COACH NEARLY LOST HIS HOME TO A FAST MOVING FIRE, AND NOW HE IS TEAMING UP WITH FIRE OFFICIALS TO HELP WARN OTHERS. ABC SEVEN NEWS SOUTH BAY REPORTER ZACH FUENTES HAS THE STORY. >> BURN SCARRING CREATED MORE THAN A WEEK AGO. STILL SMELLS LIKE SMOKE IN THIS LOT IN LOS GATOS. OF COURSE, OUR CONCERN IS THAT WITH IT BEING THIS CLOSE, DOES IT JUMP THE DRIVEWAY? TYRONE WILLINGHAM, THE FORMER STANFORD HEAD FOOTBALL COACH, LIVES JUST NEXT DOOR TO IT. >> MY LANDSCAPER CAME AND SAID, SOMETHING'S GOING ON, OKAY? AND THEN I RUN AROUND THE CORNER TO SEE WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT. AND THEN AS SOON AS YOU TURN THE CORNER, YOU SEE THIS BILLOW OF SMOKE AND YOU SAY, THAT'S A PROBLEM. >> ALLEN, WHO OWNS AND LIVES NEXT TO THE PROPERTY, SAID CONTRACTORS WERE WORKING ON A FENCE WHEN THEIR TOOLS HIT REBAR AND SPARKED A FIRE. THE FIRE WAS MOVING QUICKLY. >> LUCKILY, WE HAD CUT THE GRASS ABOUT TEN DAYS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT HAPPENING. >> A MEASURE THAT SANTA CLARA COUNTY FIRE OFFICIALS SAVED NOT JUST ALLEN'S HOME, BUT THE REST OF HER COMMUNITY. >> ANY STRUCTURES THAT YOU HAVE, WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND CUTTING THE GRASS DOWN BELOW FOUR INCHES UH- GETTING DOWN TO DIRT IF YOU CAN, MAKE SURE YOUR SHRUBS, OR YOUR DEAD. SHRUBS ARE TAKEN OUT. BASICALLY WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS ELIMINATE ANY FUEL, IN THAT AREA BECAUSE THAT WILL HELP CREATE THAT DEFENSIBLE SPACE THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. >> THOUGH CALIFORNIA HAS SEEN PLENTY OF RAIN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, OFFICIALS SAY MORE ACRES ARE LIKELY TO BURN BECAUSE THERE'S MORE VEGETATION. >> WHEN A FIRE OCCURS, IT MOVES SO FAST THAT BY THE TIME THE FIRE SUPPRESSION CREWS GET ON SCENE, WE'RE TRYING TO FIND THE EDGES AND PUT IT OUT. WE'RE TRYING TO STOP THE FIRE. SO THIS IS WHERE THE DEFENSIBLE SPACE REALLY HELPS. >> WHETHER YOU LIVE NEAR AN OPEN SPACE LIKE THIS ONE THAT BURNED OR HAVE A HOME IN THE CITY, FIRE OFFICIALS WANT EVERYONE THIS YEAR TO STAY PROACTIVE, WILLINGHAM SAID. THIS CLOSE CALL IS A REMINDER TO HIMSELF AND HOPES OTHERS ALSO RECEIVE THE MESSAGE. >> REGARDLESS OF WHAT ZONE YOU'RE IN. IF YOU HAVE THE DRY VEGETATION, IF YOU ADD DEAD PLANTS, IT'S HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO GO AHEAD AND MITIGATE THOSE AND GET RID OF THOSE