PHN Presents: Fire Weather, Urban Conflagration, and Community Resilience
Defensive Strategies & Lessons Learned
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026, Noon-1 PM ET
Extreme weather conditions create fire weather, turning wildland fires into urban conflagrations that can leave surviving buildings destroyed by toxic smoke. The Los Angeles wildfires at the start of 2025 underscored the growing urgency to fire-harden buildings and communities. In 2025, the Passive House Network hosted a design competition, California Rebuilds, to support the communities affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires. At the Awards Ceremony in November, Stuart Mitchell, a NFPA-Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist and founder of Wildfire Mitigation Advisors, joined a panel discussion that put Passive House squarely in the context of a range of fire-hardening strategies.
In this presentation, Stuart will expand on his remarks, drawing on lessons from the Los Angeles fires and scientific research, including building and landscape hardening, community hardening, fire-fighting policy, the role of the insurance industry, and lessons learned from Los Angeles. He will cover individual priorities, starting with the building, then working outward across the property, the neighborhood, and the intersection of forest fires and urban conflagrations. Get actionable information that empowers you to address the issues of fire resilience in your building project, your community, and your region.
Learning Objectives
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Outline the evolving understanding of how wildfires threaten buildings and communities from research and recent fire event experiences (dynamics of fire weather).
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Describe building and landscape hardening strategies and priorities in design and in operational preparation for a wildfire event.
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Outline examples of public policy and industry initiatives to support and incentivize more fire-resilient communities.
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Describe the gaps that exist between our understanding of the threats and the actions needed to be taken.
Credit
AIA/PHI – Pending
Featured Presenter
Stuart Mitchell, Founder, Wildfire Mitigation Advisors.
Stuart is an NFPA Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist. Founder of Wildfire Mitigation Advisors, based in Sonoma County, Stuart has personally evaluated thousands of structures and advised occupants living in estates, HOAs, ranches, and commercial properties. Stuart’s passion for educating clients about site-specific mitigations is unique in its depth and holistic approach. As a former FEMA crisis counselor for fire survivors and in helping his community recover and prepare for firestorms, Stuart deeply understands what it takes to build and maintain wildfire resilience, both in behavioral and physical adaptations.
