The Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) has announced that it will host the first-ever Wildfire Prevention Summit on May 4, 2021. This daylong, virtual event will cover the four primary causes of wildfire ignitions (arson, accidental, roadside and utility infrastructure) with a focus on roadside and utility infrastructure ignitions in the Western United States. Representatives from federal and state organizations and utility leaders from the states of California and Arizona will deliver presentations and serve on panels during the Summit, which is free to attend courtesy of the event’s Platinum Sponsor, Perimeter Solutions.

“The intent of the Wildfire Prevention Summit is to provide the opportunity for interchange and dialogue regarding current issues, best practices and emerging solutions,” says Chief Bob Roper, Policy Advisor for the WFCA. “The sessions during this event will share a national perspective and also provide an overview of regional, statewide and local initiatives.”

Chief Roper and Perimeter Solutions CEO Edward Goldberg will kick-off the event, providing a general overview on the current state of wildfires. Nearly two dozen speakers are scheduled to participate in the Summit, which will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Some of the featured sessions include:

· National Perspective of the Wildfire Problem, presented by Victoria Christiansen, Chief of the United States Forest Service

·  Utility Regulator Perspective of the Wildfire Problem, presented by Caroline Thomas Jacobs, Director, Wildfire Safety Division, California Public Utility Commission

·  Panel Discussion – Current Efforts and Challenges in Wildfire Prevention: Sumeet Singh, Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer at PG&E; Brian D’Agostino, Director of Fire Science and Climate Adaption, SDG&E; Donald Daigler, Director of Business Resiliency, Southern California Edison

Wes Bolsen, Business Director for Wildfire Prevention and Protection at Perimeter Solutions, will serve as the moderator for the utility panel discussion. “The 2020 wildfire season in the Western United States was one of the most active on record. Great strides have been made over the past few years with containing and reacting to active wildfires, but with the increase in intensity and frequency of wildfires, it is critical that we focus on the ignition sources and proactive approaches that departments of fire protection, utilities, transportation agencies, other businesses and even individuals take to preventing wildfires, and that is one of the messages we want to purvey during the Wildfire Prevention Summit,” says Bolsen.

For more information on the 2021 Wildfire Prevention Summit, and to see the full agenda and register to attend, visit www.wildfirepreventionsummit.com.