Summary
Clare Frank is a retired firefighter/peace officer and writer. She is author of the highly acclaimed book Burnt: A Memoir of Fighting Fire (Abrams 2023), which was longlisted for the 2023 Outstanding Works of Literature Awards.
Clare began firefighting at age 17 and worked her way through the ranks, handling emergencies and major disasters in both urban and rural settings, eventually becoming the State of California’s first and only female Chief of Fire Protection. Along the way, she received several commendations, served on an elite state command team, and earned an executive leader’s fellowship at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Midway into her fire career, Clare suffered a line-of-duty injury requiring a five-year hiatus. She practiced labor and civil rights law before returning to firefighting.
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, and others. She has taught in undergrad and graduate programs and is a sought-after speaker. She lives near Lake Tahoe with her husband and always a dog or two. Visit her website here.
Education
- B.S. Fire Administration, Cogswell Polytechnic
- MFA Creative Nonfiction, University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe (formerly Sierra Nevada College)
- J.D. Santa Clara University School of Law