Wildfire Won't Wait: Act Now

Living near California’s natural areas means facing a higher chance of wildfires. Keep your home and family safe and help minimize wildfire impacts in our community with expert advice from California's Department of Forestry & Fire Protection.

Wildfire Preparedness Tools

Our Actions to Mitigate Wildfire Risks

The City of Belmont is dedicated to mitigating wildfire risks and has prioritized this through our annual strategic planning process since 2020. Check out the latest updates in our City Council presentation on fire safety in Belmont.

Every year, City crews conduct hazardous fuel reduction in our open space, rights-of-way, and other city-owned lands. In addition, since 2010, we have partnered with CAL FIRE inmate crews for supplemental fuel reduction work. Altogether, this has led to the removal of 100 to 200 acres of hazardous fuels annually.

In 2022 and 2024 respectively, the City secured a Fire Prevention Grant (CAL FIRE) and a Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant (FEMA), both allocating funds for (1) the planning and execution of contracted vegetation management and fuel reduction work in our urban-wildland interface and (2) fire safety outreach.

In 2024, the City completed an Open Space CEQA Analysis and Treatment Prescription Plan and shortly thereafter, filed a CEQA Notice of Exemption for its proposed scope of work. The first associated request for proposals (RFP) for fuel reduction services was published in early 2025, with a second RFP forthcoming. All fuel reduction work proposed by the Treatment Prescription Plan will be conducted while protecting biological and cultural resources, as outlined in the Plan.

The City also strives to support and inform residents on this topic. Since 2022, we have conducted an annual Fire Safety Chipping Program encouraging residents in targeted neighborhoods to remove hazardous fuel from their properties. In 2025, this program was expanded to serve all residents west of Alameda de las Pulgas. In addition, the City launched this web page in early 2025 and will be sending out a residential mailer, both intended to increase knowledge of fire preparedness tips and resources.

Many of these initiatives are spearheaded by the City's Parks and Recreation Department. For questions, please contact (650) 595-7441 or parksrec@belmont.gov.

More Preparedness Tools

• Home hardening: Get stared with the Wildfire Home Retrofit Guide, CAL FIRE's Low-Cost Retrofit List, and Primer on Home Hardening Against Wildfire.
• Fire-safe landscaping: Check out CAL FIRE's landscaping tips and learn about oak trees' fire-resistant properties
• Fire insurance: The Wildfire Risk Reduction and Asset Protection (WRAP) Resource Center helps property owners access fairly priced insurance and the FAIR Plan provides basic fire coverage for high-risk properties when traditional insurance companies will not
• Wildfire zone inspections: Property owners adjacent to open space are noticed annually by San Mateo Consolidated Fire; for questions, please contact (650) 522-7940; learn how to prepare your property before an inspection here
• More local tips: Fire Safe San Mateo County provides tools specific to urban-wildland interfaces like Belmont
• Resources for all types of emergencies in Belmont: From floods to earthquakes to fires--plan ahead and stay informed with the City's general emergency resources