“It’s A Wrap. What A Year It Was” 

Yes, it is that time of year again when most people hit the malls in search of Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals, the Santa Clara FireSafe team can be found in the field, finishing up projects, looking to close the year out strong. Completing our deliverables, on time and on budget.

It’s human nature to want to look back, and it’s important to celebrate successes. The nature of our work at Santa Clara County FireSafe Council demands that we keep focused on the future. When a wildfire, or any disaster, doesn’t occur, does that mean the work you did to prevent or mitigate it wasn’t of value? Let’s see what AI says about that: “The value of preventative work is not solely determined by the occurrence of a specific event. Preventative measures are designed to reduce the risk of negative outcomes and improve community well-being. Even if a specific event did not occur, preventative work has likely contributed to a healthier and safer environment. The goal of preventative work is to prevent issues before they arise, and this is achieved through consistent and proactive efforts. Therefore, the value of preventative work is often more significant than the absence of a specific event.” In this case, the algorithm got it right.

In my view, it’s always the season for giving thanks. That said, this time of year places specific emphasis in saying thank you and acknowledging cherished relationships. With that in mind, first and foremost, I want to thank my team. Without each of you, we wouldn’t be where we are today. At this point in my tenure, I have hired most of you. Can’t say thanks enough for accepting the challenges. For the four of you I didn’t hire, but inherited, I am the lucky one!

Thanks to the board and advisory board members for your support and engagement. We are stronger today than at any time in my tenure, and with the new board members we have in our recruitment pipeline, the future is bright. Your pro bono volunteer time is greatly appreciated. Special shout-out to Dede Smullen, current and past Board Chair. She has done two Board Chair tours of duty with me. I appreciate your partnership.

To our partners throughout Santa Clara County, I want to personally say thanks and let you know how much we appreciate and value the confidence you place in us. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, The Santa Clara County and Palo Alto Fire Departments, CAL FIRE, the Los Altos Hills County Fire District, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Santa Clara County Parks, The City of Saratoga, County Office of Emergency Management, Ascent Environmental, Auten Resources Consulting, Dudek, Saratoga Fire Protection District, the elected officials throughout the county, including, but not limited to Senator Cortese, Congressman Liccardo, Senator Josh Becker and Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, and your fantastic staffs, Stanford University, Woodside Fire Protection District, FIRE SAFE San Mateo, San Jose Water, San Jose State University and their Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center, The Coastal Conservancy, OroraTech, N5 Sensors, BurnBot, Ladris, Fire Aside, the Wildfire Solutions Coalition, NFPA for Firewise, and the University of San Diego’s Wildfire Science and Technology Commons. As you can see, it really does take a village, and then some, to collaborate across the county.

To my fellow California Fire Safe Council board members and Jacy Hyde, here’s to 2026 and beyond. Your friendship, engagement and thought leadership make it all worthwhile.

As we close 2025, SCCFSC is on path for another record year. As always, this newsletter is chockfull on articles, research reports, and stories I found interesting, and we share them with you in the hope some of them pique your interest as well. Now, let’s dig into what we have done over the last month.

Yours truly,



Seth Schalet

CEO, Santa Clara County FireSafe Council

On November 18^th, San Jose State University Assistant Professor of Fire Ecology was our board meeting guest presenter, highlighting her Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) research. Watch our interview with KTXL FOX40 News here.

Announcing our first guest speaker of 2026.

My friend Ertugrul Taciroglu will present: Computational Science in Service of Wildfire Risk and Resilience Assessment: Applications, Challenges, Opportunities.

E.T. is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. Join us over Zoom on February 17th at 1:30 PM — link coming soon. We are partners in the UC San Diego Wildfire Science & Technology Commons Scale & Sustain Working Group where I get to learn from him.

Join the City of Saratoga and the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, from 5:00–8:30 p.m. at the Joan Pisani Community Center for an important seminar on evacuation preparedness.

Residents will hear from emergency response leaders, explore resource tables, and learn practical steps for staying safe during an evacuation. The event will highlight local resources and processes and provide tools and guidance to help residents take action and be prepared.

Visit www.saratoga.ca.us/EvacuationPreparedness for more information and sign up to receive updates on this seminar. 

Got Game? Our March guest presenter, MJ Johns, will share research & demo the games. Wildfire Games: A Community Approach to Designing Serious Games as Interventions for Wildfire Preparedness

Speaking of the Wildfire Science & Technology Commons, shout-out to Claire Stirm and Ilkay Altintas for their recent presentation at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Conference in New Orleans. Rumor has it, they knocked it out of the park! Check out their presentation “A Pathfinder for the Firemap Extended Attack Modeling in the Wildfire Science and Technology Commons.”