June 2025
From Seth Schalet, Santa Clara County FireSafe Council CEO
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Half the year is behind us, the other half in front. What will it bring? Wildfires Are Raging in the Canadian Prairies: What to Know. I would be remise if I didn’t mention our friends up North in Canada, whose first half of the year began with approximately over 160 wildfires active across the country in mid-May 2025, primarily in Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan. Fires continued to form and spread in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador forcing thousands to evacuate, and Manitoba and Saskatchewan declared respective states of emergency on May 28 and May 29. Smoke from wildfires in Canada has spread more than 5,000 miles. In the past week, it has reached parts of Russia and Europe. Interestingly, a new study projects that increasing wildfires in Canada and Siberia will actually slow global warming. As of May 30, Canada has had 1,377 declared wildfires. Why are so many of Canada’s wildfires burning ‘out of control’?
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Since our last newsletter, the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council team has been “on fire.” Couldn’t resist that pun. The team has seamlessly moved from the completion of our Forest Health Grant #1 project into scaling up our Forest Health Grant #2 project. We have also added 20,000 additional acres to our West Santa Clara Landscape Resilience Project, for a total of 130,000 acres we will cover under CalVTP, aka our WSCLRP PSA. Our Mount Madonna/Summit Road Project team is making great progress, as is our LAHCFD team on chipping, HIZs and the Moody/Almonte evacuation route, we have led multiple “Why Go Firewise” events, and we are starting with our next wave of Aldercroft Heights related work now. Well done, SCCFSC team!
| | | May was a busy month for our community engagement and outreach efforts. First, thank you to San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan for the invitation to join him, San José Fire Department Chief Robert Sapien Jr. & Santa Clara County Fire Department Chief Suwanna Kerdkaew and the Mayors of the County of Santa Clara to discuss wildfire risk analysis, mitigation efforts, and community engagement programs available through the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council on May 16th at San Jose’s first class, state of the art emergency management center and training facility. Terrific meeting, informative and collaborative dialogue. | |
Then it was back to San Jose on May 20th to participate in the San Jose City Council Wildfire Planning & Preparedness Study Session. Special recognition and thanks to San José Fire Department Captain Anthony Ibarra for coordinating this event and leading the presentation. Also to Fire Chief Robert Sapien Jr. and Fire Marshal James Dobson. Thanks to "Box Buddies", Santa Clara County Fire Department and Deputy Chief Brian A. Glass, San José State University's Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center's Craig Clements, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) SCU Unit Chief Marcus Hernandez, the City of San Jose's Lee Wilcox and Rachel Roberts. Video & slides here.
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Also on May 20th, I attended the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors regular monthly board meeting where they approved Supervisor Otto Lee’s Item# 11 Referral. Under advisement from October 17, 2023 (Item No. 13): Receive report relating to a wildfire detection sensor pilot program. (Office of the County Executive) (ID# 123964). It was approved and increased from an initial 30 N5 Sensors to 50 N5 Sensors.
Special thank you to Supervisor Lee and the rest of the Board of Supervisors for your vision and support. Thank you to Shawn Whittman for leading this project for Santa Clara County and to Deputy County Executive, John Mills for your stewardship and engagement. Thank you to Los Altos Hills County Fire District General Manager J Logan for your partnership and collaboration as well as to all those that were part of this project from the various county agencies. My sincere gratitude. Here is some press this has received:
AI-boosted smoke-sniffing wildfire sensors approved for Santa Clara County.
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I want to thank Assemblymember Gail Pellerin and Councilmember George Casey for inviting me to speak on May 15th at their Wildfire Home Hardening Town Hall. It was an honor to share the stage with friends and partners from San José Fire Department, Santa Clara County Fire Department, UCANR, Komodo Fire Systems, Inc. Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and Design Visionaries. Thank you to SCCFSC employee extraordinaire Tara Wallichs for your support and accompaniment at this event.
Many thanks to all those that made this event such a success: Mary Anne Groen Lauren Babich Hannah Bar-Ness and the teams of Assemblymember Pellerin and Councilmember Casey. Watch the event here.
| Finally, as you may recall from our previous press release, we continue to make progress with our partnership with NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley to predict vegetation most at risk for casting of burning embers, and to incorporate this technology into Santa Clara FireSafe Council’s fuel treatment assessments. | |
This collaboration will provide a critical lens on which vegetation communities and project treatment areas are most at risk for producing dense embers that are likely to ignite destructive wildfires spreading into the urban interface zones. Thank you to our NASA partner, Christopher Potter, for all your engagement and support in this. See Mercury News story here: New map shows Bay Area locations with highest risk of ember-driven wildfires.
| | | Included in this newsletter are articles, podcasts, and research studies I enjoyed, and hope you will as well. | |
Ok, that’s a wrap for this month. Thanks for reading and now, let’s hear from the team.
Yours truly,
Seth Schalet
CEO, Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
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Chipping Program
Spring 2025 Chipping Program is now complete.
Planning for the annual fall chipping program is starting soon. Please check our website for upcoming updates. Learn More
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SCCFSC Cost Share Programs —
Neighbor-to-Neighbor &
Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP)
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The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council offers two different cost sharing programs to qualified residents, the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Cost Share Program and the Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP).
Our Neighbor-to-Neighbor Cost Share Program is awarding mini-grants to neighborhoods for local fire prevention projects. Neighborhoods can receive up to 50% in cost-share assistance (max $2,500). Funding is limited and awarded on a first come, first served basis.
Our Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP) is also offering up to $2,500 per applicant to help eligible residents improve defensible space around their homes. For 2025, eligibility is based on location within Communities at Risk or high fire severity zones in Santa Clara County.
| | | Firewise USA™ Community Spotlight: Sveadal | | | |
The Swedish American Patriotic League's Sveadal property is proud to be a recognized Firewise USA™ community through the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council (SCCFSC). Now in their third year, the Sveadal community has remained committed to wildfire preparedness and resilience.
"We’re proud of the progress we’ve made to help protect our structures and natural surroundings,” shared a community representative. “The guidance from SCCFSC—especially around Home Ignition Zones (HIZ) and prioritized prevention tips—has helped us stay focused on what matters most.”
Sveadal’s success is a true community effort. “We know the only way to preserve this place for future generations is if everyone takes ownership—both of our shared spaces and our individual cabins. Training and education give us the tools to respond with confidence instead of panic."
👏 Hats off to Sveadal for your dedication to safety, preparedness, and shared responsibility!
| | | Want to help your neighborhood become Firewise USA™? Email firewise@sccfiresafe.org to learn how to get started. Let’s keep building a safer, stronger community together! | | | |
Wildfire Preparedness Webinar
Thursday, June 12th · 6:00 – 7:30 PM PDT
Location: Virtual Online
As part of our Community Ambassador Program, we’ve partnered with the Santa Clara County Fire Department to offer this free 90-minute educational webinar. Learn how to reduce wildfire risk and prepare your home, family, and neighborhood.
Topics include:
- Home hardening & defensible space
- Community readiness (Firewise USA®)
- Emergency alerts & evacuation planning
Be ready. Get set. GO!
👉 Register here to reserve your spot.
| | | Los Gatos Creek Watershed Collaborative Forest Health Grant Update | | | |
Burn Bot Progress Continues
Work with the Burn Bot continued throughout May on Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) and San Jose Water (SJW) properties, as part of our strategic push to scale up safe, effective prescribed burns and vegetation management. We're currently in Phase 2 of the project, with approximately 7% of the total work completed.
To date, we've completed:
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11 acres in MROSD
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19 acres in SJW properties
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25 acres in Aldercroft (Contractor credit to Denali Tree Service)
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16.4 acres in Lupin Lodge (Contractor credit to Denali Tree Service)
| Picture of Burn Bot crew and Operations Manager Dave Manson. Photo credits Rosie Eisner. | Photos at MROSD El Sereno. Photo credits Dave Manson. | |
Spotlight on Napa County Burn
Earlier this month, Operations Manager Mike Mathiesen participated in a successful controlled burn near Angwin in Napa County. Led by Napa Firewise and partners, the burn treated over 100 acres to reduce wildfire risk and enhance forest health.
Check out the full story here:
Napa controlled burn brings forest benefits, hiking access
View on Instagram
| Photo from Napa Firewise instagram of SCCFSC Operations Manager Mike Mathiesen (blue pants) and others. | | |
Mt. Madonna/Summit Road Phase IV
Escape Route
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The Mt. Madonna/Summit Road Escape Route Phase IV project began on May 27th and concluded on June 5th, 2025. This final phase, completed by Huerta's Tree Service, treated 12.36 acres of roadside vegetation along approximately 2 miles of Madonna/Summit Road, from Loma Prieta Road to Maymens Flat Road.
Located along the Santa Clara/Santa Cruz County line, this marks the completion of a multi-phase effort that began in 2021 to connect Mt. Madonna County Park to Loma Prieta Road and improve emergency access and egress in the area. Learn More
| Check out this amazing side-by-side video of before and after views of the Mt. Madonna/Summit Road Escape Route Phase IV project. | | | Aldercroft Heights Community Roadside Vegetation Clearance Project | | | |
We began the Aldercroft Heights Community Roadside Vegetation Clearance Project on Monday, June 9th.
Please expect minor delays as crews work along roads throughout the community to reduce hazardous vegetation and improve wildfire safety and emergency access.
Learn More
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Moody/El Monte Rd.
Evacuation Route
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The Moody - El Monte Evacuation Route Maintenance Project began on June 9th and will go until June 20th. This will be the second project of the series for the calendar year and will treat approximately 15 miles of roadside vegetation. Learn More
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Deodar Cedar
(Cedrus deodara)
Deodar cedars contribute to urban ecosystems by providing moderate to dense shade, which can reduce urban heat islands. Their seeds attract squirrels, and the dense foliage offers shelter for various bird species. Additionally, they play a role in carbon sequestration and improving air quality in urban settings. Deodar cedars have moderate fire resistance. Their thick bark can protect against low-intensity fires, but the dry fruit and needle litter can pose a fire hazard if not managed properly. In fire-prone areas, it’s advisable to maintain a defensible space by removing fallen debris and avoiding planting them too close to structures.. Learn More
| | | Intern Spotlight: Congratulations to Hannah! | | | |
We are proud to celebrate the accomplishments of one of our recent interns, Hannah, who graduated from Cabrillo College as an Honors Scholar, earning Associate degrees in Liberal Arts & Sciences and General Science.
This fall, Hannah will be continuing her academic journey at UC Santa Barbara, where she plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies.
During her internship with the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council, Hannah made valuable contributions across several areas:
- Shadowed project managers on key initiatives
- Supported field operations focused on fuels reduction
- Gained hands-on experience with the GIS Field Maps application
- Assisted in conducting and writing up Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) assessments
- Played a vital role in organizing and executing a large-scale project site tour attended by over 50 participants, including media and government representatives
We are incredibly proud of Hannah’s dedication and growth during her time with us, and we look forward to seeing all she accomplishes in the future. Congratulations, Hannah!
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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.
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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.
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