November 2021: Wildfires and Cultural Burning

California residents have experienced many intense wildfires in recent years. These wildfires have caused devastating destruction, displacing many people living in close proximity to forests or dry vegetation. The current drought and global warming are perfect ingredients to generate more wildfires. As structural engineers, we are also being challenged to design buildings and structures in wildfire-prone areas. Government officials are now looking at prescribed burns as a tool for wildfire management, similar to those done by Native tribes before Western settlers arrived. In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, which is in November, join SEAONC SE3’s book club to learn about Indigenous traditions in tending to the land and discuss how they can be incorporated into our changing ideas of wildfire management. Other discussion points will cover how we as structural engineers can harden our buildings and provide defensible space. 

We recommend checking out a few of the following articles and videos as background information prior to the discussion:

• Learn more about the history of cultural burning by reading or watching one or both of these resources
  • How Native Americans Used Fire to Protect and Cultivate Land (7 min. read)
  • KCET Video - Tending the Wild: Cultural Burning (18 min. watch)
• Learn about how California is implementing a long-known Native American practice of controlled burns to fight devastating wildfires 
  • Native American Burning And California's Wildfire Strategy (4 min. listen)
  • A new wildfire strategy for California | Stanford News (7 min. read)
• Skim this series of guides on how to assess and mitigate wildfire risk for homes
  • Building in Wildfire-Prone Areas, specifically the Builder’s Wildfire Mitigation Guide

We would also like to share a series of lectures from the University of British Columbia about engineering, decolonization, and Indigenous design principles. These lectures go well beyond the scope of this book club, but we felt it was relevant to share if participants are interested in learning more.

Book Club Goals:

• Generate awareness and individual learning on topics of racial equity,
• Facilitate discussions with the wider SEAONC community, and
• Create a safe space for discussion for everyone.

 
Note: We would like to emphasize that everyone is welcome to come share their opinions and experiences, even if they differ from the resources provided. While the resources provided are a launching point for discussion, SEAONC SE3 does not specifically endorse the material or the author.
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