Expert witness & litigation consulting
Wildfire expert witness: structure ignition, mitigation, and standard of care.
Todd Lando provides expert consultation and testimony on why structures ignite in wildfires, whether mitigation met the standard of care, and how defensible space, home hardening, and community preparedness measures perform. 36 years in the fire service, a leading role in California's Zone 0 standard, and a state advisory seat on wildfire mitigation. Retained by plaintiff and defense.
Subject matter
Opinion areas grounded in field practice and policy work.
Opinions are grounded in three decades of operational fire service experience, current structure-ignition research, and direct participation in writing the mitigation standards now in force. Areas include:
Scope of work
Case review through trial testimony.
Open any item for detail.
Case evaluation and consulting expert work
Early, candid assessment of the wildfire mitigation and ignition issues in a matter, including the strengths and weaknesses of each side's position, before you commit to a disclosed expert. Available as a non-testifying consulting expert.
Site inspection and evidence review
Property and site inspections, photographic documentation, and review of vegetation, construction, code compliance, inspection records, and program documentation.
Expert reports
Written opinions prepared to the applicable disclosure standard, in plain language a judge and jury can follow, with the technical foundation to withstand cross-examination.
Deposition and trial testimony
Testimony informed by decades of explaining fire behavior and mitigation to the public, boards, and the press. Comfortable in deposition and on the stand.
CV, fee schedule, and conflicts check on request. XMR Fire is unable to accept engagements located in Marin County, California. Inquiries are confidential.
Qualifications
Credentials that hold up in front of a jury.
A working battalion chief, not a career testifier: opinions come from someone who has fought the fires, written the mitigation standards, and built the programs at issue. He named California's Zone 0 ember-resistant standard and helped drive its statewide adoption, serves on the state's Wildfire Mitigation Advisory Committee, holds the NFPA Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist credential, and led the nation's first two nonprofit fire safe councils. Full background.
Contact
Discuss a case.
Send a brief description of the matter, the parties for a conflicts check, and your timeline. Inquiries are confidential and answered promptly.