Wildland fires pose a growing threat to air quality and human health. Fire is a natural part of many landscapes, but the extent of area burned and the severity of fires have been increasing, concurrent with human movement into previously uninhabited fire-prone areas and forest management practices that have increased fuel loads. These changes heighten the risk of exposure to fire itself and emissions (smoke), which can travel thousands of miles and affect millions of people, creating local, regional, and national air quality and health concerns. To address this growing threat, the National Academies brought together atmospheric chemistry and health research communities, natural resource managers, and decision makers to discuss current knowledge and needs surrounding how wildland fire emissions affect air quality and human health. Participants also explored opportunities to better bridge these communities to advance science and improve the production and exchange of information. This publication summarizes the workshop discussions and themes that emerged throughout the meeting.

Contents

• The National Academies of SCIENCES • ENGINEERING • MEDICINE
• PLANNING COMMITTEE ON WILDLAND FIRES: TOWARD IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING AND FORECASTING OF AIR QUALITY IMPACTS – A WORKSHOP
• BOARD ON ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES AND CLIMATE
• BOARD ON CHEMICAL SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY
• Acknowledgments
• Overview
• Introduction
• Wildfires and Human Health—An Overview
• Where Are We Now?
  • The Changing Fire Regime
  • Modeling Smoke Plumes
  • Predicting Smoke
  • Combustion Chemistry
  • Chemistry during Smoke Transport
  • Health Effects of Wildfire Smoke
  • Current Communication across Health and Atmospheric Science Fields
  • Some Session Themes
• Where Do We Want to Be?
  • Protecting Public Health at the Local Level
  • Examples of Research Needs to Improve Understanding of Smoke Health Effects
  • Smoke Mitigation and Management Needs
  • Respiratory Viral Infections and Wildfire Smoke
  • Some Session Themes
• How Do We Get There?
  • Managing California’s Forests for the Future
  • Obtaining the Information Needed for the Coming Years
  • Improving Information Exchange for the Future
  • Final Thoughts
• REFERENCES
• Appendix A: Statement of Task
• Appendix B: Planning Committee Biographical Sketches
• Appendix C: Workshop Agenda

Suggested citation:

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Wildland Fires: Toward Improved Understanding and Forecasting of Air Quality Impacts: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26465.

Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/26465

This publication is available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.

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