.
In total, 31 Department personnel were deployed and safely returned from a variety of assignments under the Eaton and Palisades incident commands, contributing to critical statewide response efforts and demonstrating San José’s mutual aid readiness.
San José Current Wildland Fire Hazards and Risk
The State Responsibility Area includes lands where the State of California, through CAL FIRE, has primary responsibility for wildfire prevention, protection, and suppression. As part of this mandate, the Office of the State Fire Marshal designates Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZs) within the State Responsibility Area, based on factors such as fuel load, terrain, and historical fire weather patterns. These classifications are illustrated for the City in Figure 1, highlighting areas of moderate, high, and very high wildfire hazards.
San José faces significant wildfire concerns across multiple FHSZs, particularly within the WUI. Following City Council direction through the Mayor’s March Budget Message for Fiscal Year 2025-2026, staff evaluated fire hazard levels across additional property types and service partners. Staff further estimates that there are roughly 30,000 acres of designated FHSZs within the City jurisdiction and Zone 1. Roughly 20% of that acreage is designated as “Moderate,” 55% is designated as “High,” and 25% is designated as “Very High” fire hazard severity. As shown in Table 1, the analysis provided 10,215 addresses within the state-designated FHSZs in the City's Local Responsibility Area as discussed further below – with 5,175 in “Moderate” zones, 5,039 in “High” zones, and a single, uninhabited structure in “Very High” zones. Of these addresses, roughly 75% are single-family addresses, 15% are multi-family addresses,
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
and the remaining 10% are other property types (such as business or recreational addresses). Given that most affected properties are residential, the assessment highlights the critical importance of defensible space maintenance and community education initiatives.
Within the WUI boundaries, 9,348 addresses fall within city limits, with an additional 898 addresses in unincorporated areas of the County of Santa Clara protected by the Department under the Zone 1 Fire Service Agreement between the Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District and the City of San José as also discussed further below.
The City’s vegetation management strategies address significant fuel concerns across private and City property. The City conducts annual weed abatement programs in the Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services Department, the Department of Transportation, and the Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Department to reduce fire hazards from overgrown vegetation. On private property, staff estimates that the City has 2,106 acres of vacant, private parcels within the WUI, with 25% of those parcels in “Moderate” zones and 75% in “High” zones. In 2024, Planning, Building and Code Enforcement’s weed abatement program covered 427 acres in the WUI. On City property, staff previously estimated that there are over 925 acres of total open space and undeveloped parklands in WUI areas, with an estimated 30% in “Moderate” zones and 70% in “High” zones, predominantly in Alum Rock Park. Furthermore, the Department of Transportation landscaping program addresses weed abatement concerns along undeveloped rights-of-way and central locations across the City, including in WUI areas.
Despite the City’s limited exposure to "Very High" FHSZs, the extensive acreage within “Moderate” and “High” zones—combined with challenging climate conditions and topographical vulnerabilities—requires ongoing multi-agency coordination. Importantly, FHSZ maps indicate hazard, not risk. Hazard refers to the inherent potential of an area to experience a wildfire based on factors like terrain and fire history. Risk refers to the created potential damage a fire could cause based on factors like defensible space, home hardening, and construction materials. It is possible for properties in “Moderate” hazard zones to have high risk; in contrast, it is possible for properties in “Very High” hazard zones to achieve low risk. Estimated fire hazard supports the City’s targeted fuel reduction initiatives, multi-agency response planning, and community resilience programs to effectively reduce risk throughout San José.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
Figure 1: City of San José Fire Hazard Severity Zone Ratings
Table 1: San José Fire Hazard Severity Zone Statistics
Fire Hazard Concerns
Hazard Zone
Moderate High Very
High
Number of Addresses within
the Local Responsibility Area
by Hazard Zone within the
City of San José
Address Count 5,175 5,039 1
Total number of Acreage by
Fire Hazard Severity Zone
Acreage in the City of San
Jose
5,492 15,688 7,067
Acreage in the Zone 1
Area
721 613 0
City of San José
Weed Abatement Properties
in the WUI
Parks, Recreation, and
Neighborhood Services
Weed Abatement Acreage
40 42 0
Transportation
Weed Abatement Acreage
22 38 0
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
Locally, the alignment of fuel and weather conditions can escalate wildfire risk. In 2020, the SCU Lightning Complex Fire—the fifth largest wildfire in California history—was ignited just east of City limits by lightning strikes from the remains of Tropical Storm Fausto as the storm system passed over the valley. The fire prompted evacuations in the Eastern Foothills, burned nearly 400,000 acres, and destroyed 225 structures, underscoring the scale and severity that large-scale wildfires pose to the community.
The SCU Lightning Complex Fire burned through vegetation types that are present annually along San José’s populated hillsides, reaffirming the region’s vulnerability to recurring wildfire threats. Along with this risk are seasonal wind events such as the Diablo Winds in Northern California and the Santa Ana Winds in Southern California that can contribute to extreme fire behavior, which generally occur in the fall and winter months. Given these persistent conditions, ongoing risk reduction and response readiness efforts are essential to preventing large-scale disasters in the wildland-urban interface areas.
The Zone 1 Fire Service Agreement between the Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District and the City of San José outlines the responsibilities of the Department in specific unincorporated areas. Under this agreement, the Department provides emergency medical services, structural and wildland firefighting, fire cause and origin investigations, arson investigations, fire inspection services, and extends City programs—including public education on disaster preparedness, CPR, and first aid to residents in these areas.
The Local Responsibility Area includes all areas served by the Department, encompassing both the incorporated city limits and the unincorporated areas covered under the Zone 1 Agreement. These areas are illustrated in Figure 2.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
Figure 2 2: City of San José Incorporated Area and Zone 1 Service Area
San José is identified as one of over 1,300 “Communities at Risk” by the California Office of the State Fire Marshal due to its proximity to fire-prone wildland areas. This designation, developed under state and federal wildfire programs, identifies areas with significant wildfire exposure and prioritizes them for funding, mitigation efforts, and planning support. San José’s fire protection service area includes extensive WUI zones—regions where residential development directly borders or combines with wildland fuels. These high-risk areas include the Eastern Foothills of the Diablo Range, the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west, and the undeveloped Coyote Valley to the south.
The U.S. Forest Service defines WUI as a place where “any developed area where conditions affecting the combustibility of vegetation, and structures or infrastructure (built fuels), allow for the ignition and spread of fire through the combined fuels.” 2 2 https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net/-/media/osfm-website/what-we- do/community-wildfire-preparedness-and-mitigation/cwpp/cwpp- guide?rev=ee83ee2915c341ea8c3f35d9b7eafeb4&hash=39F334CD4C3E918B8F4B8CCB3535C503
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
California Residential Code defines WUI as a geographical area identified by the state as a “Fire Hazard Severity Zone” in accordance with the Public Resources Code Sections 4201–4204 and Government Code Sections 51175–51189, or as otherwise identified by the local enforcing agency to be a significant risk from wildfires.
City San José Fire Code Chapter 17.12.875 provides:
WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE FIRE AREA. A geographical area identified by the state as a "Fire Hazard Severity Zone" in accordance with the Public Resources Code, Sections 4201 through 4204, and Government Code, Sections 51175 through 51189, or other areas designated by the enforcing agency to be at a significant risk from wildfires.
The Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area also includes all areas within the City of San José as set forth and delineated on the map entitled "San José Fire Department Wildland Urban Interface,” which map and all notations, references, data, and other information shown is hereby adopted and made a part of this chapter. The map shall be on file with the San José Fire Department.
All new construction submitted after July 1, 2008, located in any Fire Hazard Severity Zone or Wildland Interface Area, must meet the California Building Code Section 7A requirements, Materials and Construction Methods for Exterior Wildfire Exposure, California Residential Code, Section R327, and California Referenced Standards Code, Chapter 12-7A. Code requirements specify building materials, fire resistive construction methods, and include requirements for other structures such as decks and outbuildings. In addition, the property shall comply with the vegetation management requirements listed in California Fire Code Section 4906 and Public Resources Code 4291 to increase a building's ability to resist the intrusion of flame or burning embers .
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 Area including:
a. Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
b. High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
c. Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
2. Land designated as Very -High Fire Hazard Severity Zone or Wildland- Urban Interface Areas by the City San José.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
San José’s WUI boundaries and fire hazard zones are further shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3: City of San José WUI Boundaries and Fire Hazard Zones
High fire danger in the WUI results from a combination of environmental conditions, vegetation characteristics, and topography that increase the likelihood and severity of wildfires. Factors such as strong winds, low humidity, high temperatures, and prolonged drought all contribute to fire development, with wind being the most significant driver of rapid spread.
The National Weather Service also issues Red Flag Warnings when a combination of dry vegetation, low humidity, and gusty winds create conditions where fires are more
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
likely to ignite and spread quickly. These warnings signal a period of elevated wildfire risk, during which even small ignition sources can lead to large, fast-moving fires. Both the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire occurred under Red Flag conditions, which played a major role in their intensity, rapid growth, and resulting destruction.
In San José, the risk is further compounded by the type and density of vegetation— including grasses, shrubs, trees, and accumulated dead materials as well as the topography of surrounding foothills. Additionally, slopes, canyons, and ridgelines can all influence how a fire moves through the landscape. When Red Flag conditions coincide with dry fuels in these areas, the potential for major fire impacts to homes, infrastructure, and lives increases significantly.
Altogether, these risk factors—climate-driven weather patterns, challenging topography, dense vegetation, and increasing development in the WUI, underscore the urgent need for sustained wildfire preparedness and mitigation efforts. As San José continues to grow near high fire hazard zones, proactive planning and multi-agency coordination remain essential to protect lives, property, and the environment.
San José’s Current Wildfire Preparedness Level
As mentioned above, earlier this year, devastating wildfires in Los Angeles claimed 30 lives, forced thousands of residents to evacuate, burned over 21,000 acres, and destroyed nearly 17,000 structures. These tragic events have heightened awareness and concern about San José’s own vulnerability to a similar large-scale wildfire and the overall capacity to respond effectively.
In response, the City Manager issued the Wildfire Preparedness informational memorandum outlining San José’s current wildfire strategies and response models.
While the memorandum provided a helpful baseline assessment, it also made clear that additional action is needed, particularly in fuel reduction, where risks remain high across multiple jurisdictions.
San José’s wildfire risk extends well beyond City-owned land. While the City Manager’s memorandum offered a useful overview of vegetation management in municipal parklands, much of the surrounding WUI includes property managed by the County of Santa Clara, CAL FIRE, and private landowners. Although some of these areas fall under state or county responsibility, fires that begin outside City limits can quickly spread into San José’s WUI neighborhoods. This reinforces the need for coordinated multi-agency risk reduction strategies.
To effectively understand and mitigate wildfire risk, San José needs a comprehensive view of fuel conditions and reduction efforts across all land within the WUI, including areas managed by the City, county, state, and private property owners. To that end, the City Manager has been directed by the City Council, pursuant to their approval of the FY 2025-2026 Mayor’s March Budget Message, to gather detailed data from regional
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
and state partners, including acreage at high risk, current monitoring capabilities, and annual fuel reduction efforts by jurisdiction. Emerging tools and technologies can also enhance this work. For example, the East Bay Regional Park District recently used aerial vegetation assessments to map 125,000 acres of parkland and identify priority areas for thinning. Additionally, San José State University’s (SJSU) Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center has expertise in this field and may help the City implement similar approaches using advanced, AI-powered analysis. The City Manager has also been directed, pursuant to City Council’s approval of the FY 2025-2026 Mayor’s March Budget Message, to engage SJSU and other technical partners to explore collaborative strategies that strengthen both wildfire prevention and operational response.
At a neighborhood wildfire prevention level, the City of San José currently has one certified Firewise community known as "The Villages," which has implemented neighborhood-level wildfire risk reduction strategies and community preparedness initiatives. Two additional San José communities are currently in the application process to receive Firewise certification, demonstrating the growing awareness of wildfire prevention and safety measures throughout the City. Firewise communities follow guidelines developed by the National Fire Protection Association to help residents work together to reduce wildfire risks through property maintenance, landscaping strategies, and emergency planning.
Preparedness further depends on the City’s ability to respond quickly and coordinate evacuations during a wildfire. San José is currently implementing the use of the Genasys EVAC, evacuation management technology (app), which incorporates real- time traffic data, critical infrastructure locations, and public safety zones to support coordinated, zone-based evacuations. Residents can be alerted through the app and other methods, including the county’s reverse 9-1-1 system (AlertSCC), wireless emergency alert, Long Range Acoustical Device, and direct contact (door knocking).
The Genasys platform has significantly improved multi-agency coordination with County of Santa Clara and neighboring cities, allowing for more unified and effective responses to fast-moving incidents. The Mayor and City Council will have the opportunity to review the City’s continued participation of a communication evacuation notification software through the 2025-2026 Proposed Budget process.
San José Fire Protection Services
The Department provides fire protection and emergency response services across 208 square miles—181 square miles within city limits and approximately 27 square miles of unincorporated areas under the Zone 1 Fire Service Agreement with the County of Santa Clara. The Department operates out of 34 fire stations and maintains a minimum daily staffing level of 190 sworn personnel.
The Department has experienced consistent year-over-year growth in emergency call volume, reaching a record 110,254 calls in Fiscal Year 2023–2024. Of these,
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
approximately 64% were medical emergencies, 5% were fire-related, 6% involved non- fire hazards, and the remaining 25% were categorized as good intent or other service requests. This rising demand places increasing strain on response times, taxes personnel, and limits the availability of resources for emerging incidents, including wildfires.
According to the 2023 Santa Clara County Local Agency Formation Commission Countywide Fire Services Review3, the Department remains one of the busiest departments in the region. The report noted that 28 of the Department’s engines and medical units exceed 10% Unit Hour Utilization (UHU)—a measure of how much time a unit is actively committed to calls during a 24-hour period—and four of those units exceed 20%. The review emphasized that once a primary response unit reaches the 10% UHU threshold, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain reliable response times due to limited availability for immediate dispatch.
It is equally important to note that the Department staffing levels are among the lowest in Santa Clara County when compared to major metropolitan fire departments across the United States. However, staffing per capita is not the sole factor in determining appropriate resource deployment. Other critical considerations include the built environment, population density, geographic coverage, and community-specific risk levels. Additional details and staffing comparisons are available in the Fire Department Staffing, Recruitment, Hiring, and Bilingual Services Annual Report, presented to the Public Safety, Finance, and Strategic Support Committee on October 17, 2024
4. Completed in June 2016, the City conducted an organizational review of the Department standards of cover, which identified service gap areas, including those that respond into WUI areas. In 2018, San José voters approved the Disaster Preparedness, Public Safety, and Infrastructure Bond Measure (Measure T), which enabled the Fire Department to plan for the construction of three new fire stations in areas identified as having service gaps. These stations include Fire Station 32 (Felipe Avenue at Olinder Court), Fire Station 36 (Tuers Road near Capitol Expressway), and Fire Station 37 (Lincoln Avenue at Curtner Avenue). Their locations were selected in part to preserve response capacity for WUI and ensure timely coverage in high-risk areas.
The addition of Fire Stations 32 and 36 is expected to reduce the draw of East Side resources into the high-demand downtown core, thus increasing their availability for response into WUI areas. Measure T also provided bridge funding to expand capacity at Fire Station 20, located at the San José Mineta International Airport, to support landside (non-airport) service—effectively creating a new fire station service area. Fire Station 32 is currently under construction and is expected to be completed in early 2026. Fire
3 https://santaclaralafco.org/sites/default/files/FireSRReview-FinalReport-2023.pdf 4 https://sanjose.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13367475&GUID=9C21806F-FB88-4E30-90E2- %20848CAB3DFC7D
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
Station 36 is also under construction, with an anticipated completion date in late 2028. If fully staffed, these two stations could add up to 12 additional on-duty personnel, increasing daily staffing from 190 to 202. Fire Station 37 has already been completed and is in service, with Fire Engine 37 staffed by four personnel each day. Fire Station 33 (Florian and Altino Boulevard) remains closed due to budget reductions enacted during Fiscal Year 2010–2011.
Ultimately, San José’s ability to protect its residents from wildfires and other emergencies depends on the strength and readiness of its Fire Department. With three new fire stations either operational or in progress, it is essential to ensure adequate staffing. The Administration will continue to focus on supporting fire academy recruitment, hiring, and training efforts to sustain a strong emergency response workforce.
WUI Mutual Aid Coordination Preparedness and Response
The California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System is a coordinated partnership between state and local agencies that provides surge capacity in personnel and equipment during wildfires and other large-scale emergencies. Administered by the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), this system ensures timely support even before a local emergency is officially declared. It enables fire departments across the state to respond to major incidents—including wildfires, earthquakes, tsunamis, hazardous materials events, and other disasters—by pooling resources without immediate reimbursement.
The Department actively participates in this system and will continue working with CalOES, Santa Clara County, and other regional partners to enhance preparedness and response for wildland-urban interface WUI fires.
Figure 4 illustrates the multi-agency coordination (MAC) groups, operational systems, and interagency partnerships that support WUI fire incident readiness. These components include the Incident Command System, mutual aid agreements, dispatch and coordination centers, joint information systems, and community-based collaboration tools that are essential for effective planning and response.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
Figure 4: Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) Groups, Operational Systems, and Interagency Partnerships
State Wildfire Resilience Funding, Actions, and Considerations
On February 6, 2025, the Governor of California signed an executive order related to wildfire efforts.
5 The executive order directed CAL FIRE to create a “Zone 0” regulation by December 31, 2025, which will require homeowners in “Very High” Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) areas to create an ember-resistant zone within 0 to 5 feet of their property. This regulation is likely to have a negligible impact on San José due to the City’s existing building codes and fire prevention measures; moreover, there are no inhabited residential structures located in San José “Very High” FHSZ areas. The executive order directed the State Fire Marshal to provide local agencies with updated FHSZ maps and requires cities to adopt these maps as part of their wildfire prevention strategy. Finally, it required CAL FIRE and Cal OES to work with local, federal, and tribal partners on improvements to the Federal resource ordering system for wildfire response.
In November 2024, California voters approved Proposition 4, a $10 billion bond measure focused on increasing the state’s resilience to the impact of climate change.
The climate bond includes a total of $1.5 billion in funding for state-level resilience
5 https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2025-2-6.Urban-Conflagration-EO-ATTESTED.pdf
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
spending across various wildfire-related categories, including prevention, suppression, and recovery efforts. The Governor has proposed a multiyear spending plan with funding distributed from 2025-2026 through 2039-2040; however, the proposal provides roughly one-quarter of the funds in 2025-2026. If appropriated in this way, $325 million (or 22% of the total) would be allocated towards wildfire and forest resilience in 2025- 2026. The City of San José and County of Santa Clara may be eligible to receive portions of this Proposition 4 funding through competitive grants or directed allocations based on risk assessment and mitigation plans.
CONCLUSION
Wildfire prevention and preparedness include an ongoing and recurring cycle of activities. Staff provides the following topical components that are representative of a robust wildfire planning and prevention program – some of which have been initiated and have been developed into strategic goals outlined in the Annex 10: City of San José Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
Components of a City Wildfire Protection Plan
1. Community Planning and Land Use
• Limit new development in high-risk fire zones.
o Ongoing effort to minimize the threat of wildfire and improve community resiliency through new developments.
• Implement zoning regulations to create defensible space and fire-safe buffers. o Enforce existing Fire Code requirements and monitor state legislative action related to High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
• Encourage grouped development to minimize the spread of ignition sources and reduce infrastructure exposure.
o Seek to enforce defensible space and vegetation management for high density development.
2. Fire-Resistant Building and Landscaping
• Use fire-resistant building materials (e.g., Chapter 7A California Building code, Class A roofing, non-combustible siding).
o Ongoing enforcement of existing and future adaptations of the California Building Code.
• Create and maintain defensible space around homes by clearing flammable debris.
o Ongoing public education and enforcement.
• Implement National Fire Protection Association Firewise principles to reduce home ignitability.
o Seek to enroll additional neighborhoods.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
3. Vegetation and Fuel Management
• Prescribed burns and mechanical thinning to reduce loads. o Expand efforts in public spaces.
• Strategic fuel breaks near communities and infrastructure. o Ongoing risk mitigation efforts through strategically planned greenspace developments.
• Ongoing maintenance of cleared and treated areas to prevent fuel accumulation.
o Ongoing risk mitigation efforts through vegetation management plan.
4. Emergency Preparedness and Evacuation Planning
• Develop and rehearse evacuation routes and community wildfire response plans.
o Ongoing efforts to update and maintain protocols on evacuation management and planning.
• Implement alert systems (e.g., text, sirens, apps) for real-time communication. o Evacuation App implementation and ongoing efforts to bolster the City’s ability to respond quickly and coordinate evacuations. • Educate residents on evacuation protocols, emergency preparedness, and go-kits.
o Ongoing public education efforts.
• Conduct regional joint training exercises to ensure response readiness for emerging wildfires with high growth potential.
o Ongoing multi-agency response planning, coordination, and risk reduction strategies.
5. Infrastructure Hardening
• Underground utilities where possible to prevent sparking from lines. o Seek to explore opportunities to reduce infrastructural risks. • Ensure water availability for firefighting, including hydrants and reservoirs. o Ongoing efforts with water purveyors on water supply and availability for firefighting
• Protect critical infrastructure, like hospitals and communication lines, with fire buffers.
o Ongoing efforts to ensure the continuity of emergency services to residents.
6. Community Engagement and Education
• Public outreach to increase awareness of fire risks and personal responsibility.
o Ongoing public education and outreach efforts.
• Fire adaptation training for City leaders and residents. o Ongoing efforts to train and educate City staff and residents. • Collaborative planning among landowners, state and local fire agencies, County of Santa Clara, and City departments.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
o Seek to solicit ongoing partnerships to enforce and maintain wildfire resiliency.
7. Funding and Policy Support
• Invest in long-term resilience projects, not just post-disaster recovery. o Seek financial opportunities that can be allocated towards structural hardening and other fire risk mitigation strategies.
• Investigate potential incentives towards mitigation efforts through grants, tax breaks, or insurance discounts.
o Seek to find financial incentives that can be made available to implement fire risk reduction strategies.
• Update the San José Envision 2040 General Plan to include broader climate adaptation policies in applicable areas as it relates to wildfires. o Seek to incorporate climate adaptation policies pertaining to areas identified in the Fire Hazard Severity Zones
• Support legislative actions that support risk reduction efforts. o Ongoing effort to advocate for and monitor state legislative actions related to High Fire Hazard Severity Zones requirements.
Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan and City of San José Annex The Department contributed to the 2022-2023 Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan update, which was led by the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council and funded by a $250,000 Cal Fire grant. The Community Wildfire Protection Plan provides a strategic plan for all the local agencies to prioritize forest health projects, shaded fuel breaks, escape routes, and public education campaigns; as well as further wildfire preparedness initiatives throughout the county and provide support for residents seeking resources to be better prepared for wildfire.
The Community Wildfire Protection Plan Annex 10: City of San José provides information specific to City wildfire hazard and risk, response capabilities, community attributes, built environment profile, and mitigation projects and prioritizations. Annex 10 also identifies two special planning areas, including the East Hills Planning Area and the Almaden Valley Planning Area. Mitigation projects and prioritizations include the following strategic goals:
Strategic Goal: Establish Resilient Landscape designs and manage landscapes that can withstand the impacts of wildfires.
• Ongoing. Eucalyptus invasive species removal and native tree planting in Alum Rock Park and surrounding neighborhood.
(Currently occurring 2024-2026)
• Ongoing. Alum Rock Vegetation Management Plan
(Currently in the planning stage, will be completed by 2025)
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
• Ongoing. Encourage residents to have vegetation pile burns on private property during permitted periods in rural areas of San José. (Action will be weather and air quality dependent)
• Ongoing. Vegetation Management in City-owned parks. Install strategic fuel breaks and fuel reduction areas throughout parks located in WUI area. (Ongoing)
Strategic Goal: Raise awareness, enhance preparedness, and build resilience in communities within the WUI through targeted education and outreach initiatives in the planning area.
• Ongoing. Informing residents of the importance of creating a defensible space, hardening, and vegetation and fuel management. At the municipal level, offer an acute focus on structures and information on evacuation routes in the East Hills Planning Area and Almaden Valley Planning Area. (Spring 2025)
• Ongoing. Collaborate with Santa Clara County Fire Safe Council to assist residences in obtaining Firewise USA recognition within the East Hills Planning Area and Almaden Valley Planning Area.
(Ongoing)
Ongoing. Analyze playing with fire ignitions and fireworks safety and focus education programs at local schools or youth organizations. Focus on youth and children. (Ongoing)
Strategic Goal: Safe and Effective Wildfire Response
• Ongoing. Continue to develop wildfire refresher training for Fire Department personnel and Park Ranger staff. (Ongoing)
• Not Started. Create Incident Action Plans for Red Flag warning events that would give guidance on prepositioning of resources and increasing Fire Department response. (Ongoing)
• Ongoing. Develop communication and evacuation protocols for sharing real- time data with stakeholders via Genasys project, Alert SCC, and Wireless Emergency Alerts. (Ongoing)
While there is ample information available to guide effective wildfire risk reduction efforts, requisite resources to achieve goals and institute best practices are scarce.
Proactive and active maintenance on privately and publicly owned parcels reduces fuel loads and establishes strategic fuel breaks that lowers fire risk. The Department will
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 2, 2025
Subject: 2025 San José Wildfire Planning and Preparedness Study Session
continue to explore and engage in efforts that will bolster the City’s position towards wildfire preparedness and capabilities; and will continue its mission in delivering fire prevention, suppression, and education.
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW UP
The Department will return to the Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee in spring 2026 to provide an update on wildland fire preparedness and mitigation activities, including progress on efforts to reduce community risk and enhance overall readiness.
COORDINATION
This memorandum has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office.
ROBERT SAPIEN, JR.
Fire Chief, Fire Department
For questions, please contact Robert Sapien, Jr., Fire Chief, at (408) 794-6952.