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Dear Red Phone, I received a notice from the Santa Clara County
Fire Department saying that because my home lies on a
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hillside
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I have to be sure to keep it brush-free to avoid wildfire
hazards. Problem is, my home on De Anza Court is not on a hillside
and I have never received such a notice before. Why now?
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“Dear Red Phone, I received a notice from the Santa Clara County Fire Department saying that because my home lies on a “hillside” I have to be sure to keep it brush-free to avoid wildfire hazards. Problem is, my home on De Anza Court is not on a hillside and I have never received such a notice before. Why now?”
Strong>Red Phone: Dear Flatlander, since 1992 the county has administered the brush clearance program – which is different from the weed abatement program – to keep properties in the wildland-urban interface free from hazards that could feed wildfires that threaten neighborhoods and commercial areas. This year, the Santa Clara County Fire Department used Calfire’s list of parcels in the interface, while in years past the list has been compiled by the local department, SCCFD Deputy Chief Dirk Mattern explained. Calfire’s list made a different determination of what properties are in high-hazard areas, adding about 100 properties to the local list.
“What we didn’t realize, was a lot of properties they included were on the fringes of the hillsides,” Mattern said. “The way Calfire developed mapping of the area had to with a couple separate factors” in addition to what local fire officials use.
So good caller, you and other residents who live in a standard city lot and have received these notices for the first time don’t need to worry about brush-proofing your property unless you hear from the fire department again. Fire department inspectors will update the list of properties in the wildland-urban interface for next year, Mattern said.
“People who have gotten a letter, if they believe it doesn’t apply to their property, on a standard 8,000-square-foot city lot, in the middle of a street (for example), there isn’t really anything they need to do. They can send back the postcard and say it doesn’t apply. We’re going to be evaluating this for next year’s mailing to get them off that list,” Mattern said.
Property owners who have received such notices in the past might already know this, but Mattern assured them the postcards sent out so far this year do not indicate fire code violations or any other safety hazards. They were sent simply to inform you that you live in the wildland-urban interface and what you need to do to minimize hazards that could facilitate the spread of wildfires.
The fire department will follow up and ensure compliance in the coming weeks, before the fire season starts in May.
