By Scott Wong

The Los Altos Hills City Council should not act on an updated town pathways and easements plan without the full involvement of local and state fire officials, said one regional fire-safety expert.

The 2002 Master Path Plan, an update of the plan last revised in 1981, could be approved by council at its meeting tomorrow; but has been criticized by some residents for omitting dozens of miles of paths and eliminating some existing easements.

Pathways and easements can provide an emergency line of defense for fire prevention and management, said Ray Moritz, a Bay Area fire ecologist and member of the California Assembly science panel.

Moritz said residents should be concerned that council has not “sat down” with fire officials.

“It’s different than riding without a motorcycle helmet. If you crash, you only hurt yourself,” Moritz said. “But fire safety affects more than just yourself. It affects the entire community.”

One council member dismissed Moritz’s findings and said she “would not take outside advice.”

“We consult with fire officials on a regular basis,” said Councilwoman Toni Casey. “The fire department has not even approached us with any information that we are providing a fire danger.”

Though she hasn’t reviewed Moritz’s report on the revised map plan submitted to council Oct. 16, Casey said she’s satisfied with council’s approach to the pathways map.

“We’ve had eight public hearings. We’ve gone through a very rigorous process,” Casey said. “This update has had more public input than any (map) update in town history.”

Casey questioned Moritz’s expertise on the town topography, asking if he had ever “set foot” in Los Altos Hills.

Though he hasn’t inspected all of the trails, Moritz said he regularly works in the town and has taught fire prevention at the Los Altos fire department.

Some residents are worried that removing easements — small parcels on property lots available for the city’s use — could inhibit firefighters and prevent residents from escaping a major fire.

“I don’t see why (council) has to approve this plan right now,” said resident Taylor Vanderlip, an environmental consultant who lives on Fremont Pines. “They’re rushing through it.”

The easements are a moot point when it comes to fire prevention, according to Casey.

“We already have emergency roads and emergency exits in our town and none of those are being removed,” Casey said. “Were updating, we’re not removing a single pathway.”

Local fire officials said the only easements of significant value are those that can be driven down, like emergency access roads.

“Unless the vegetation is cleared 30-feet to 50-feet wide, I don’t know if (easements) would be of any great value as a fuel break,” said Dirk Mattern, Santa Clara County Fire Department deputy chief.

According to Casey, all easements removed from the proposed map have been done so voluntarily.

“Most residents want (easements) gone. Those that didn’t — we kept them,” Casey said. “There are a lot of easements that were retained because of public support.”

Casey said the issue of fire safety has come up in public hearings, but residents testified that human traffic from additional pathways would increase “ignition risks.”

“Most fires are caused by humans,” she said.

However, Moritz’s report referenced a trail-use report issued by Sonoma County, which found, “No ignitions were associated with open space trails.”

The town’s development pattern, with large parcels of land only accessible from cul-de-sacs off perimeter roads, complicates and makes fire protection more difficult, Moritz said.

“It’s unusual and quite different from suburban and urban layouts — it’s a hilly area,” he said. “When you bring in resources from out of town from all over the state, it’s difficult for those resources to handle the peculiar system of roads.”

Improved pathways could be used to provide a continuous line of defense for the fire service, Moritz added.

But eliminating easements creates more discontinuity and breaks up potential pathways along roads, which disrupts roadside fuel management, Moritz said.

Ultimately, council can make any decision it wants to, but Moritz advised it be one that is “very well-informed.”

“It’s very important that the decision-makers have all of the facts before them before they make a decision and the town should too,” he said.