prescribed fire vs wildfire: an air quality perspective · 1/13/2018  · on periodic tire,...

Prescribed Fire Vs Wildfire:An Air Quality Perspective

Julie Hunter, Senior Air Quality SpecialistPlanning Program

Washoe County Health District, Air Quality Management Division APA Nevada Chapter State Conference: Betting on Nevada’s Future

October 3, 2017Reno NWS

Prescribed Fire Vs Wildfire

Prescribed Fires

• Public Health

– Public Notifications

– Less Smoke Impacts

– Shorter Duration

– Temporary AQ Impacts

• Controlled Conditions

• Reduce Wildfire Severity

Wildfire Challenges

• Rapid Changes

– Difficult to Forecast and Inform

• Monitoring Data

– Hour Delay

• AirNow Delays

– ~1.5 Hour Delay

• Mixed Message

– Smoke in Valley

– Green AQI

After the Event: Regulation ImpactsExceptional Events Demonstrations

• Narrative Conceptual Model

• Clear Causal Relationship

• Natural Event

• Not Reasonably Controllable or Preventable

• Conclusions and Recommendations

Tier 3 EE Analysis = Very Complex

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

7:0

0

8:0

0

9:0

0

10

:00

11

:00

12

:00

13

:00

14

:00

15

:00

16

:00

17

:00

18

:00

19

:00

20

:00

21

:00

22

:00

23

:00

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n (

µg/

m3)

Hourly PM2.5 Concentrations Comparing Rx Fire and Wildfire

Rim Fire (8/23/2013)

King Fire (9/18/2014)

Rx Fire (11/6/2014)

Hazardous

Very Unhealthy

Unhealthy

Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups

King

Rim

Rx fire

Questions and Comments

Julie Hunter, Senior Air Quality Specialist

Washoe County Health District, Air Quality Management Division

jdhunter@washoecounty.us

OurCleanAir.com