Comprehensive Strategies Applied to

Managing Smoke Impacts

NACAA 2017 Fall Membership Meeting

September 25, 2017

Seattle, Washington

California’s Smoke Management Program

Key Organizational Objectives

Monitoring Messaging

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California Air Response Planning Alliance

Multi-Agency Partnership

ARBs Office of Emergency Response

• Meteorological Forecasting • Air Pollution Modeling • Air Monitoring Deployment

Guide for smoke response coordination in California

Lists recommended health actions.

Daily intelligence briefing

1400 Monitoring Call (Smoke response decisions made)

Monitoring Wildfire Smoke

Air Quality Management Information System (AQMIS) ARB E-BAMs (30 units) - Portable PM2.5 monitoring instrument USFS E-BAMs Prescribed Fire Information Reporting System (PFIRS) Modis Satellite Images Hazard Mapping System (HMS) BlueSky Modeling System National Weather Service (GOES Satellite, Radar, Winds)

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USFS AirFire Teams, BlueSky

Integrated effort with CANSAC WRF (and others high resolution models)

Website automatically generates daily plume models twice a day (select your run).

Estimates current and future PM concentration values.

Focus on high resolution

and customization (newer, faster machine)

Modeling Wildfire Smoke

5 King Fire 2014

Messaging Wildfire Smoke

Work closely with local air districts and public health agencies

Sync communications across impacted areas, and incident commands

Create Smoke Outlooks and Impact Summaries

• Goal: Reduce exposure through behavior modification

Provide critical decision information:

• Monitor data

• Fire behavior predictions

• Incident command decisions

Posting on web, blogs, social media

Smoke specialists deployed as part of an Incident Management Team (THSP in ICS)

Enables:

• Smoke information within Incident decisions

• Allows incident decision information for BlueSky modeling, messaging, etc

• Develops outlooks and other documents for communications

• Works with local agencies and communities

ARA Deployments by Year

Air Resource Advisors

Historic Role of Fire

Fire has always been a part of California’s landscape

• In 1542 Cabrillo named San Pedro Harbor the “Bay of Smoke and Fires” • Fire plays an important role in California’s forest Ecosystems • Wildfires single biggest source of high-level air quality impacts (in U.S.) • California averages over 600,000+ acres burned over the past five year • 46,000+ acres of prescribed burning over the past five year • 100 Million Dead Trees from Bark Beetle Infestation • Tree Mortality Task Force

Provide increased opportunities for prescribed and agricultural burning, while minimizing smoke impacts • 1300 Call, Daily Communication Between (CARB, FLMs, Air Districts) • Burn Day Determinations

Mutual objectives of protecting public health and ensuring healthy and resilient forests 2011 Coordination and Communication Protocol for

Naturally Ignited Fires

California’s air quality standards and climate goals • Meeting air quality standards • Improving visibility • Reducing short-lived climate pollutants • Achieving greenhouse gas reduction targets

CARB Smoke Management Program

Changes from 1890 to 1970

Sets requirements for:

• Communications on many levels • Daily burn determinations based on meteorological dispersion rates, air

quality conditions and the amount of emissions predicted • Burn registration and planning well ahead of time • Public notification procedures

Prescribed Fire Reporting System (PFIRS) – Serves as a data and information interface between regulators, burners and individuals using wildland fire.

• Smoke Management Information distribution system • Public notification interface • Emissions tracking and storage

Meteorological Forecasting – High resolution(2km x 2km) smoke weather forecasts via CANSAC, Bluesky.

Smoke Management Program

Multi-Agency Workgroups

USEPA, ARB, State and Federal Land Managers, Local Air Pollution Control Districts and NGOs

• Air and Land Managers • Interagency Air and Smoke Council • 1300 & 1400 Conference Calls • CANSAC, PFIRS, RX 410 Training

Provides a forum to discuss issues regarding air quality and smoke management in California

The Goal is Healthy and Sustainable Forests , while protecting public health!

Thank You

Dar Mims Smoke Management Coordinator

Air Quality Planning and Science Division

California Air Resources Board

Dar.Mims@arb.ca.gov