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  1. Smoke in a new era of fire

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    Author(s): Rachel White; Paul Hessburg; Sim Larkin; Morgan Varner
    Date: 2017
    Source: Science Update 24. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 19 p.
    Publication Series: Science Update
    Station: Pacific Northwest Research Station
    PDF: View PDF  (2.0 MB)

    Description

    Smoke from fire can sharply reduce air quality by releasing particulate matter, one of the most dangerous types of air pollution for human health. A third of U.S. households have someone sensitive to smoke. Minimizing the amount and impact of smoke is a high priority for land managers and regulators. One tool for achieving that goal is prescribed fire. Prescribed fire can be controlled and planned carefully to minimize smoke impacts and warn communities in advance. It can also help reduce decades worth of vegetation buildup from past fire exclusion and help restore dry, fire-adapted forests. Forest Service research is helping decisionmakers plan for, predict, and control smoke from fires and communicate smoke impacts to the public.

    Publication Notes

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    • This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

    Citation

    White, Rachel; Hessburg, Paul; Larkin, Sim; Varner, Morgan. 2017. Smoke in a new era of fire. Science Update 24. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 16 p.

    Keywords

    Wildland fire, prescribed fire, smoke, air quality, public health, restoration

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