Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program Pete Lahm Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management Washington, D.C. 202-205-1084 // 602-432-2614 cell 661-GET-1ARA Plahm@fs.fed.us // pete.lahm@gmail.com
An Evolving Interagency Program- Wildfire Air Quality Impacts and Prescribed Fire Smoke Management - One in three households has someone with respiratory issues: child with asthma, COPD, emphysema, etc. 26 million have asthma in US. - Address sensitive groups at risk: people with asthma, older adults and those of low income. Science: pregnant women, diabetics. - Public air quality warnings effective and at-risk public responds in kind - NO particulate matter is healthy - Ozone EPA Science Analysis Effects 60ppb - Medical costs: $8-$80/day/person exposure to wildfire smoke ($76 NM) - Wildfire Seasons longer and hotter with higher public smoke impacts - Under the Clean Air Act, States obligated to respond and protect the public from high levels of air pollution - Land managers know more of what the fire will do in terms of: fire spread, growth, intensity, burnouts, fuels, consumption, emissions, weather, duration, - Land managers using risk assessment to manage wildfires now.
Transition from public health to public safety impacts Safety Health
Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program Focus for wildland fires through use of Air Resource Advisors: 1) Smoke impacts to public health and safety 2) Transportation safety (roads & aviation for public & personnel) 3) Fire personnel smoke exposure (on-fireline, ICP, Base Camp) A) Improving how Air Quality considered on incidents and decisions (risks, exposure, strategy, tactics) B) Providing information to public and fire personnel C) Supporting partners (air quality, health departments, county, tribal govt.) addressing public health and safety concerns Methods-Monitoring, Modeling, Messaging, Coordination
Methods-Monitoring, Modeling, Messaging, Coordination Monitoring Deployment, Interpretation and Dissemination National Cache of 20 E-SAMPLERs (NFES 5840) EPA contributed 4 E-BAMs retrofitted for GOES Data via GOES Satellite linkage Data online real-time @ WRCC, EPA AirNow Tech, Public Wildfire Smoke page on AIRNOW PM2.5 Only Modeling Provided by PNW AirFire Team Operational incident / regional / national forecasting of air quality impacts BlueSky Playground Fine-scale (1 km) NWS Fire Behavior Grids National scale meteorology and climatology Complexity Analysis tool under development Vulnerable receptors: schools, hospitals Monitoring Analysis Tool
Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program Messaging Conveyed via ARA s Cohesive message (State/District Health & Air Quality Agencies, National Weather Service) Transportation Safety Alerts and Warnings Incident public meetings State Smoke Blogs AirNow? Cooperation with State Emergency Response Agencies and Plans Stakeholder and Partner Collaboration Planning & communication of fire strategy & tactics translated into smoke impacts and response State Emergency Response Plans for Wildfire Smoke EPA, CDC collaborative efforts Coordinate Interagency Program and ARA cadre Agreements, training, position development
Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program International and National Effort Cadre of Air Resource Advisors (THSP-ARA) Three Training Sessions Held - May 2016 planned Trainee Program Trainees are converting to full ARA On-the-Job-Training utilized 1st Program After Action Review held 4/2015 Continuing Education and refresher webinars planned Range of Skills in 40 ARA including trainees FS (many NFS-Air), BLM, NPS, Quinault Tribe (via BIA), NRCS, AD-Contractor, EPA, GA, NC, Orange County-CA Dispatches: 2011-5, 2012-13, 2013-25, 2014-39, 2015-40 Assignments: Incident, Forest, State Level Program Efforts, Agency Admins.,Area Command, GACC, Regional Wildfire Decision Support Centers, State Forestry Use? Canada - 2 at 2015 Training, Presented in IWFC-Korea
continued Program Dispatch Procedures Technical Specialist Air Resource Advisor (THSP-ARA) ordered through Program Manager (like Incident Meteorologist-IMET) All THSP-ARAs will be in ROSS THSP-ARA position established in FSH 5109.34 -Casual Hire (AD-J) Ordering number 661-GET-1ARA Trainees are maintained by program ARA Dispatch Calendar https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=0dhsvn6h0k41kko4ob3m946j n4%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=america/los_angeles ARA Support Page maintained by PNW Virtual Training Library at ARA Support Page ARA Guidebook under development
Emerging Issues IAWF International Smoke Symposium 2 November 2016 Goal to virtual capable as it was in 2013 ISS1 still hosted at IAWF now West, maybe CA Funding, Steering Committee Opportunity to assess data from 70 (or so) special monitors that were around the West during 2015 Wildfire Season Hours and days of impacts/levels Population exposure estimates??? Cost??? Role in Regional EER Demonstration efforts Assessment of messaging and consistency Opportunity for ARA Trainees
Opportunities and Approaches to smoke impacts: Scale of smoke impacts: Local on-incident response Utilize on-scene knowledge of fire activity and behavior Real information on fire activity, fuels, consumption, weather, dispersion Allows for public air quality impacts forecasting Can address operational fire personnel exposure response and strategies (input to 215a Risk Matrix for smoke)
Opportunities and Approaches to smoke impacts: Multi-fire/state/regional scale response Reliance on remote information (fuels, consumption, fire activity, dispersion, impacts) Simplified broad-scale forecasting Focus on public smoke impacts Accuracy issues Likely not addressing exposure and transportation issues (safety or health)
48h long animation (28 th -30 th June 2015) of forest fire emissions contribution to total surface PM 2.5 concentrations
Opportunities and Approaches to smoke impacts: National and International Scales Smoke dispersion models available Public impacts only Remote sensed data driven Is there a communications systems/data sharing protocols in place to address this long-range challenge? Smoke can travel across many borders Messaging outlets and responsibility questions? Driven by scale of fire activity Duration, Spatial extant, Drought and weather outlook Pre-planning for domestic smoke impacts Programs in place to develop fire-ready communities Need for smoke ready communities and fire personnel