Wildfire defensible space in South Bay foothills (Santa Clara County): inspections, tree rules, programs

Who inspects, and against what

Santa Clara County Fire (Saratoga, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Campbell, unincorporated): free voluntary inspections for hillside owners; no enforcement program stated; 408-378-4010, info@sccfd.org. Los Altos Hills County Fire District: free Home Ignition Zone survey with rebate; 650-518-6068.

Standards are the state's (PRC §4291 / Gov Code §51182) plus local ordinance. Zone 0 is not yet an enforceable state rule (status), but several agencies here already inspect to it.

Programs you can use right now

• Santa Clara County FireSafe Council chipping — Fall 2026 registration open for Saratoga and the county fire district; free for WUI residents; register at reserve.chipperday.com/santa_clara; limbs to 4 inches, up to 100 cubic yards; no broom or acacia with seed. 408-975-9591. Program page
• SNAP cost-share — Up to $2,500 for chipping prep; Saratoga residents only; April–September or until funds are gone. 2026 cycle not confirmed. Program page
• Monte Sereno Hazardous Tree Removal Rebate — WUI parcels, listed fire-hazard species at 25 inches circumference or more, 50% up to $1,000. Program page
• Los Altos Hills County Fire District — Year-round chipping; third-Saturday vegetation drop-off at Foothill College; HIZ survey with rebate. Program page

Alerts: AlertSCC · evacuation zones at Genasys Protect. More on the resources page.

Tree ordinances vs. fire removal here

Los Gatos exempts removal or maintenance 'to conform with the implementation and maintenance of Defensible Space' for most protected trees; the most protected categories need a permit with a Fire Chief-direction finding. Saratoga's approval criteria include defensible-space removal within 100 feet in the WUI and ember-zone removal, fee waived, with Monterey pine and blue gum in the WUI 'may always be granted'; ember-zone removals need a recorded maintenance agreement. Monte Sereno, Cupertino, and Los Altos Hills have no fire exemption. Los Altos Hills protects heritage oaks with up to 5:1 replacement.

City-by-city table with thresholds, exemptions, and penalties →

What we see most on site visits

• Closed oak canopy and bay understory in the Saratoga and Los Gatos hills — pruning to clearance, thinning under the exemption where it applies.
• Monterey pine in decline from pitch canker across Monte Sereno and Los Altos Hills — removal, rebate-eligible in Monte Sereno.
• Annual grass and brush on the open slopes above Cupertino and the Palo Alto foothills — Zone 2 spacing.
• Eucalyptus along the older Los Gatos ranch roads — exempt under the defensible-space clause for most categories.

Towns

Saratoga · Los Gatos · Monte Sereno · Los Altos Hills · Cupertino hills · Palo Alto foothills · Campbell

Town pages are being added; the programs and ordinance notes above apply across the region.

How a visit works here

Text or call with the address and the notice or letter. The site consultation is $375 ($450 with a written opinion), scheduled within 7 days; the written Defensible Space Plan is $850 and includes a tree-by-tree table with permit status under the local ordinance. Fire-mitigation permit reports are $750–1,250. We don't sell or refer tree work. Services and pricing →