Map of the Western US showing places that contribute most to air quality emissions

Prescribed Burns as a Tool to Mitigate Future Wildfire Smoke Exposure

In a nutshell: Can prescribed fire reduce future smoke impacts? Research on how targeted prescribed burn treatments in heavily forested Western states may have an outsized impact on improving air quality for the entire western U.S. by reducing the likelihood of future wildfire smoke. Description: Catastrophic wildfires in the western United States pose significant risks …

COVID-19 and Wildfire Lessons Learned

Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2020 from 12-1:30pm MDT/11am-12:30pm AZ Presenters: Listed below As COVID-19 cases and wildland fire activity increase across the country, wildland fire personnel are looking for ways to quickly identify cases and prevent the spread of the disease on the fireline. The Southwest Fire Consortium hosted a webinar sharing information about the …

Smoke in the Southwest

In the Southwest, most ecosystems are adapted to some form of wildland fire. Smoke, the major byproduct of fire, is a real health issue, and finding ways to deal with this reality is discussed by several federal employees who work in land management.

Click here to listen to our “Smoke in the Southwest” podcast by Caitlyn Burford.


2019 Cultivating Pyrodiversity- 8th AFE International Fire Ecology & Management Congress

The Association for Fire Ecology is excited to be hosting this event in Tucson, Arizona in cooperation with the Southwest Fire Science Consortium. Presentations will feature the latest in research results, applications, case studies, and lessons learned, and special sessions will be designed to unify science and application and to create opportunities for interdisciplinary learning. …

Resources for predicting and mitigating smoke impacts of wildland fires

Resources for predicting and mitigating smoke impacts of wildland fires PDF. Working Paper 40, August 2018, by Caleb Stotts, Pete Lahm, and Claudia Standish Factsheet also available here. Fact Sheet, August 2018, by Caleb Stotts, Pete Lahm, and Claudia Standish Fire managers use prescribed fire and some wildfires to meet resource management objectives, like restoring and maintaining …

Smoke impacts, air resource advisors and you!

Air Resource Advisors provide a vast array of tools and products to predict and communicate smoke impacts during wildfires. Having a resource solely dedicated to smoke management and effective messaging improves both internal and external communication. View the video here.


November 14, 2017: Where there’s smoke… there’s social science! Public perceptions of smoke & communication from multiple regions

Date: November 14, 2017 12pm Mountain Presenters: Stacey Frederick, Coordinator, California Fire Science Consortium The importance of smoke has been well-observed by managers through frequent concerns expressed over smoke. Public perceptions of fuel reduction techniques, with a particular emphasis on using prescribed fire as a management tool, have been under study for almost a decade. However, research …

February 17, 2016: Ecology of Smoke

Presenter: Mary Lata, USFS Fire Ecologist The Ecology of Smoke is something that has been considered by very few in the United States, despite extensive and intensive interest and research into frequent fire systems. This presentation will review some of the existing science; present some recent data on smoke and seedling emergence in species native to …

2016 Fire Ecology & Management Conference

Beyond hazardous fuels: Managing fire for social, economic, and ecological benefits Recordings and field trip info now available! This Southwest Regional Fire Ecology and Management Conference occurred in Tucson, Arizona November 28 – December 2, 2016 in partnership with the Association for Fire Ecology. To view recordings of plenary presentations and some others, click here …