San Jose is Building Without a Fire Evacuation Plan—and Residents Are Trapped
The city just approved a major housing development in East Foothills near Alum Rock Avenue (Route 130), but there's no fire evacuation plan in place. That's a problem.
Alum Rock Avenue is designated "High Risk Fire" by the County Wildfire Protection Plan. Last year, a wildfire above the area triggered evacuation alerts for nearby neighborhoods. Yet the development is moving forward anyway. Here's the real issue: Route 130 is just four lanes total—two up the hills, two down. During a mandatory fire evacuation, families living in the foothills would be bottlenecked as they tried to get out, with 400–1,000 new residents also attempting to escape. Add gridlock, and emergency vehicles can't even get in or out.
The city and developer haven't coordinated with county officials to create a real evacuation and safety plan before breaking ground. State housing laws limit how much the city can push back, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't try to do so.
I started a petition asking San Jose Planning and the developer to pause construction until a Fire Evacuation & Safety Plan is completed for the entire East Foothills area. This isn't about stopping development—it's about doing it safely.
If you live in the area or think a four-lane road is a terrible evacuation route during a wildfire, this matters. What would you do if you were stuck up there with no way out? If this resonates with you, consider signing and sharing.