The Town of Los Gatos takes its responsibility for minimizing risk from flood, fire, earthquake, or other disasters seriously. A few months ago, I began to notice “Flood evacuation route” signs. First I noticed it along Blossom Hill Road, close to the Highway 17 over crossing, and later on Lark Avenue. (Lexington Reservoir is located further down the highway and a break in the dam would bring tons of water screaming down the highway 17 corridor.) Seemed like a wise idea, given that we have that and also Vasona Lake right here.
Additionally, though, last week I saw a “Wildfire Evacuation Route” sign too. It was located on Prospect Avenue and Kimble Avenue, across from the new Sorellas housing development which is currently under construction by Summerhill (formerly the Holy Names Sisters convent and Casa Maria Montessori School).
If you live in a woodsy or mountainous area, the odds are good that your property is located in a zone earmarked as high risk for wildfires, and you’ve been notified that brush must be cleared 100 feet away from your house or structure annually to create “defensible space”. (Some of the best Los Gatos real estate can be found in those areas!) What isn’t always so apparent is where to go in the case of a wildfire. These new signs should help to improve safety in case of a serious fire.
You may not know that the town has some helpful resources online, too. You can find them here:
http://www.losgatosca.gov/1359/Fire-Safety-and-Wildfire-Preparedness
CalFire flier on creating 100′ of defensible space around your home (pdf)
Other helpful info:
Flood evacuation information on the town’s website
72-Hour Emergency Preparedness Kit Checklist (pdf)
Statement of purpose on the Los Gatos Prepared page:
Empowering Community Self-Sufficiency towards the ultimate goal of every resident and business in Los Gatos having the awareness, skills, and resources necessary to be self-sufficient in the event of an earthquake, fire, flood, or possible flu pandemic
