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Wildfire smoke is a threat to air quality, public health, and ecosystems throughout the U.S. Notwithstanding the impact of this year's Canadian wildfires, the West typically sees much higher exposure to wildfire smoke than other regions of the country.
New research from Harvard University, the U.S. Forest Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicates that controlled burns – particularly in coastal areas of northern California and the Pacific Northwest – could dramatically reduce the overall amount of wildfire smoke exposure in vulnerable rural communities and dense population centers across the West.
Deployed in key areas, tactic could drastically reduce smoke exposure across region, study finds.
Modeling reveals that controlled burns should be targeted to dense vegetation areas, especially west of the Sierras and the Cascades.