Can Prescribed Fires Mitigate Health Harm?
A Review of Air Quality and Public Health Implications of Wildfire and Prescribed Fire
The American Lung Association commissioned a report, written by PSE Healthy Energy, to answer the question: What does the current research say about the potential of prescribed fire to mitigate the increasing health and air quality risks from catastrophic wildfires, considering that prescribed fire involves air quality and health risks too? This report makes clear that wildfires are predicted to increase in the decades ahead, and prescribed fire can be used to mitigate the air quality and health impacts of catastrophic wildfires.
Key Findings
- Wildfire smoke is harmful to human health, and wildfire activity is projected to increase in the decades ahead due to climate change.
- Expanded prescribed fire activity is needed to mitigate catastrophic wildfire risk and reduce the negative air quality, health and safety impacts associated with large-scale wildfires.
- While increasing prescribed fire activities may contribute to local air quality impacts, prescribed fire can be conducted in ways that minimize harmful smoke exposure potential.
- Expanded prescribed fire activities should be coupled with additional policies and best practices to mitigate potential harmful smoke exposure.
- Further research is needed to evaluate comparative risks of prescribed fire smoke and wildfire.
