Mar 8, 2023
In this episode, we are joined by Steve Hawks, who has dedicated
over three decades to the California Department of Forestry and
Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). Steve's impressive career began as a
firefighter and eventually led him to serve as the Assistant Deputy
Director of CAL FIRE's Office of the State Fire Marshal's Community
Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation and Fire Engineering and
Investigations Divisions. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in
Forest Resource Management from Humboldt State University and has
served on various CAL FIRE Incident Management Teams for 13 years.
After retiring in December 2022, Steve returned to the CAL FIRE –
Office of the State Fire Marshal’s Community Wildfire Preparedness
and Mitigation Division and has also taken on the role of Director
of Wildfire Policy for the Insurance Institute for Business and
Home Safety (IBHS) team.
During our conversation, Steve shares his insights on community
wildfire preparedness and mitigation strategies, including
defensible space home hardening, fuel reduction projects, grant
funding, and other programs implemented by CAL FIRE's Community
Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation Division. He also provides a
detailed analysis of the impacts of Assembly Bill 38 on homeowners
living in high fire hazard zones, which mandates defensible space
compliance inspections and proof of passing. Join us as we dive
deep into the world of wildfire preparedness and mitigation with
Steve Hawks.
You can listen to the episode on our website, or on your favorite
podcast platform, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google
Podcasts. And don't forget to subscribe to our show and follow us
on social media to stay up to date on all things wildfire.
Thank you for your time and I hope you enjoy this episode.