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County fire: 445 Monte Sereno parcels flagged for wildland‑urban interface inspections
Summary
Santa Clara County Fire Department told the council that roughly 445 parcels in Monte Sereno are designated for wildland‑urban interface inspections under updated hazard maps and LRA designations; engine companies have completed initial inspections with minimal noncompliance reported.
Fire officials told the council the wildland‑urban interface (WUI) inspection program in Monte Sereno is driven by updated fire severity hazard zones and Local Responsibility Area (LRA) maps.
"Wildland urban interface inspections are driven off of, fire severity hazard zones and the new LRA maps that were adopted," Deputy Fire Chief Brian Glass told council. He said the maps identified about 445 parcels needing inspection and that engine companies were out conducting initial site visits. In the 70 inspections assigned to engine companies in the recent cycle, staff identified one noncompliant property.
Glass and Assistant Chief Dennis Lally characterized the inspections as educational and protective rather than punitive, noting the most common violations are overgrown vegetation and missing address signage. Council members asked whether the updated maps would reduce the parcel count; staff said they did not expect a large change for Monte Sereno and offered to follow up with the fire marshal with precise comparisons to prior map versions.
The department said community compliance has been high and recommended homeowners maintain defensible space, limb up trees and remove ground fuels in zoned areas to reduce wildfire risk.
