Few assessments of the health impacts of prescribed burning, and potential vulnerabilities among populations exposed to smoke from prescribed fires, have been conducted. Recently, three Northern Research Station scientists, with partners, completed a study of social and health vulnerability surrounding prescribed burns that occurred in the USDA Forest Service, National Forest System between 2010 and 2019.

Prescribed fire is an increasingly important tool in restoring ecological conditions and reducing uncontrolled wildfire. However, prescribed burn techniques have the potential to impact public health associated with wildfire smoke exposure. In a recent study, scientists assessed the health impacts of prescribed burning, and potential vulnerabilities among populations exposed to smoke from prescribed fires.

The study focused on counties in and near U.S. National Forests and compared the sociodemographic and health characteristics of people living in areas that were exposed to smoke from prescribed burns with those that were not exposed during the years 2010 to 2019. On a national level, the study found disproportionate prescribed fire exposure in rural counties with higher percentage mobile home and vacant housing units, and higher percentage African-American and white populations. In the southern United States, lower percentage white population, higher percentage Hispanic population and mobile-homes. In the western United States, greater exposure to prescribed burns occurred in high poverty counties with high vacancy.

However, the study also found no evidence of disproportionate health burden in exposed compared to unexposed counties. Awareness of these patterns could be used to build decision-making factors into modeling tools and smoke management plans, as well as community engagement practices around wildfire risk reduction.