Fire officials offer workshop for residents of the hillsides

By Michelle Alaimo

Now that the fire season is under way, the Santa Clara County Fire Department is hosting a fire survival workshop on May 12 for hillside residents in the Los Gatos, Saratoga and Monte Sereno areas to help prepare them in the event of a fire.

The workshop, scheduled for the Monte Sereno Council Chambers from 6:30. to 9 p.m., has been offered for the past seven years but has typically had low turnout, SCCFD fire captain Todd Bruce said.

He said he hopes that memories of the Los Gatos Cats fire and the Saratoga Heights fire will help encourage residents to come to the workshop and learn more about the laws that pertain to them and how to protect themselves and their property.

The workshop will cover a wide variety of topics including vegetation clearance, evacuation, fire-safe landscaping, and how to establish or improve water supplies. Bruce said the department will also explain ordinances that pertain to those living in high-fire-danger areas such as the 30-foot ordinance.

The law requires that hillside homeowners clear overgrown and dead native vegetation for at least 30 feet from their home. Since non-native vegetation such as eucalyptus trees is highly flammable, the department encourages residents to plant fire-resistant plants around their homes. This includes plants that are low to the ground, drought-tolerant and don't produce a lot of dead vegetation and twigs, Bruce said.

He adds that the Los Gatos Cats fire of 1997 is a good example of what happens when a 30-foot defensible space is not cleared around a home, and conditions are ripe for a wildfire--three homes were destroyed in the 15-acre blaze.

In addition to attending the workshop the SCCFD offers free property inspections. This includes a complete inspection of the property, noting what needs to be improved upon. Bruce said the inside of a home can be inspected at the same time for fire hazards including checking smoke detectors to make sure they work properly.

For more information on the workshop or to request a free property inspection, call the Santa Clara County Fire Department at 378-4010.

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