WUI FIRE INSTITUTE
Recent News
WUI Data Commons Discussion: Wildfire Resilience via Data Transparency
Frank Frievalt, director of the WUI FIRE Institute, recently participated in a discussion about the WUI Data Commons with experts from the insurance, fire service, catastrophe modeling, and actuarial professions. This initiative aims to enhance wildfire resilience for insurers and communities through data transparency, addressing the increasing impact of large and destructive wildfires on WUI communities and homeowners insurance markets. Other participants included Dr. Ian Giammanco from IBHS, Ryan Vigus from CSAA, and Nancy Watkins from Milliman.
WUI FIRE INSTITUTE
The Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fire Institute is a mission driven organization that seeks solutions to the Wildland Urban Interface fire problem through innovative research, training, and education to create safer and more fire resilient communities in California and the West.
A Message From Our Director
Bio & Resume
"The mission of the Cal Poly WUI Fire Institute is to help create the most fire resilient communities in the world.
We are experiencing the leading edge of a perfect storm created by unsustainable vegetative fuel loading, climate change, and expanded development in the wildland-urban interface (WUI). Failure to prepare for what is approaching will, at best, result in avoidable loss of life and unfathomable financial ramifications from property and utility loss that will devastate insurance, reinsurance, municipal bond, mortgage, and construction industries. At worst, we face an existential threat through irreparable damage to ecosystems in the Western US. Returning beneficial fire to these ecosystems is essential, but will remain politically unacceptable, unless we can concurrently and confidently induce fire resilience in our WUI communities.
It is a profound honor to join Cal Poly and contribute to the good work that faculty and staff have been doing for years in this space. The combined expertise of Cal Poly’s six colleges brings a unique and synergistic capability to solve “wicked” problems of the WUI. The foundational support of our utility partners has been invaluable; my intent is to develop additional support and collaboration with the full spectrum of stakeholders needed to fulfill the Institute’s mission."
Sincerely,
Frank L. Frievalt
LEARN BY DOING
Develop and evaluate methods of designing and managing forests and communities in ways that reduce wildfire severity and threats to human welfare and property while maintaining environmental and community health.
FIRE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Applying engineering and science-based solutions to fire management problems, including:
- Design and protection of the built environment
- Responder health and safety
- Social and economic factors
- Prescribed fire use in WUI environments
INFORMATION AND INTELLIGENCE
Gathering, analyzing, and dissemination of timely, actionable situational intelligence and information for practitioners, policy makers, municipalities, planning staff, and stakeholders.
RESEARCH
Multidisciplinary applied research for timely solutions to contemporary problems using science, technology, engineering, and analysis for projects like fuels monitoring and management; ecosystem responses to fuel treatment practices, and more.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Use Cal Poly’s Learn By Doing educational approach to connect students into the process of developing and applying solutions; and for providing advanced training for current and future workforce education, practitioners, regulators, and public preparedness and outreach.
WEBINARS
OUR TEAM
The Institute uniquely leverages faculty, staff, and students from across all six Colleges to educate, train and solve complex problems through an interdisciplinary, solutions-oriented approach. By bringing together teams of fire ecologists, architects, engineers, chemists and city planners, and many other disciplines, the Institute can address WUI fire issues in an integrated and holistic manner to spur innovation and novel solutions.
Contact Frank Frievalt, Director, at ffrieval@calpoly.edu for more information.
INSTITUTE SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
We seek to engage a broad range of stakeholders as sponsors and partners in the Institute. Sponsorship of the Institute will help financially support a dedicated team of professionals leading our efforts and enable us to carry out the critical research and action need to address the urgent WUI fire crisis impacting California’s communities.
Through partnerships, we will strengthen our collective knowledge and capacity for implementing solutions across the state. For more information about institute sponsors and partners or to become a partner or sponsor, contact Tim Northrop, Senior Development Director at tnorthro@calpoly.edu or (805) 801-6662.
EXTERNAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Institute is informed by an external advisory council representing government, academia, business, and nonprofit partners. We welcome diverse leadership and thought to create a coordinated, strategic approach to problem solving and to maximize our impact.