105-D. 100-foot clearance letter.pdfFIRE DEPARTME114T
A SANTA CLARA C."OUlYne
14700 Winchester Blvd., Los Gatos, CA 95032-1818
(408) 378-4010 - (408) 378-9342 (fax) - mvkv.sccfd,org
i I February 2011
Re.
Dear Property Owner:
The fire season will be upon us in a few short months. We must not become complacent when it
comes to protecting our hornes from hillside fires. Your property, as referenced above, is located in
the designated Wildland-Urban Interface, Fire Area and preparations for your home need to occur
Over the next few months. This information is being sent to all owners of lionnes in hillside locations
in all effort to iMprove the chances of homes in these areas surviving as fire. Included with this letter,
please find a separate postcard, which i,,,, to be completed and returned.
Creating and maintaining defensible space oil your property will significantly increase the chances of
your home surviving a hillside fire. This is accomplished by rernovitig the flammable native brush,
native vegetation, and dry grass adjacent to structin-es. Your property identified above is located in
the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VI-IFIISZ) of the Wildland-Urban Interface Area as
determined by Cal Fire. State law now requires a Defensible Space of 100 feet around homes and
any accessory strilctures, in the VIJFI-ISZ Area, The Santi Clara County Fire Chief's Association lias
developed the following list of both required and reconiniended preventative measures. When
completed, Your property will be in compliance with the applicable regulations, which will greatly
reduce the risk of loss or darnage to your horne in the event of hillside fire. If you would like more
inforination about creating 100 feet ot'defensible space, please contact us at (408) 378-4010 or go to
www.fire.ca.gov
Enforced Siffety.Regulations (Reins A-F)
A. Create 100 feet of Defensible Space around your home. To accomplish this, create a Green
Zone by clearing all flammable vegetation 304ect around structures. Additionally, create a
Reduced File[ Zone for (lie remaining 70 feet or to your property fine.
13. Clear ornamental shrubs and trees of'dead leaves and branches.
C. Remove ,all pine needles and leaves From roofs, eaves and rain gutters.
1). Trim tree limbs 104'eet from chinineys or stovepipes, and remove dead limbs that hang over
rooftops.
E. Cover chimney outlets or- flues with a 1/2" mesh spark arrester.
Post a clearly visible house address, using at least. 4" high numbers, for easy identification.
Organized as the Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District
Serving S(mlu Clao County and the communities of Carnpbell, Cupertino, Los Altos,
Los Ahos Hills, Los Gatos. Monte Serena Morgon Hill, and Saratoya
Additional Safety Recommendations
• Limb up trees 18-feet or taller 6-feet from the ground.
• Cut and remove very low growing tree limbs to prevent a fire on the ground from climbing up and
into the canopy of the trees that surround your home.
• Stack woodpiles a minimum of 30-feet from buildings, fences and other combustible materials.
• Clear vegetation and other flammable material from underneath decks. Enclose elevated decks
with fire -resistive materials.
• If you have any trees near power lines please contact PG&E at 1-800-PGE-5000 for a free
inspection. State Law requires vegetation clearance from electrical lines. For more information
please visit www_PGEcom. In most cases PG&E will trim or remove the tree at no cost to you.
• The Santa Clara County Fire Safe Council offers Defensible Space Chipping Programs to assist
homeowners, including special programs for qualified low-income, seniors and disabled
homeowners. For more information visit www.sccfiresafe.org
For ornamental shrubs and bushes adjacent to your home, we recommend planting a fire -retardant
variety. If there is a possibility that erosion may occur, any native vegetation that is removed should
be replaced with fire -retardant vegetation.
Please complete and return the enclosed postcard on or before April 1, 2011. Beginning the first
week of April, County Fire personnel will begin conducting inspections to advise property owners
who have not implemented the fire hazard abatement measures what work is necessary in order to be
in compliance with the applicable regulations. If you are unable to complete the required work due to
late season rains or other hardship, please contact our office as soon as possible.
You may complete the brush clearance work yourself, hire your own contractor, or you may request
to schedule our authorized contractor to perform the work. If you would like this service, please
check the appropriate box on the postcard or call (408) 378-4010 prior to April 1, 2011. If you
choose this option, the charges for this work will appear on your next property tax bill.
Please note follow-up inspections will be conducted on or after June 1, 2011 of properties that
did not have the Enforced Safety Regulations implemented at the time of the first inspection. If
you do not comply with items A, B, C and D of the Enforced Safety Regulations, the compliance
work will be completed by the authorized contractor of the City of Cupertino and the charges
for this service will appear on your next property tax bill.
If you would like to schedule a courtesy inspection with one of our inspectors or have additional
questions regarding the safety compliance of your property, please contact our Fire Prevention
Division at (408) 378-4010 or 1-800-800-1793.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping to establish a fire -safe community.
Sincerely,
Kenneth L. Waldvogel
Fire Chief