Clare Frank, Retired Chief of Fire Protection, Cal Fire

12-1 pm, Swanston Community Center

Clare Frank served as the State of California’s first and only female Chief of Fire Protection. Clare will be talking about The Shape of Fire in California and beyond. She’ll share excerpts from her newly released book: BURNT: A Memoir of Fighting Fire, and give the group a behind-the-scenes peek at what was like to be California’s first female Chief of Fire Protection.

Clare Frank began firefighting at age 17 and worked her way through the ranks, handling fire and rescue emergencies and major disasters in both urban and rural settings. Along the way, she earned a spot on an elite state command team, a bachelor’s in fire administration, a law degree, a master’s in creative writing, and several leadership awards. Now, she brings humor and candor to her stories about first responders, lawyers, and life. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, New York Post, San Francisco Chronicle, CNN Opinion, Shondaland, FireRescue1, and others. Her first book, Burnt: A Memoir of Fighting Fire is now available at a bookstore near you. She lives near Lake Tahoe with her husband and always a dog or two.

< Back to Calendar