Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan

Wildfire Mitigation

Sharing the Responsibility!

Wildland urban interface (WUI) fires are a growing community problem. County Fire has the authority and responsibility to provide for life safety and protection of property. Along with this operational response, we have the authority and responsibility to work with local cooperators and property owners to mitigate wildfire risk. In addition to protecting life and property, wildfire mitigation can also improve firefighter safety as well as help protect at-risk populations, critical infrastructure, cultural sites, and natural resources.

While adjacency to public lands (forests, brushlands and grasslands) can impact wildfire risk, there are ways to impact and reduce wildfire risk from within the community as well. This includes a focus on our local codes and ordinances, home ignition zones, defensible space, ignition resistant construction and design standards, as well as hazardous fuels reduction in parks, common-owned areas, and open spaces.

In order to assist all entities interested in wildfire matters within the County of Santa Clara, a countywide Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) was created by many varied and interested stakeholders. Some reasons for developing a CWPP include:

Outline a mitigation and preparedness plan to work toward reducing wildfire risk
Establish collaborative relationships with federal and state agencies as well as local stakeholders BEFORE an event occurs
Develop pre-attack plans or WUI tactical maps for suppression personnel to improve firefighter readiness and safety
Document planning and projects for garnering grant success

Santa Clara County FireSafe Council

Development of the CWPP is rooted in facilitated collaboration among local, state, and federal officials, as well as non-governmental stakeholders and private citizens. The 2023 Santa Clara County CWPP identifies potential priority areas where mitigation measures are needed to protect from wildfire the irreplaceable life, property, and critical infrastructure within the County. This project is being coordinated by the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council.

Project Website

To view the most current revised CWPP, visit the project website.

What is an Annex?

The CWPP annexes accompany the countywide CWPP. They offer information and project recommendations tailored to specific geographical planning areas designed to mitigate wildfire risk. Each annex is updated collaboratively, drawing on data and information found in the Countywide CWPP as well as local knowledge and expertise from community stakeholders.

Annex Updates

Below, you will find links to previous versions of CWPP annexes. Stakeholder groups are working to update annexes now, with a goal to complete work by the end of 2024. Updates will be available on the CWPP project website as they are completed.

Annex 1 Santa Clara County Fire Department Introduction

Annex 2 South Santa Clara County Fire District Introduction

Annex 3 City of Palo Alto
Annex 4 Los Altos Hills County Fire District – updated 2019
Annex 5 Saratoga Fire Protection District
Annex 6 City of Saratoga – updated 2019
Annex 7 City of Cupertino
Annex 8 Town of Monte Sereno – updated 2019
Annex 9 Town of Los Gatos – updated 2019
Annex 10 City of San Jose
Annex 11 City of Morgan Hill
Annex 12 City of Gilroy
Annex 13 Unincorporated Areas Without Local Fire Protection