Description

A wildfire doesn’t have to reach a building to destroy it. Wind-driven embers can ignite a vulnerable vent, exposed eave, deck, or combustible landscaping, even after the fire front has passed. 

Is your next project designed to withstand those risks? 

Join wildfire specialists Yana Valachovic and Stephen Quarles, PhD, for a full-day webinar on protecting buildings, landscapes, and communities from wildfire. Discover why effective mitigation requires treating the structure and surrounding property as one connected system. 

You’ll learn how flames and embers ignite buildings; how to select, place, and maintain trees, shrubs, and grasses to reduce fire exposure; and how roofs, siding, decking, vents, windows, and under-eave areas perform under wildfire conditions. 

Explore practical strategies for new and existing construction, including ways to address nearby combustibles, sheds, ADUs, RVs, and retaining walls. You’ll also examine vulnerabilities unique to multifamily and commercial buildings. 

Finally, connect property-level protection to community-wide resilience through land-use planning, hazard assessments, and public education. 

Don’t wait until the next wildfire reveals a building’s weakest point. Learn how to identify vulnerabilities and make smarter design, construction, landscaping, and planning decisions before disaster strikes. 

Register now!

Agenda

Webinar instructions will be emailed 24-48 business hours before the date of the webinar.
Please log into the webinar 10-15 minutes before start time.


Wednesday, March 10, 2027
8:30 am – 4:00 pm PST (includes breaks)


Agenda:
Presented by Yana Valachovic and Stephen Quarles, PhD

 

Wildfire Basics and Current Issues 

  • Recent large-loss wildfires and their significance for planning 
  • Mitigation strategy progression: government, private sector and insurance industry response 
  • Causes and spread of wildfire 
  • Ignition scenarios in the built environment 
  • Evaluating hazard

Reducing the Vulnerability of the Built Environment: Overview 

  • Coupled approach: built environment and parcel-level actions 
  • Vegetation management 
    • Zones and goals/objectives  
    • Nomenclature differences 
    • Relevant regulations: PRC 4291 and others 
  • Built environment 
    • Relevant regulations 
    • Material and “assembly” response  
    • Reducing vulnerability 

Reducing the Vulnerability of the Built Environment: In-depth 

  • Vegetation management for a fire-resistant landscape 
    • Trees, shrubs and grasses: woody and non-woody 
    • Combustibility considerations 
    • Selection, placement and maintenance 
  • Built environment 
    • Embers: direct and indirect scenarios 
    • Components: roof, under-eave, exterior wall and attachments  
    • System issues 

Mitigation Strategies 

  • New vs. existing construction 
  • Vegetation and other combustibles on the property 
    • Creating discontinuity 
    • Sheds, ADUs and RVs 
    • Retaining walls 
  • Built environment 
    • Roof covering 
    • Local versus global replacement: siding and decking 
    • Noncombustible zone (vertical): use of flashing 
    • Under-eave enclosure 
    • Vent and window considerations 
    • Issues unique to multi-family and commercial buildings 

Community Issues 

  • Land Use Planning 
  • Assessment options: governmental, government sponsored and private/third-party 
  • Educational organizations 

 

Webinar Instructions 
 
All attendees must log-on through their own email – attendees may not watch together if they wish to earn continuing education credit. HalfMoon Education Inc. must be able to prove attendance if either the attendee or HalfMoon Education Inc. is audited.

Certificates of completion can be downloaded in PDF form upon passing a short quiz. A link to the quiz will be sent to each qualifying attendee immediately after the webinar. The certificate can be downloaded from the Results page of the quiz upon scoring 80% or higher.

Webinars are presented via GoToWebinar, an easy-to-use application that can be run on most systems and tablets. Instructions and login information will be provided in an email sent close to the date of the webinar. It is highly recommended that you download, install and test the application before the webinar begins by clicking on the link in the email.

GoToWebinar App requirements:  
Windows 10 or higher, macOS 11 or higher, Linux, Google Chrome OS

Web Browser: 
Google Chrome (most recent 3 versions) 
Microsoft Edge (most recent 3 versions)

Internet connection: 1 Mbps or better

Hardware: 2GB of RAM (minimum), 4GB or more of RAM (recommended)

For more information, visit the Support section at www.gotowebinar.com

Credits

Engineers
6.0 PDHs

Architects
6.0 HSW CE Hours

AIA - American Institute of Architects
6.0 HSW LUs

Landscape Architects
6.0 HSW CE Hours

LACES - Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System
6.0 HSW PDHs

ICC - International Code Council
0.6 CEUs (Fire)

This webinar is open to the public and is designed to qualify for 6.0 PDHs for professional engineers, 6.0 HSW continuing education hours for licensed architects, and 6.0 HSW continuing education hours for landscape architects in most states that allow this learning method. Please refer to specific state rules to determine eligibility. 

HalfMoon Education is an approved continuing education sponsor for engineers in Florida (Provider License No: CEA362), Indiana (License No. CE21700059), Maryland, and New Jersey (Approval No. 24GP00049300). HalfMoon Education is deemed an approved continuing education sponsor for New York engineers, architects and landscape architects via its registration with the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System (AIA/CES) and the Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System (LA/CES). Other states do not preapprove continuing education providers or courses. 

The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System has approved this course for 6.0 HSW LUs (Sponsor No. J885). Only full participation is reportable to the AIA/CES. 

The Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System has approved this course for 6.0 HSW PDHs. Only full participation is reportable to the LA CES.

The International Code Council has approved this event for .6 CEUs in the specialty area of Fire (Preferred Provider No. 1232). 

Attendance will be monitored, and attendance certificates will be available after the webinar for those who attend the entire course and score a minimum 80% on the quiz that follows the course (multiple attempts allowed). 

  

On-Demand Credits

The credits listed above apply only to the live webinar. This course in an on-demand format may not qualify for the same credit in some states. Please refer to specific board rules to determine if an asynchronous, on-demand course is appropriate. The following credits will be included in the on-demand format: 

6.0 HSW LUs (AIA) 
6.0 HSW PDHs (LA CES) 

Speakers

Stephen Quarles, PhD

 University of California Cooperative Extension

Stephen Quarles, PhD is a University of California Cooperative Extension Advisor Emeritus. After 26 years with the University of California, Quarles retired in 2011, and joined the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) Research Center team in Richburg, SC. Quarles retired from IBHS in 2018 as the Chief Scientist for Wildfire and Durability. At both the University of California and IBHS Quarles’ research and outreach efforts focused on durability and in-service performance issues of buildings subjected to wildfire exposures. During 2007 and 2008, Steve worked half-time for the California Office of the State Fire Marshal where he developed, coordinated and served as an instructor for the educational program related to the Wildland Urban Interface (wildfire) Building Code and Standards (Chapter 7A in the California Building Code). Quarles served on the initial WUI Task Group that made recommendations to the Office of the State Fire Marshal for Chapter 7A and has served on subsequent task groups. 

Quarles is a member of the American Society of Testing and Materials (and is Chair of ASTM E05.14 Subcommittee on Exterior Fire), the National Fire Protection Association [and former member of the NFPA Technical Committee on Forest and Rural Fire Protection (2013-2018)], the International Association of Wildland Fire, the Forest Products Society [and former Editor-in-Chief, Forest Products Journal (2010-2017)], the American Wood Protection Association and the Association of Fire Ecology. Quarles earned a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech (Blacksburg) and a Master’s and PhD from the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis-St. Paul).

Yana Valachovic

University of California Cooperative Extension

Yana Valachovic is the County Director – Forest Advisor for the University of California Cooperative Extension in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties. Yana is passionate about finding solutions to challenging problems bringing her skills in forestry, natural resources and sociological research, design and mitigation of the built environment for wildfire resilience, as well as her years rooted in County government and community engagement. She is a member of the California Governor’s Wildfire Forest Resilience Task Force and other California state fire policy workgroups. She is the co-lead of the Northern California region of the California Fire Science Consortium and is a founding member of the Northern California Prescribed Fire Council. She has co-authored papers on fire behavior in California forests and the intersection of fire performance in home and landscape design.  She is active in California policy development and has been a technical resource for bioenergy, forest management, home hardening, and improvements to defensible space legislation. She will share her experience from post-fire assessments that have helped craft her vision for adaptation.

AIA Info

AIA Provider Statement: 

HalfMoon Education Inc. is a registered provider of AIA-approved continuing education under Provider Number J885. All registered AIA/CES Providers must comply with the AIA Standards for Continuing Education Programs. Any questions or concerns about this provider of learning program may be sent to AIA/CES (cesupport@aia.org or (800) AIA 3837, Option 3). 

This learning program is registered with AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product. 

AIA continuing education credit has been reviewed and approved by AIA/CES. Learners must complete the entire learning program to receive continuing education credit. AIA continuing education Learning Units earned upon completion of this course will be reported to AIA/CES for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon request. 

Course Title:  Wildfire and the Built Environment: Landscape and Construction Issues

Delivery Method: Live Online 

Course Description: This six-hour course discusses the science and current issues pertaining to wildfires and provides design professionals with specific strategies that reduce the vulnerability of and mitigate damages to the landscape and built environment.

Learning Objectives: 

Learning Objective 1: Learners will be able to discuss ignition scenarios in the built environment, the causes and spread of wildfires, and the evaluation of hazards.

Learning Objective 2: Learners will be able to adopt design methods to reduce the vulnerability of the built environment in both direct and indirect scenarios with a focus on roofs, exterior walls, and attachments.

Learning Objective 3: Learners will be able to adopt methods of vegetation management to reduce the vulnerability of the landscape, such as proper selection, placement, and maintenance of trees, shrubs and grasses.

Learning Objective 4: Learners will be able to utilize the concept of discontinuity to mitigate damage to the landscape, and roof coverings, under-eave enclosures, and windows to mitigate damage to the built environment.

LUs: 6.0

LU Type: LU|HSWs 

Prerequisites: None

Advance Preparation: None 

Program Level: Intermediate 

Course Expiration Date:  03/06/2028

Complaint Resolution Policy: 

Complaints regarding this course can be emailed to fchapman@halfmoonseminars.org or by calling (715) 835-5900. A HalfMoon Education representative will respond within 72 hours to resolve the complaint, which will include, but not limited to, access to another CE activity at no or reduced cost or a full or partial refund. Each instance will be resolved on a case-by-case situation.