May 2025
From Seth Schalet, Santa Clara County FireSafe Council CEO
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Always in search of a musical metaphor to tie things together, remember those great Day on the Green concerts that the late Bill Graham put on at the Oakland Coliseum, where it was just one great band after another? That is what it felt like to me attending the Los Altos Hills County Fire District’s 2nd Annual Community Wildfire Preparedness Day event on Saturday May 3rd. One great speaker and presentation after another covering Firewise USA, Zone 0, Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) Inspections, Insurance updates, and headliner, rockstar guest speaker, Climatologist, Daniel Swain, whom I had the honor of introducing.
Slides of Daniel Swain’s presentation can be downloaded here.
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I would like to extend my thanks to our fabulous team that supported the day's effort, including Amanda Brenner Cannon, Program Director with Santa Clara County FireSafe Council who presented, Immediate Zone: 0-5 feet & Ember Awareness, that was well received. Additional thanks to Andrea Constantine, Project Manager with Santa Clara County FireSafe Council for making the day such a success.
Even if you don't live in LAHCFD, these are universal presentations for anyone here in CA. Watch all presentations here.
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April 23 Stanford Spring Wildfire Resilience Partners Lunch
The Stanford University Wildfire Resilience and Emergency Response team sure knows how to throw a party! What a great afternoon at Birdies with friends, partners, and collaborators on April 23rd at their Stanford Spring Wildfire Resilience Partners Lunch.
Thank you to Cody Hill for leading the charge on the convening and to Sonoko Rooney for making it perfect. Thank you to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) CZU & SCU Units for touring potential prescribed fire locations that would help further facilitate Stanford's role in leading community level risk reduction and resiliency. Here is a mini photo collage.
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WARNING: WILDFIRE, EVACUATE NOW! If you got this message on your phone, what would you do? What makes a good message that drives desired action? See the slides & watch the excellent webinar to learn.
My friend, Jeannette Sutton, PhD., is one of the top leading experts on disaster evacuation messaging. We met through our involvement in the U.S. Fire Administration's workgroup on wildfire evacuation messaging. Her partners, and fellow presenters from the University at Albany, Micki Olson, PhD., and Hugh Walpole PhD., collectively, are among the best and most sought-after in the field.
They were my guest presenters at our recent Santa Clara County FireSafe Council April 15th board meeting where they presented data based on their NFPA Journal article Lost in Translation. I highly recommend watching the webinar-- it might even save your life someday!
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Ok, that’s a wrap for this month. Thanks for reading and now, let’s hear from the team.
Yours truly,
Seth Schalet
CEO, Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
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Queen Palm
(Syagrus romanzoffiana)
Queen palm is not well adapted to fire. Its thin trunk and flammable fronds make it susceptible to heat damage, and it lacks mechanisms such as thick bark or fire-triggered seed dispersal to recover from wildfire events. In fire-prone regions, planting queen palms in defensible spaces is discouraged, and care should be taken to manage leaf litter and fruit drop that can serve as potential fuel. Queen palms can thrive for decades with minimal pest or disease issues when properly maintained. Learn More
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Chipping Program
Registration for the Spring 2025 Chipping Program is now closed. The spring season is currently wrapping up for Saratoga and County Fire District residents and will finish by the end of May.
Planning for the annual fall chipping program is starting soon. Please check our website for upcoming updates.
Here is a photo from our Redwood Estates chipping depot which was held on April 19th. Learn More
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Successful Community Risk Assessment Training Bring Together Firewise Leaders and Newcomers
On April 15th, we partnered with CAL FIRE to host a Community Risk Assessment training as part of our Community Ambassador Program. This essential session equipped participants with the skills needed to conduct Wildfire Risk Assessments—an important step in the Firewise USA® (Firewise) recognition process.
A critical (and required) component to become a recognized Firewise Community, residents must work together to complete a Community Risk Assessment. With the rising demand for Firewise support in Santa Clara County, the FireSafe Council and CAL FIRE recognized the need to increase capacity so our communities could meet this requirement. Our Program Director, Amanda Brenner Cannon, who acts as the Firewise Regional Coordinator for the county, and Andrea Constantine, who manages our Ambassador Program, were inspired to produce the workshop in order to better inform current and future Firewise leaders and provide them with the tools and knowledge to complete their assessments when local fire representatives are not available.
The hybrid event welcomed over 40 attendees, including Fire Chiefs, current Firewise community members, and individuals just beginning their Firewise journey. It was a fantastic opportunity for connection, collaboration, and shared learning. The FireSafe Council will continue to provide Firewise Community support including training like this.
Interested in becoming a Firewise USA® recognized community? We’re here to help—contact us at firewise@sccfiresafe.org
Learn more about our Community Ambassador Program: https://sccfiresafe.org/volunteer/
| Program Director Amanda Brenner Cannon (left) and CAL FIRE Chief Malcom Kennedy (right) lead a Wildfire Risk Assessment training as part of the Firewise USA program, empowering communities to reduce wildfire risks. Photo taken by Tara Wallichs, SCCFSC. | | | |
Wildfire Preparedness Webinar
Thursday, June 12th · 6:00 – 7:30 PM PDT
Location: Virtual Online
As part of our Community Ambassador Program, we’ve partnered with the Santa Clara County Fire Department to offer this free 90-minute educational webinar. Learn how to reduce wildfire risk and prepare your home, family, and neighborhood.
Topics include:
- Home hardening & defensible space
- Community readiness (Firewise USA®)
- Emergency alerts & evacuation planning
Be ready. Get set. GO!
👉 Register here to reserve your spot.
| | | Ready to Make a Difference? You are encouraged to apply now! Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. | | | Los Gatos Creek Watershed Collaborative Forest Health Grant Update | | | |
Burn Bot + San Jose Water Property
We’re thrilled to share that 13.86 acres were successfully treated this April on the San Jose Water Property, thanks to the power of Burn Bot technology and the dedication of our hard working crew!
Milestone Reached: Grant #1 Officially Closed Out!
We proudly wrapped up our first grant, marking a major achievement in our mission to bring safer, smarter vegetation management to our communities. To celebrate, our team came together—and what’s a celebration without great food?
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Special Thanks to Wood Fire Woodie!
A huge shoutout to Wood Fire Woodie for joining the festivities and serving up mouthwatering pizzas straight from their wood-fired oven. If you haven’t checked them out yet, head over to their website and give them a look: https://woodfirewoodie.com/
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Project in Progress
Take a peek at the action! Here's a video of the current project work underway—demonstrating the ongoing impact of our technology in the field. Learn More
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Mt. Madonna/Summit Road Phase IV
Escape Route
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We are set to begin the Madonna/Summit Phase IV project on May 28th.
These past weeks, we conducted site walk throughs with potential contractors and made our final selection. Learn More
| | | Summit Road Association BBQ | | | The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council participated in the Summit Road Association’s annual BBQ fundraiser, where we shared information on Defensible Space, Home Ignition Zones (HIZs), and our Community Ambassador Program. We also encouraged support for the upcoming Madonna/Summit Phase IV project and discussed Firewise initiatives to enhance wildfire preparedness. The community showed great support, and we appreciate their engagement in making our area safer and more resilient. | | | Aldercroft Heights Community Roadside Vegetation Clearance Project | | | We are preparing to begin a roadside vegetation clearance project in the Aldercroft Heights community during the second week of June 2025. We are currently working with local community members who are assisting with the Right of Entry (ROE) process. In addition, we are coordinating with Dudek, who will be conducting a biological survey in late May and/or early June, prior to the start of the project. | | |
Page Mill Rd
Evacuation Route
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Page Mill Road Evacuation Route Maintenance Project has concluded as of May 2nd, 2025. We were able to treat a total of 5.11 miles and 12.39 acres. Learn More
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Moody/El Monte Rd.
Evacuation Route
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The Moody - El Monte Evacuation Route Maintenance Project is currently in the planning phase, we will be conducting tours with various contractors to select the best bidder for quality work and safety during the weeks: Monday, May 19th - Wednesday, May 28, 2025. The project is set to start on Monday, June 9th and will be the second project of the series for the calendar year. We will be accepting Right of Entries (ROE) for this project during the window: Monday, May 5th - Friday, May 23, 2025.
Learn More
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Join us, in person, on May 20th at 1:30 pm for our board meeting at the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council Headquarters (14380 Saratoga Avenue Saratoga, CA 95070-5953) to see how Ladris' AI-Driven Software Platform can Forecast Disaster Impacts, Simulate Evacuations and Optimize Emergency Response. I am Looking forward to Ladris presenting and demoing their product portfolio and Q&A with Ladris CEO and Cofounder, Leo Zlimen.
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Santa Clara County FireSafe Council has partnered with Washington State University Risk-Informed Decision-Making Lab to improve the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) process to help make future CWPP’s more effective. The Washington State University research team led by Dr. Ji Yun Lee (Associate Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering) and Ms. Nasim Rashidi (PhD candidate) seeks to improve CWPPs by integrating real-time risk data, property-level mitigation, and stronger citizen engagement. This project will create a dynamic, interactive, next-generation CWPP platform that employs an ongoing, multidirectional information exchange between citizens and local governments and also between the citizens themselves. As part of this effort, we are engaging fire officials, emergency managers, land-use planners, prior CWPP participants and policymakers to identify current challenges and potential opportunities to develop next-generation, interactive community wildfire protection plans.
Interested in contributing? We invite you to join us for short interviews to help shape the future of wildfire resilience. As a token of appreciation, participants will receive a $40 Amazon eGift Card. Contact the following to schedule your interview: Washington State University Risk-Informed Decision-Making Lab: (509) 335-3018, www.labs.wsu.edu/jiyunlee/ nasimeh.rashidi@wsu.edu jiyun.lee@wsu.edu
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“Fair Winds and Following Seas” to Jerry Serpa,
Santa Clara County FireSafe Council Founder
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Jerry Serpa was one of the original founders of the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council back around 2001 and served as our Board President. He was also the Chief of Spring Valley Volunteer Fire Department, and served the department for 27 years.
"I didn't know Jerry Serpa personally, but I wouldn't be where I am today without him." says Seth Schalet, CEO, Santa Clara County FireSafe Council. You may have not met him, personally, but you have probably heard the many wonderful Jerry stories. The hundreds of friends and family that showed up to his memorial at Ed Levin County Park in Milpitas was a testament to a life well lived. May his memory be a blessing.
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Did you know that you might be able to double—or even triple—the impact of your gift?
Many employers sponsor matching gift programs, which means they will match any charitable contribution made by their employees.
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SCCFSC is a local 501(c) non-profit organization that relies on funding from local partners and residents of the wildland-urban interface areas. While federal and state grants provide a significant amount of support for ongoing projects, donations from the local community is crucial to our success.The SCCFSC appreciates every donation, large or small. When you donate to Santa Clara County FireSafe Council, you are helping us and yourself by mobilizing the people of Santa Clara County to protect their homes, communities and environment from wildfires.
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