Design Mitigations for Fire

Wildfires are growing in frequency, intensity, and geographic reach, placing increasing risk on buildings in wildland–urban interface (WUI) communities. This webinar explores design-based mitigation strategies that can significantly reduce wildfire exposure and improve post-fire resilience, grounded in data and lessons learned from recent wildfire events.

The presentation highlights evidence-based approaches at three scales:

• Building scale: fire-resistant materials, assemblies, and detailing to limit flame and ember intrusion
• Parcel scale: defensible space, landscaping, topography, and setbacks that influence fire behavior near structures
• Community scale: neighborhood layout and firefighter access considerations

Case studies from the 2025 Los Angeles Fires and the 2021 Marshall Fire illustrate what worked, what failed, and why. By synthesizing current research, codes, and best practices, this session equips engineers with practical strategies to reduce wildfire vulnerability, enhance life safety, and strengthen long-term resilience in fire-prone regions.

Speaker:

Erica Fischer, Ph.D., P.E., is an Associate Professor and Glenn Willis Holcomb Professor in Structural Engineering at Oregon State University. Dr. Fischer’s research interests revolve around innovative approaches to improve the resilience and robustness of structural systems affected by natural and man-made hazards. Dr. Fischer performs research on a variety of different structural systems including steel, timber (CLT), composites (concrete-CLT and steel-concrete), and thin shells subjected to hazards such as earthquakes and fires. She is a voting member of AISC Task Committee 5 and AISC Task Committee 8.

NCSEA Webinars and Digital Events Cancellation and Refund Policies

Webinar Cancellation

By NCSEA: If a webinar is canceled by NCSEA, all registered attendees will be notified via email. NCSEA will issue a full refund if the event cannot be rescheduled. If the event is rescheduled and a registrant can not attend on the rescheduled date, NCSEA will offer a credit in the amount of the purchase price.

By Registrant/Attendee: Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours in advance of the webinar (or the first webinar in the case of a series or bundle) and in writing via email (ncsea@ncsea.com) with the subject line “NCSEA Webinar Cancellation” and include the following in the body of the email: Title of Webinar, Order/Invoice Number, Name of Registrant, and Reason for Cancellation. No telephone refund requests will be accepted.

If the request has been approved, NCSEA can do one of the following:

• Refund the amount back to the original order payment method (a $25 cancellation processing fee will be assessed)

• Issue a full credit on the purchaser’s account that can be used towards a future webinar/event.

If you are unable to attend the webinar and the cancellation deadline has passed, a recording will be available (in most cases) in the Education Portal after the webinar has concluded.
Refunds are not granted due to attendee technology issues. It is your responsibility as the webinar attendee to test your computer setup prior to the start of the webinar.

On-Demand Purchases
All on-demand (recorded) webinars, courses, and series sales are final.