The Santa Clara County Fire Safe Council is proposing an Escape Route maintenance project on Black Road,
located in Los Gatos, California. The project implementation will serve to enhance fire resiliency by reducing ladder
fuels, creating shaded fuel breaks, reducing invasive species, and improving the escape route. In addition, this
project will add to Santa Clara County’s developing shaded fuel break system and provide opportunities to protect
or manage watersheds from future wildfires. Additionally, reducing competition in the understory and treating
hazardous trees where feasible will create a healthier and more vigorous forest.

Project Location:
The section of Black Road that we will be preforming Maintenance and will be done in two phases. Phase 1 starts at Lakeside Elementary School and ends at the Black Road entrance to Sanborn County Park. Phase two Starts at the Black Road entrance of Sanborn County Park and ends at the intersection where Black Road and Skyline Blvd meet. 

The project is 3.1 miles from start to finish, both sides of the road for a total length of 6.2 miles of treatable roadside vegetation.  Project duration will depend on several factors including availability of contractors and partners.

Project Dates:
● July 18th – Aug 5th

The purpose of this project is to have the SCCFSC organize the jurisdictions having authority (JHA) into a
cooperative partnership where each agency provides resources to accomplish a common goal.
JHA contributions may be resources, permissions and or funding to be determined by the agency
representative.

When outside vendors are needed SCCFSC will serve as the project coordinator, issue purchase orders
and pay invoices to selected contractors.

In order to increase the effectiveness of the escape route and to complete the work, we need community participation. To have the brush cleared along your parcel please sign and mail the RIGHT OF ENTRY PERMIT found below to:

Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
Attn: Black Road Fuel Break Project
14380 Saratoga Avenue
Saratoga, CA 95070-5953

Click on the graphic to download the file.

Goals for this project:

We will be preforming vegetation maintenance by clearing hazardous vegetation within 15’ – 30’ from the road edge to create a safe egress in the event of a fire.  This will also reduce the risk of a roadside fire escaping into the wildland.  This route is a vital evacuation route for park visitors as well as some residents who live along Skyline Blvd.  There are local distribution lines present along the entire corridor and transmission lines cross the project area. This project will provide continuity with other projects and working towards a cohesive network of fuel breaks and evacuation routes that are of the highest priority in our Countywide Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP).