Wildfire safety
Your resource hub for wildfire information and wildfire incidents in Santa Clara County.
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A wildfire is an unplanned fire that burns in a natural area such as a forest, grassland, or prairie. Wildfires are often caused by human activity or a natural phenomenon such as lightning, and they can happen at any time or anywhere. 50% of wildfires recorded do not know how they started.
The risk of wildfires increases in extremely dry conditions, such as drought, and during high winds. Wildfires can disrupt transportation, communications, power and gas services, and water supply. They also lead to a deterioration of the air quality, and loss of property, crops, resources, animals and people.
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Prepare for wildfires
Harden your home and create defensible space
- Harden your home by using fire-resistant materials to build, renovate or make repairs.
- Find an outdoor water source with a hose that can reach any area of your property.
- Create a defensible space around your home and property that is free of leaves, debris or flammable materials for at least 30 feet from your home.
- Designate a room that can be closed off from outside air. Close all doors and windows. Set up a portable air cleaner to keep indoor pollution levels low when smoky conditions exist.
- Learn more about how to prepare for wildfire by visiting Cal Fire's Ready, Set, Go! Program.
- County of Santa Clara community members should contact their nearest fire department for more information on how to protect their homes from wildfire.
Strengthen your financial capability
- Gather financial and critical personal, household and medical information.
- Make hard and soft copies of all critical documents. Place paper into your emergency supply kits. Soft copies should be saved on a USB / flash drive and uploaded to the cloud for access.
- Keep a small amount of cash at home in a safe place for emergencies. It is important to have small bills on hand in case ATMs and credit cards stop working.
- Obtain property (homeowners or renters), health and life insurance if you do not have them.
- Review your policies to be sure the amount and types of coverage you have meet the requirements for all possible hazards. Homeowners insurance does not typically cover flooding, so you may need to purchase flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program.
- For more helpful financial preparedness tips, download the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) or contact us at [email protected] to pick up your copy.
Map your evacuation route
- Map several routes in opposite directions in case your first becomes inaccessible.
- Mark emergency resources, including shelters, grocery stores, hospitals, and police stations, along the way, and identify meeting spots if you become separated.
- Practice driving or walking the evacuation routes with your household and pets and identify any potential hazard or obstacle that may prevent you from using the route. Discuss ways to mitigate the challenges you may face on the route.
- Follow the instructions from local authorities. They will provide the latest recommendations based on the threat to your community and appropriate safety measures.
Stay safe during a wildfire
- Pay attention to emergency alerts and notifications for information and instructions.
- Evacuate immediately if authorities tell you to do so!
- If trapped, call 9-1-1 and give your location, but be aware that emergency response could be delayed or impossible. Turn on lights to help rescuers find you.
- Use an N95 mask to protect yourself from smoke inhalation or limit your exposure to smoke.
- For those with access and functional needs, including persons with a cognitive and physical disability, those with limited English proficiency, older adults and individuals with limited mobility, please call 9-1-1 for assistance.
What is the difference between an evacuation order and a warning?
- Evacuation Order – Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to leave now. The area is lawfully closed to public access.
- Evacuation Warning – Potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate and those with pets and livestock should leave now.
If there were a aeed to evacuate, how would I be notified?
- Emergency Alert - via cellular and landline phone. Ensure you are registered to receive emergency alerts.
- Social Media - messages will be issued via Nextdoor, Twitter, and Facebook.
- Law Enforcement – Depending on the urgency of the evacuation and available resources, law enforcement may canvas neighborhoods and broadcast an evacuation message via loudspeaker.