California’s wildfire ‘season’ has become a year‐round proposition and state leaders, scientists, and other stakeholders are looking for solutions. Two efforts currently in play contemplate buildings and structures as an opportunity to improve our communities’ fire resilience. Masonry needs to be at the forefront of these discussions, and we are working with our industry partners to put them there.
Wildfire Resilient Structures Conference (WIRES) by UC Davis
In May 2021 MCAC received an invitation from UC Davis asking about our interest to be part of a fire resilient structures conference that would include building officials, government representatives, architects, engineers, researchers, building and materials industry representatives and other stakeholders. Fast forward one year later and MCAC is partnering with the Concrete Masonry Association of CA and NV (CMACN) and the Masonry Institute of America (MIA) to bring masonry to the inaugural WIRES Conference and Tradeshow February 7‐10, 2023 in San Diego, CA. We held our first planning meeting May 20 and are excited to showcase masonry on this platform to such a broad audience.
AB 2322 ‐ California Building Standards ‐ Fire Resistance (Assembly Member Wood)
AB 2322 would require the State Fire Marshal to propose updated building standards that would increase fire resistance in non‐residential critical infrastructure in very high, high and moderate California fire severity zones to the California Building Standards Commission before the next California Building Code (CBC) code cycle. MCAC position ‐ Support. See MCAC AB 2322 position letter here.