Air Quality & Health Impacts of Wildfire and Prescribed Fire
Climate change is increasing the likelihood of catastrophic wildfire. We support action to mitigate wildfire risk and protect communities from harmful smoke.
Wildfire smoke is harmful to health. One of the main pollutants found in wildfire smoke is particulate matter, or ‘soot,’ which can penetrate deep into the lungs and even into the bloodstream. Exposure to wildfire smoke is associated with a number of health harms—ranging from respiratory and cardiovascular harm to adverse birth outcomes and even early death.
Due to climate change and other factors, wildfires are projected to become more frequent and severe in the United States, posing a growing challenge for public health.
Who Is Most at Risk from Wildfires?
Everyone's health is at risk from wildfire smoke, even healthy adults. But some groups may be particularly vulnerable and susceptible to wildfire smoke impacts, including children, older adults, pregnant people, those with underlying respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, outdoor workers, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations and people without homes.
What Can Be Done to Address the Growing Threat of Wildfire?
Clean air policies over the last few decades have made tremendous progress in cleaning our air. However, wildfires are beginning to reverse that trend.
One important tool to reduce the risk of wildfire is prescribed fire. Prescribed fire—also called prescribed burning or controlled burning—is the careful burning of areas vulnerable to wildfire risk under safe, controlled conditions to prevent dangerous buildup of "fuels” such as dead plants, grasses, leaf litter, sticks and trees that could potentially lead to a catastrophic fire.
Prescribed fires should only be implemented under planned, predictable circumstances where additional measures can be taken to minimize smoke exposures, including favorable weather conditions and wind patterns that will allow smoke to move away from sensitive areas (e.g., populated areas, hospitals, schools, roadways), in accordance with local and national air quality standards.
The Lung Association led a research review to investigate the air quality and health impacts of wildfire and prescribed fire smoke. The review found that prescribed fire activity is needed to mitigate wildfire risk and can reduce the harmful smoke impacts associated with catastrophic wildfire. The review did not look at agricultural burning, which is done for purposes other than forest management and wildfire mitigation.
Additional measures to reduce the public health impacts associated with wildfire and prescribed fire smoke exposure include:
- Air quality surveillance coupled with public outreach and public notification systems;
- Indoor air filtration and clean air spaces;
- Provision and use of respiratory protective equipment for outdoor workers;
- Additional emergency planning and response, including protections for vulnerable populations.
