Wildfire Management: Busting the Myths

Brian Tai Having spent key formative fire years with the storied Los Padres Hotshots of Southern California, Brian now responds to complex incidents nationwide, mobilizing primarily when such fires exceed local control. As an Operations Section Chief on Interagency Incident Management Teams, Brian is a leader in the US Incident Command System which is used to manage wildfires and other complex incidents in the US and beyond.

In addition to his operational fire work, Brian has applied his Wildfire expertise in the outdoor industry, with extensive experience in working in technical product design/dev/management, sales & marketing, and more.

Rachel Richardson A full-time poet and author, Rachel happens also to be trained as a firefighter. Rachel was deeply affected when, as a child, her school burned down. Since then, she has become increasingly concerned by the changing scale and frequency of wildfires and is committed now to be a resource and part of the solution.

Rachel’s latest book, Smother (W. W. Norton 2025), interrogates the impossible question of how we should raise our children in a world that is burning. Through poetry, prose and documentary collage, Rachel examines the impact of record-breaking fires across the California landscape and the rage, sorrow, and detachment that follow amidst the pervasive smoke.