Agenda: Washington State Wildfire Resilience Leadership Summit 2026

Agenda

Washington State Wildfire Resilience Leadership Summit — November 11-12, 2026

November 11

1:00 – 4:00 PM

Wildfire Resilience in Action: Field TourCome early to see first-hand wildfire resilience in action. Specific details to come.

5:00 – 7:00 PM

Opening Reception, Check-In and Tech ShowcaseEnjoy appetizers, drinks, and exhibits while networking and experience tech showcase. Speaker to be announced.

November 12

7:00 – 8:30 AM

Breakfast, Conference Check-in, and Conference Sessions

8:30 – 8:40 AM

Welcome & Opening RemarksChief Aaron Lowe, Rep. Tom Dent and Rep. Dan Griffey

8:40 – 10:30 AMSESSION I

8:40 – 9:10 AM

Voices from the CommunityHear from leaders whose communities here in Washington have experienced the catastrophic impacts of wildfire.

9:10 – 9:20 AM

Presentation: Creating A Vision for Wildfire Resilience in Washington StateChris Anthony, FireWERX

9:20 – 10:30 AM

Panel: How Technology Investments Are Revolutionizing Wildfire ResponseWhen a fire starts, minutes matter. Moderated by Rep. Tom Dent, this panel brings together technology innovators and fire service leaders to explore how advances in rapid detection, initial attack, and aerial and suppression capabilities are helping crews reach fires faster and stop them before they grow.

10:30 – 10:50 AMBreak

10:50 AM – 12:30 PMSESSION II

10:50 AM – 12:30 PM

Panel: How Community Mitigations Can Increase Community ResilienceThe strongest wildfire defense starts long before a fire does. Moderated by Representative Larry Springer, this panel brings together experienced fire leaders, fire modeling technology and tools, and community partners to share how home hardening, defensible space, fuels reduction, and neighborhood-scale planning are helping communities reduce risk and recover faster when fire comes.

12:30 – 1:30 PMLunch — Guest Speakers to be announced

1:30 – 3:30 PMSESSION III

1:30 – 3:00 PM

Panel: How We Can and Must Accelerate Forest Restoration to Reduce RiskDecades of fire exclusion have left Washington's forests overgrown and primed to burn. The pace of restoration pre- and post-fire needs to accelerate to keep up with the risk. Moderated by Senator Shelly Short, this panel brings together Tribal, fire service, nonprofit, and industry leaders to explore how prescribed fire, innovative treatment technologies, new financing models, and cross-boundary partnerships can help restore forest health at the scale and speed the moment demands.

3:00 – 3:30 PMBreak

3:30 – 4:50 PMSESSION IV

3:30 – 4:50 PM

Panel: Reducing Risk, Restoring Insurability: The Role of States, Communities, and UtilitiesReducing wildfire risk, protecting the grid, and stabilizing insurance markets go hand in hand. Moderated by Senator Marcus Riccelli, this panel brings together policymakers, researchers, and utility and industry leaders to examine how states, communities, and utilities are pairing risk reduction with innovative policy to keep insurance available and affordable and the power grid safe and reliable.

4:50 – 5:00 PM

Closing