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This webinar presented by Wayne Cascio June 21, 2017 highlighted updates to the Wildfire Smoke Guide, as well as the Smoke Sense app, which is a mobile application that gets air quality information to people impacted by wildfire smoke, and helps those affected learn ways to…
Person: Cascio
Year: 2017
Type: Media
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Communications, Emissions and Smoke, Fire Effects, Safety
Region(s): Alaska, California, Eastern, Great Basin, Hawaii, Northern Rockies, Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southern, Southwest, National
Keywords: public health, wildfires, air quality, PM - particulate matter, air pollution, health effects, cardiovascular disease, respiratory effects

The Great Dismal Swamp (GDS) National Wildlife Refuge delivers multiple ecosystem services, including air quality and human health via fire mitigation. Our analysis estimates benefits of this service through its potential to reduce catastrophic wildfire related impacts on the…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: TTRS
Topic(s): Economics, Emissions and Smoke, Fire Effects, Hazard and Risk, Safety, Aquatic
Region(s): Southern
Keywords: fire intensity, fire frequency, wildfires, air quality, Virginia, ecosystem services, fire mitigation, human health, geospatial information, Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, wildfire smoke exposure, particulate air pollution, North Carolina, hospitalization, cost

Recent growth in the frequency and severity of US wildfires has led to more wildfire smoke and increased public exposure to harmful air pollutants. Populations exposed to wildfire smoke experience a variety of negative health impacts, imposing economic costs on society. However…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: TTRS
Topic(s): Economics, Emissions and Smoke, Fire Effects, Hazard and Risk, Safety, Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI)
Region(s): Alaska, California, Eastern, Great Basin, Hawaii, Northern Rockies, Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southern, Southwest, National
Keywords: air quality, wildfires, health factors, health costs, benefit transfer, BenMAP Community Edition, California wildfires, southern California, forecasting system, economic cost, smoke exposure, verification, mortality, cities

Wildland fire fighting is a high-risk occupation requiring considerable physical and psychological demands. Multiple agencies publish fatality summaries for wildland firefighters; however, the reported number and types vary. At least five different surveillance systems capture…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: TTRS
Topic(s): Climate, Emissions and Smoke, Hazard and Risk, Safety
Region(s): Alaska, California, Eastern, Great Basin, Hawaii, Northern Rockies, Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southern, Southwest, National
Keywords: firefighting personnel, wildfires, fire hazard reduction, Wildland Fire Fatality, Wildland Firefighter, Particulate Air-Pollution, Heart-Disease, climate change, short-term, fatalities, exposure

Objective: A repeated measures study was used to assess the effect of work tasks on select proinflammatory biomarkers in firefighters working at prescribed burns. Methods: Ten firefighters and two volunteers were monitored for particulate matter and carbon monoxide on workdays,…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Prescribed Fire, Safety
Region(s): Alaska, California, Eastern, Great Basin, Hawaii, Northern Rockies, Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southern, Southwest, National
Keywords: firefighter exposure, smoke exposure, interleukin-8

Identifying communities vulnerable to adverse health effects from exposure to wildfire smoke may help prepare responses, increase the resilience to smoke and improve public health outcomes during smoke days. We developed a Community Health-Vulnerability Index (CHVI) based on…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Fire Effects, Safety
Region(s): Alaska, California, Eastern, Great Basin, Hawaii, Northern Rockies, Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southern, Southwest, National
Keywords: wildfire, air quality, PM - particulate matter, PM2.5, public health, CHVI - Community Health-Vulnerability Index

Background: The health impacts of wildfire smoke, including fine particles (PM2.5), are not well understood and may differ from those of PM2.5 from other sources due to differences in concentrations and chemical composition. Methods: First, for the entire Western US (561…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Safety
Region(s): California, Great Basin, Northern Rockies, Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southwest
Keywords: PM2.5, PM - particulate matter, hospital admissions, health impacts, aerosol transport modeling, respiratory disease, wildfires, air pollution

Background Emergency ambulance dispatches (EAD) are a novel outcome for evaluating the public health impacts of air pollution. We assessed the relationships between ambient particulate matter (PM) from all sources, PM from landscape fire smoke (LFS), and EADs likely to be…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Fire Effects, Safety
Region(s): International
Keywords: Australia, PM - particulate matter, PM2.5, ambulance, public health, air quality, landscape fire

The 2015 smoke haze episode was one of the most severe and prolonged transboundary air pollution events ever seen in Southeast Asia (SEA), affecting the air quality of several countries within the region including Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The 24 h mean outdoor PM2.5 (…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Fire Effects, Safety
Region(s): International
Keywords: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, PM2.5, haze, human health, PM - particulate matter, air quality

Prescribed fire (rx fire) is a safe way to apply a natural process, ensure ecosystem health and reduce wildfire risk. This webinar will provide an introduction to prescribed fire for air quality and air resource specialists as well as other non-fire professionals. Knowledge of…
Person: Long
Year: 2017
Type: Media
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Fire Behavior, Fire Ecology, Fire Effects, Fuels, Planning, Prescribed Fire, Safety, Weather
Region(s): Southern
Keywords: SFE - Southern Fire Exchange, fire regimes, fire suppression effects, fire-adapted ecosystems, animals, fire reduction, combustion, fire spread, ignition method, smoke management

Climate forecasts predict an increase in frequency and intensity of wildfires. Associations between health outcomes and population exposure to smoke from Washington 2012 wildfires were compared using surface monitors, chemical-weather models, and a novel method blending three…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Fire Effects, Fire Occurrence, Models, Safety
Region(s): Northwest
Keywords: Washington, public health, PM2.5, cardiopulmonary, WRF-Chem, epidemiology, cardiovascular effects, respiratory effects, hospitalizations

When it comes to unnecessary risk and exposure to heat, smoke, fatigue, and noise, could you be a “Bad Ass” or a “Dumb Ass”? Maybe it’s time you put a pinch of practical in your tactical pause. George Broyles, Fire and Fuels Project Leader for the U.S. Forest Service’s National…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Safety, Social Science
Region(s): Alaska, California, Eastern, Great Basin, Hawaii, Northern Rockies, Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southern, Southwest, National
Keywords: LLC - Lessons Learned Center, firefighter health, firefighter safety, smoke exposure, heat stress, heat-related illness, fatigue, noise, safety zone

Smoke can manifest itself as a towering plume rising against the clear blue sky-or as a vast swath of thick haze, with fingers that settle into valleys overnight. It comes in many forms and colors, from fluffy and white to thick and black. Smoke plumes can rise high into the…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Fire Effects, Safety
Region(s): California, Great Basin, Northern Rockies, Northwest, International
Keywords: public health, air quality, smoke particulates, PM - particulate matter, Canada, British Columbia, smoke plumes, superfog

Wildland fire smoke is a complex mixture of air contaminants that have the potential cause adverse health effects. Individuals can be exposed occupationally if they work as wildland firefighters or public exposure from ambient air that is contaminated with smoke from a nearby or…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Fire Effects, Fire Prevention, Safety
Region(s): Alaska, California, Eastern, Great Basin, Hawaii, Northern Rockies, Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southern, Southwest, National
Keywords: smoke exposure, human health, firefighters, public health, air pollution impacts

Prescribed burning is an important land management tool for upland hardwood forests, with fuel reduction, ecosystem restoration, and wildlife habitat improvement often cited as primary goals. Mechanical fuel reduction by cutting shrubs and small trees (also termed fire…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Project
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Fire Effects, Fuels, Prescribed Fire, Safety
Region(s): Eastern, Southern
Keywords: reptiles, amphibians, birds, invertebrates, mechanical fuel reduction, hardwood forest, land management, National Fire and Fire Surrogate Study

Fires are increasing in frequency, size and intensity partly due to climate change and land management practices, yet there is limited knowledge of the impacts of smoke emissions - both short term and long term. EPA is using its expertise in air quality research to fill the gaps…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Website
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Aquatic, Climate, Emissions and Smoke, Fire Effects, Monitoring and Inventory, Prescribed Fire, Safety, Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI)
Region(s): Alaska, California, Eastern, Great Basin, Hawaii, Northern Rockies, Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southern, Southwest, National
Keywords: air quality, climate change, public health, smoke management, health impacts, wildfires, water supply, research, community protection

In summary, the toxicological and epidemiological evidence of adverse effects for those with chronic exposure to smoke is troubling, especially so for those with preexisting cardiovascular health conditions. What the research means for healthy workers is less clear. It seems…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Project
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Fire Effects, Fire Prevention, Models, Safety
Region(s): Alaska, California, Eastern, Great Basin, Hawaii, Northern Rockies, Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southern, Southwest, National
Keywords: firefighter health, public health, smoke exposure, air pollution

Wildland firefighters suppressing wildland fires or conducting prescribed fires work long shifts and are exposed to high levels of smoke with no respiratory protection. Inhalation of smoke is a safety concern for wildland firefighters and can potentially impair their performance…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Prescribed Fire, Safety
Region(s): California
Keywords: hydrocarbons, PAH - polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, air pollution, firefighter exposure, firefighter safety, health effects, smoke exposure, exposure

Wildland firefighters suppressing wildland fires or conducting prescribed fires work long shifts during which they are exposed to high levels of wood smoke with no respiratory protection. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are hazardous air pollutants formed during…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Prescribed Fire, Safety
Region(s): California
Keywords: wildfires, wildland fire, firefighter exposure, hydrocarbons, PAH - polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, air pollutants, health effects, smoke exposure

PB-Piedmont Web, Super-Fog Potential, and Estimated Smoldering Potential – moving science to a usable tool.
Person: Fearon
Year: 2017
Type: Media
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Models, Planning, Prescribed Fire, Safety
Region(s): Southern, Southwest
Keywords: superfog, Superfog Potential Index, planned burning, Planned Burned Piedmont Web Tool, smoldering combustion, boundary layer

Obtaining and tracking key environmental variables. Reviewing operationally developed indexes (Turner Stability Index (TS), Atmospheric Dispersion Index (ADI), Low Visibility Occurrence Risk Index (LVORI). Superfog Matrix Smart Tool for NWS Weather Forecasting Offices.
Person: Curcio
Year: 2017
Type: Media
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Fire Behavior, Fuels, Models, Planning, Prescribed Fire, Safety, Weather
Region(s): Southern
Keywords: superfog, Superfog Potential Index, visibility, smoldering combustion, NFDRS - National Fire Danger Rating System, situational awareness, water content, surface temperature, relative humidity, moisture content, Turner Stability Index, LVORI - Low Visibility Occurrence Risk Index, ESP - Estimated Smoldering Probability model, DI - Dispersion Index, MesoWest, National Weather Service

What is Superfog and how it forms on your burn site. How common is Superfog on burn sites. Superfog weather: What conditions allow superfog to leave your burn site and how far will it go. Superfog weather: Identifying conditions that turn a typical safe burn into a disaster.
Person: Achtemeier
Year: 2017
Type: Media
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Prescribed Fire, Safety, Weather
Region(s): Southern
Keywords: superfog, fog, visibility, mixing, liquid water content, smoldering combustion, RH - relative humidity, Superfog Potential Index, temperature, wind, Kelvin-Helmholtz waves, nocturnal inversion, traffic

Wildfires emit significant amounts of pollutants that degrade air quality. Plumes from three wildfires in the western U.S. were measured from aircraft during the Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC4RS) and the…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Fire Effects, Monitoring and Inventory, Prescribed Fire, Safety
Region(s): California, Great Basin, Northwest
Keywords: wildfires, air quality, emission factors, PM - particulate matter, aerosols, NEI - National Emissions Inventory, organic aerosols, air pollution

Increases in hospital admissions and deaths are associated with increases in outdoor air particles during wildfires. This analysis estimates the health benefits expected if interventions had improved particle filtration in homes in Southern California during a 10-day period of…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Economics, Emissions and Smoke, Fire Effects, Safety
Region(s): California
Keywords: PM - particulate matter, air quality, intervention analysis, health hazards

Smoke from wildland fires has a significant impact on public health and transportation safety and presents a serious complication for air regulators seeking to design effective and efficient emission control strategies to meet and maintain air quality standards. Wildland fires…
Person:
Year: 2017
Type: Document
Source: FRAMES
Topic(s): Emissions and Smoke, Fire Behavior, Fire Effects, Fuels, Models, Prescribed Fire, Safety
Region(s): Alaska, California, Eastern, Great Basin, Hawaii, Northern Rockies, Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southern, Southwest, National
Keywords: air quality, public health, pollutants, FASMEE - Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment