SEAONC: Resiliency Lessons from 2025 LA Wildfire Recovery Efforts
Join us for SEAONC’s January meeting, featuring the presentation Lessons in Resiliency from the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfire Recovery Efforts. Garrett Mills, Principal and CFO at T&S Structural, will share key insights and lessons learned from the recovery process.
About the Presentation:
The January 2025 wildfires destroyed 16,000 buildings and left communities permanently scarred. On this 1 year anniversary of the wildfires, the presentation will share ways in which community leaders and the AEC community have responded in policy, design, and resiliency efforts.
This presentation will also delve into the practical application of the SEAOC Recommended Investigation and Design Guidelines for Foundations Exposed to Fire released soon after the January 2025 wildfires. The presentation will discuss practical methodologies for damage assessments from case studies, highlighting the importance of thorough visual inspections, non-destructive testing, and material sampling. The presentation will focus on the nuances of applying the guideline’s design criteria from case studies, including practical reuse and repair strategies.
About the Speaker:
Garrett Mills is Principal and CFO at T&S Structural and oversees the majority of the firm's work in Southern California. He holds degrees in structural engineering from Cal Poly SLO and UCLA and is in his 23rd year at his firm. Garrett served as President of SEAOSC in 2024-2025; he continues to be heavily involved in the recovery efforts for the Los Angeles wildfires and now co-chairs SEAOSC’s ad-hoc Fire Rebuild Committee. Garrett has a strong commitment to service and has performed reconnaissance and design work around the world.