Ask any boy under the age of 4 who was born before the year 2000 what they want to become when they are grown up, and the answer is very likely to be; "I want to be a fireman." But Patrick Ryan (1985,O) is one of the few people who actually did this.

In the heart of wildfire management, where the blazes are as unpredictable as they are destructive, Patrick Ryan stands out not only for his expertise but for his innovative approach to tackling one of nature's most formidable challenges. As Los Angeles reels from the aftermath of devastating wildfires that caused unprecedented damage, Patrick and Stellenbosch University researcher, Dr Natalia Flores Quiroz, ares set to lead a free webinar, aiming to share critical insights that could potentially shape fire management strategies globally, including in South Africa.

Before he was strategising firefighting tactics, Ryan honed his leadership and communication skills in the creative industry, directing photographic advertising shoots. This experience, coupled with his time spent absorbing knowledge from diverse professionals, equipped him with a unique skill set that he would later apply to wildfire management.

“My time in the creative industry taught me how successful communications could draw a result from a target audience," 

His ability to think outside the conventional procedural box has been pivotal in his roles, particularly when addressing risk recognition and awareness in wildfire scenarios.

Ryan’s journey into fire management began in 2011 when he joined the Volunteer Wildfire Services as a wildland fire practitioner. This role sparked a career that has since seen him rise to become a professional wildfire manager and a director at Vulcan Wildfire Management and Vulcan Training. His leadership skills, initially developed during his school days as a prefect, have been finely tuned through operational roles in wildfire suppression.

The upcoming webinar, titled "The LA wildfires: Could they happen in South Africa?," will explore how the catastrophic Los Angeles fires can inform and improve fire management techniques worldwide. They plan to incorporate case studies from South Africa, drawing parallels to the 2017 Knysna fires that devastated around 1,000 homes amid drought conditions and population growth.

This session is particularly crucial as it aims to educate on enhancing the wildfire resistance of homes, a topic of significant relevance given the increasing frequency of such disasters globally.

As countries like South Africa face similar threats, the lessons from Los Angeles, filtered through Ryan’s expertise and innovative outlook, could prove invaluable. 

The webinar promises to be an enlightening experience, offering actionable knowledge and strategies that could one day prevent the kind of devastation witnessed in Los Angeles from occurring elsewhere.

Details of the free webinar and how to register:

Date: 18 February 2025 at 15h00.

• Speakers: Natalia Flores Quiroz and Patrick Ryan
• To Register CLICK HERE.
• Any queries: email  debbie@saice.org.za
• Hosted by the SAICE Fire Division and SFPE Stellenbosch University Student Chapter

More about Dr. Natalia Flores Quiroz

Dr. Natalia Flores Quiroz is a researcher with 12 years experience in fire safety engineering Her work focuses on wildland-urban interface (WU) fires and fire safety in low-income settlements.

She contributed to the reconstruction of the 2017 Knysna fires and is collaborating on projects addressing WUI fire risks in diverse settings, including biodiversity conservation, infrastructure protection and fuel management.