OCTOBER AT A GLANCE
Upcoming training, meetings & opportunities
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Firewise USA®
Office Hours with
Andrea Constantine
October 2nd
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
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S-212 Wildland Fire Chainsaw
4-Day Course
October 10, 2026
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
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Guest Presenter at Monthly Board Meeting
October 20th
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
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From Our CEO
Seth Schalet
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The summer months tend to be filled with community events, outreach, and opportunities for the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council team to engage with residents, partners, and leaders across the region. August was especially action-packed, as seen in our in our FireSafe Council in the Community section with a number of exciting opportunities to advance wildfire resilience and strengthen partnerships.
I had the honor to attend and present at the California Fire Prevention Officers Association meeting at Stanford University's Emergency Operations Center. Thank you to Rich Dean for the invitation. It was a great opportunity to connect with fire prevention professionals from across the state. I especially enjoyed spending time with Palo Alto Fire Department Chief Steve Lindsey and fellow California Fire Safe Council board member and CAL FIRE Deputy Director Frank Bigelow, and hearing their perspectives on wildfire preparedness and prevention.
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I also had the opportunity to update the group on SCCFSC programs, including some of the state's largest wildfire resilience projects, as well as our growing technology reseller portfolio: XyloPlan, Fire Aside, Paladin, N5 Sensors, Inc., SenseNet Inc., Ladris, OroraTech, Komodo Fire Systems, Inc., and AirMetrix.
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On the legislative front, SB 973, which establishes a County Coordinator framework, passed on August 27 and is now on its way to the Governor's desk. A big thank you to Senator Josh Becker and his staff for sponsoring the legislation and for their continued engagement throughout the process.
OK, let's make it a wrap for me. The Santa Clara FireSafe Council team has been pedal to the metal this summer, making hay while the sun shines. We have several exciting new partnerships to announce soon, so stay tuned. Enjoy the research, articles, podcasts, and videos—and now, take it away team!
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South Bay
Prescribed Burn Association
Upcoming Courses and Trainings:
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S-212 Wildland Fire Chainsaws - October 2026
Applications for the S-212 Wildland Fire Chainsaws course have now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted an application!
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Pile Burning Workshop & Air Quality/Burn Permitting Course - November 7, 2026
Registration will be opening soon for our upcoming Pile Burning Workshop & Air Quality/Burn Permitting course, taking place November 7, 2026, in Palo Alto.
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Wildfire County Coordinator Program | | | |
Two Counties.
One Firewise Goal!
Wednesday, September 16th
6:00–7:00 PM
The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council is teaming up with the FireSafe Council of Santa Cruz County for a joint Firewise USA® Application Renewal Zoom Presentation!
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Community Ambassador Program —
Educational Series
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Firewise USA®
Office Hours with
Andrea Constantine
Friday, October 2nd
12:00–1:00 PM
| | | | Have questions about Firewise USA® ? Join our monthly Firewise Office Hours to get answers, learn about the recognition process, and discuss ways to reduce wildfire risk in your neighborhood. | | | | |
Board Meeting Guest Presenter Lineup
Tuesday, October 20th
1:30 PM
Join us at our monthly Board Meeting for a special presentation by Caitlin Fong, Ph.D., who will share her research on wildfire evacuation challenges. The presentation will be followed by an audience Q&A, providing an opportunity to learn more and ask Caitlin your questions.
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Fall Community
Chipping Program
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OPEN NOW!
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Registration for our Fall Community Chipping Program opened on Tuesday, September 8th, for all Saratoga and County Fire residents!
Thank you to those who have already registered. As usual, a waitlist will be available once registration fills up.
We are looking forward to another successful season of fuel reduction! Learn More
| | | | PROJECTS IN YOUR COMMUNITY | | | |
Los Gatos Creek Watershed Collaborative Forest Health Grant | | | |
East Branch:
The Guadalupe Division of the East Branch has been completed. A total of over 300 acres were treated using a mixture of handwork and mechanical. Denali Tree Service did an excellent job completing this division of the project, consistently delivering high quality work on schedule.
Learn More
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Arastradero Evacuation Route Maintenance Project | | | The Arastradero Evacuation Route Maintenance Project has been completed as of Friday, September 11th after 4 days of work. This will be the fifth project of the series for the calendar year and will treat approximately 5.6 miles of roadside vegetation. Learn More | | | | |
Magdalena-Eastbrook Evacuation Route Project | | | The Magdalena-Eastbrook Evacuation Route Project is currently in the project planning phase. The project will be the sixth one of the series for the calendar year. We are accepting Right of Entries (ROE) for this project. Learn More | | | | |
Magdalena/I-280 Interchange Project | | | The Magdalena/I-280 Evacuation Route Project is currently in the project planning phase. Initial treatment is set to start on Monday October 26th until November 6th, and will be the sixth project of the series for the calendar year. This project will treat approximately 1.1 linear miles, 2.2 treated miles, and 17 acres of roadside fuels. Learn More | | | | |
Chemeketa Park Roadside Vegetation Clearance Project | | | |
Project work has kicked off in Chemeketa Park as of Labor Day week, beginning with redwoods removals on main access roads that will make ingress and egress safer for large emergency vehicles. The work is continuing with more roadside fuel removal in and around the community roads. Please be patient as crews work along the narrow roads and expect minor traffic delays. We appreciate your cooperation. Learn More
| | | FIRESAFE COUNCIL
IN THE COMMUNITY | | Seth from the FireSafe Council and Michelle from Chemeketa Park Firewise community recently joined the Santa Clara County Fire Department’s final Wildfire Preparedness Workshop in Los Altos Hills. | | | Seth and Tara from the FireSafe Council joined District 5 Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga, Congressman Sam Liccardo, and Saratoga Mayor Chuck Page for the August 12th Wildfire Safety Townhall in Saratoga. | | | |
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Valley Oak (Quercus Iobata)
The valley oak, ranging over the interior valleys of California, grows into the largest of North American oaks. Similar to other California oak species, the valley oak is considered highly resilient to low and mid-intensity wildfires, and moderately resilient to high-intensity wildfires. Learn More
| | | | | Red Flag Warnings signal dangerous weather conditions that can contribute to extreme wildfire behavior. Monitor local alerts, follow guidance from emergency officials, and be prepared to act quickly if conditions change. Evacuating early before evacuation orders is recommended to avoid being trapped. | | HELP BUILD A MORE FIRE-ADAPTED COUNTY | | |
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.
| | | | 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. | | | | |
