Wildfire Prevention &
Preparedness Status Report
Public Safety, Finance, and Strategic Support Committee June 18, 2026
Item: d(2)
Presented by:
James Dobson, Assistant Fire Chief
Anthony Ibarra, Fire Captain
One Year Later — Why We're Here
• In May 2025, Fire Captain Anthony Ibarra presented the Wildfire Planning & Preparedness Study Session.
• Today's report covers:
• Hazard context & risk mapping
• Operational readiness
• Collaboration & Firewise communities
• Outreach campaign
• SJSU partnership
• Technology & Legislation
LA Fires —
January 2025
21,000+
acres burned
16,000+
structures destroyed
30 lives lost
Heightened statewide awareness of urban wildfire risk
2 San José's Wildfire Risk
Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ)
MODERATE Elevated fuel load & fire weather
HIGH Significant hazard — WUI overlap
VERY
HIGH Extreme risk — SRA jurisdiction
City Council Action
June 17, 2025 — Council adopted Ordinance 31213, formally defining San José's WUI to include all Moderate, High, and Very High FHSZs. New construction must comply with California WUI Code. 3 Where Fires Are Happening, 2022–2026
Fire Concentration Hot Spots
US-101 / I-680 / I-880 Corridors
Downtown → Alum Rock → Capitol Expressway
Story Road & South San José
Adjacent East Foothills; unmaintained parcels
WUI Perimeter
Almaden Valley & East Foothills planning areas
Key Finding
Encampment activity, transportation corridors, and unmaintained parcels create compounding fire risk in urbanized areas — not only in forested WUI.
4 Operational Readiness — Updated TIER Model
5 / 10
2026 MODEL UPDATE: Dispatches closest available unit → Response time cut by nearly HALF during critical early attack phase TIER I
Initial Wildland Response
• 2 Battalion Chiefs
• 3 Type 1 Engine Companies
• 1 Engine Tender (Type 1 + Water
Tender)
• 1 Type 3 Engine
• CAL FIRE notification
TIER II
Adds to TIER I
• 3 Battalion Chiefs (total)
• 7 Type 1 Engines (total)
• 2 Engine Tenders (total)
• REDNET mutual aid advisory
• Duty Mechanic & Fuel Truck
TIER III
Adds to TIERS I & II
• 4 Battalion Chiefs (total)
• 9 Type 1 Engines (total)
• 1 Wildland Engine
• SCC Wildland Task Force
• County mutual aid standby
UPDATE: TIER I = 7 units (5 suppression + 2 command) | Type 3 engines + 2,000-gal water tenders for WUI terrain 5 Interagency & City Collaboration
Regional Partners
• CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit
• Santa Clara County Fire Department
• Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
• Annual Operating Plan & MTZ
Agreements
• CA Fire & Rescue Mutual Aid System
City Departments
• Dept. of Transportation
• Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood
Services
• Weed Abatement
• Code Enforcement
Academic Partner
• San José State University
Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research
Center
• AI-powered fuel mapping tools
• Aerial surveillance technology
• Enhanced situational awareness
across WUI areas
6 Technology & Firewise Communities
Genasys Protect — Evacuation Platform
• Real-time evacuation notifications
• Public status updates during emergencies
• Multi-agency coordination support
• Free to download — promoted at all community
events
• Funded through FY 2025-2026 Operating Budget
Scan to learn more →
Firewise USA — Recognized Communities
1 → 3Firewise USA
recognized
communities
The Villages Golf & Country Club
2024
Miradero-Crothers Road
Post-2025 Study Session
Rancho San Vicente
Post-2025 Study Session
3 additional communities currently completing applications SJSU Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center
AI-powered fuel mapping • Aerial surveillance • Enhanced WUI situational awareness 7 Community Outreach
10 Neighborhood
Presentations
3 Partner
Organizations
Neighborhoods Reached:
Almaden Valley • Santa Teresa • Berryessa • Alum Rock • Mayfair • Evergreen • Southside • Camden • Almaden Fireside Chats — The Villages Community
1,200-acre senior
active-living
community. Opendiscussion wildfire
preparedness. Part
of the CAL Chiefs
WUI Risk Reduction
Program.
Suncrest Neighborhood — Red Cross
Partnership
Collaborated with
American Red Cross
& Santa Clara County
FireSafe Council.
Personalized go-kit,
alert, evacuation
planning for residents.
Multilingual Materials
Brochures, door
hangers, digital ads,
and community
presentations
developed in multiple
languages through
FEMA 2023 grant
funding.
8 Award-Winning Public Education
WUI Wildfire Risk Reduction Education Campaign
~7,000
Homes visually assessed
by SJFD personnel
FEMA
2023 Fire Prevention
& Safety grant funded
4 Languages of
materials produced
Campaign Coverage:
• Emergency go-kit assembly
• Defensible Space
• Home Hardening
• Family communication plans
• Local emergency alert enrollment with
Evacuation route identification
Phase 1 — Nearly Complete
Assessment & education of all residents in Moderate, High & Very High FHSZs
Phase 2 — In Development
Formal WUI inspection program: education first, then
compliance pathway
9 Looking Ahead
Legislative Watch
AB 1455 (2025)
New WUI building and safety requirements
SB 504 (2024)
Wildfire risk reduction and defensible space
Executive Order N-18-25
Ember-resistant zone within 5 ft of structures — rulemaking in progress 10 Questions?
James Dobson, Assistant Fire Chief
Anthony Ibarra, Fire Captain
Wildfire Prevention & Preparedness Status Report
Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee
June 18, 2026
Item: d(2)
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