Environmental Governance and Climate Resilience 2020: Wildfires

In the summer of 2020, the Bill Lane Center for the American West hosted a virtual workshop on wildfire management. Speakers explored the challenges of preparing for and responding to wildfires during the coronavirus pandemic for a practitioner audience. During the June 25 panel, experts discussed training and safety among first responders battling wildfires during a pandemic. The June 30 keynote featured Dr. Sarah McCaffrey of the U.S. Forest Service exploring why homeowners should take active steps to mitigate their fire risk, and offered recommendations for community preparedness. The final panel on July 9 took up the human dimensions of responding to wildfires in the face of COVID-19, including evacuations, shelters and government coordination.

Panel, June 25: Wildfire Management and Preparation during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Panelists

• Don Gordon, Assistant Deputy Director, Cooperative Fire, Training, and Safety, CALFire
• Daryl L. Osby, Fire Chief, Los Angeles County Fire Department

Moderator

• Rebecca Miller, PhD Candidate, E-IPER

Keynote, June 30: What Motivates Homeowners to Mitigate Fire Risk? Lessons from Social Science

Speaker

• Sarah McCaffrey, Research Forester, USFS

Panel, July 9: Preparedness and Recovery: The Human Dimensions of Wildfires

Panelists

• Alma Bowen, Executive Director, Nuestra Comunidad
• Charles Brooks, Executive Director, Rebuild Paradise Foundation
• Luke Beckman, Division Disaster State Relations Director, American Red Cross

Moderator

• Rebecca Miller, PhD Candidate, E-IPER

Student Work

Students produced original research for the Winter 2020 course, "Environmental Governance and Climate Resilience," taught by Professors Bruce E. Cain and Len Ortolano. Each group dove head first into a topic related to Wildfire preparation, mitigation, or recovery as it relates to the Bay Area.