Our Story
MC Fire began in 2017 with a contract conducting private fire investigation work in Napa and Santa Rosa after the Tubbs Fire. We began to grow in 2018 when our owner, Jerry, was asked to become a contract instructor for the popular NFPA Assessing Structure Ignition Potential (ASIP) - Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) course.
Since 2019, we’ve also been conducting home and structure wildfire risk assessments, writing detailed Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs), writing detailed Wildfire Safety Plans and Vegetation Management Plans for new planned unit developments in wildfire-prone areas, and teaching our own custom-designed courses that we tailor to specific audiences, such as insurance industry executives, underwriters, agents and adjusters, engineers, architects, homeowners, building code officials, fire code officials, and fire service professionals wanting to become more proficient in their craft.
Meet Our Founder
Hi, I’m Jerry…
As an industry-leading NFPA Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist (CWMS), I have a breadth and depth of experience that very few mitigation specialists have.
I started my career in the fire service in 2000 with the Boise Fire Department and have held various roles, including:
Firefighter
Engineer
Captain Fire Inspector
Wildfire Mitigation Specialist
Acting Deputy Chief Fire Marshal
Retiree
Having been deeply engaged in local and national wildfire mitigation programs and messaging since 2011, I have a broad understanding of wildfire from many perspectives, including:
Operations
Codes and Standards
Fire Investigation
I have a well-versed understanding of the big picture, including policy, structural hardening, fire-resistant landscaping, and insurance for wildfire-prone areas.
Through direct working relationships, I have been involved in moving forward the Fire Adapted Communities programs and messaging of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF), International Code Council (ICC), and Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network (FAC Net).
“Jerry has a unique skill set from fire suppression, prevention, fire investigations, and preparedness. Jerry’s knowledge and understanding of the built environment, development, fire service and building codes and ordinances, leads to a comprehensive body of knowledge to help move wildfire mitigation best practices forward.”
— Jill W., Douglas County Building Division (CO) —
“Jerry is articulate, thorough, well prepared, and tailors the training to the specific audience, local conditions and challenges. As a nationally recongized SME, Jerry is well versed and dedicated to reducing losses from wildfire.”
— Taylor M., Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands (FFSL) —
“As two of the organizers of this Symposium, we especially want to share how much we appreciated Jerry's accessibility. While involved with projects and programs throughout the country, he was always responsive and made himself available from the initial planning stages all the way to delivering the program. His commitment to ensure that the highest level of relevant and practical best practices were delivered exceeded our expectations. We want to express our highest praise and recommendation for Jerry McAdams and McFire, LLC.”
— Martin C. & Cheryl B., Association of Professional Landscaped Designers (APLD) CA Chapter —
Clients We’ve Worked With
National Fire Protection Association
NFPA Instructor & Subject Matter Expert
Terra View, LLC (ID)
Wildfire Safety Plan for a Planned Unit Development
Element Building Company (ID)
Wildfire Safety Plan for a Planned Unit Development
HalfMoon Education (Nationwide)
Instructor
Douglas County Building Division (CO)
ICC Preferred Provider Structure Assessment Classes
Provo Fire & Rescue (UT)
ICC Preferred Provider Structure Assessment Class
Avimor Stewardship Organization Inc (ID)
Defensible Space Inspections for Compliance
Kine, LLC (ID)
Wildfire Safety Plan for a Planned Unit Development
New Mexico FAC (NM)
Professional Webinar Presentation
Horace Mann Insurance (IL)
Executive Presentation
A-Team Land Consultants (ID)
Wildfire Safety Plan for Planned Unit Development
Cascadia Conservation District (WA)
ICC Preferred Provider Structure Assessment Classes
APLD California Chapter (CA)
Professional Webinar Series Presentation
Sanpete County (UT)
Structure Assessment Class
National Association of Regional Councils
2023 Executive Directors Conference Presentation
Trifecta Research (NC)
Product Research Consultation
GWC Capital (ID)
Wildfire Safety Plan for a Planned Unit Development
Matrix Engineering (ID)
Wildfire Safety Plan for Planned Unit Development
Blue Peak Engineering (ID)
Wildfire Safety Plans for Planned Unit Developments
Envista Forensics (CA)
Private Fire Investigation
Atova, Inc (ID)
Wildfire Safety Plan for a Planned Unit Development
SWCA (UT & WA)
SME for Multiple CWPPs & NIST HMM Implementation
City of Ashland (OR)
Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Update
Girl Scouts Heart of Central Calif. (CA)
Camp Hazard Assessment and Wildfire Safety Plan
More About Jerry
Jerry McAdams was a Senior Captain and NFPA Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist (CWMS) with the Boise Fire Department in Boise, Idaho. As a proud and dedicated public servant, he has over twenty-three (23) years of experience working in the fire service in operations, prevention, and wildfire divisions. He retired in March 2024.
Jerry has served as a member of the Board of Directors for the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF) and on the Editorial Board for Wildfire Magazine, is an experienced fire investigator and holds International Code Council (ICC) certifications as a Fire Inspector I, II and Fire Plans Examiner.
He has been a guest speaker/panelist for several webinars, as well as presenting at numerous national and international conferences.
Jerry started MC Fire in 2017 to provide professional consulting services for private fire investigation after the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Napa and Santa Rosa.
In 2018, MC Fire became MC Fire, LLC, with an emphasis on writing Community Wildfire Protection Plans, Wildfire Safety Plans, Vegetation Management Plans, and code amendments for developers, campuses and AHJs, as well as providing high-quality training and instruction related to wildfire mitigation, defensible space inspections (DSIs) and code compliance. He instructs customized courses about structure ignition vulnerabilities and creating fire adapted communities.
Jerry graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from Boise State University (yes, the place with the blue field).
On a more personal note…
Jerry and his wife, Dana, have been together for over 33 years. They have four (4) adult children and four (4) grandchildren. He and his wife live in Meridian, Idaho—a suburb of Boise.
Jerry loves to be in the outdoors, hiking, camping, fishing, dirt-bike riding, and more. He’s also an NAUI Certified Advanced Rescue Scuba Diver.
The most notable excursions he and his wife have been on: diving the Nuestra Señora de Atocha shipwreck out of Key West, the Great Barrier Reef out of Port Douglas and Cairns in Australia, the Mesoamerican Reef out of Roatan and Utila in Honduras, Tahiti and Moorea in French Polynesia, Aruba, St. Thomas, as well as various other locations in Hawaii, California, Utah, Idaho and Florida.