Methodology for determining wildfire and prescribed fire air quality impacts on areas in the western united states

Abstract

Colorado has long been known for its scenic vistas and majestic mountains. Wildfires which are common in the summer months can significantly impact scenic environments close to the wildfire location. There are also concern as to the health impact to people in towns and cities located on the urban/wildland interfaces where the impact can also include loss of life and property. For these and other reasons, a concerted effort is underway to better understand the implications of these wildfires on areas potentially impacted by smoke. This study created a methodology for evaluating air quality impacts on both a statewide and regional basis using a state-of-the-art meso-scale meteorological model to simulate the meteorological conditions which correlate with prescribed fire and wildfire activity. These meteorological fields are input into an air quality model which simulates transport and secondary aerosol formation for certain pollutants. This modeling effort makes use of climatological analyses derived from observational data provided by the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission (GCVTC). Locally, the model examines impacts within the urban/wildland interface to the extent possible. The regional analysis evaluates the impact of long range transport on neighboring states and the relative impacts on states downwind from areas with the potential for extreme wildfire events. © 2000 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.