Evaluating differential air quality impacts of prescribed fire and wildfire in the United States

2026-09-11

AI Summary

研究通过因果森林方法评估了美国控制性燃烧与野火对空气质量的不同影响，发现控制性燃烧显著减少了人群烟雾暴露量。

Abstract

Increasing wildfire activities in the United States have generated far-reaching effects on air pollution and human health. While prescribed fires are used as a preventive strategy to reduce wildfire risks, the health impacts of their smoke remain uncertain. Small-scale case studies indicate that prescribed fires generally produce lower pollutant emissions than uncontrolled wildfires, potentially benefiting air quality. However, the extent to which this translates into reduced population-level smoke exposure remains uncertain due to a lack of robust, large-scale quantitative evidence. Moreover, the factors driving differences in air quality impacts between prescribed fires and wildfires were underexplored. Using fire data in California, Florida, and Georgia (2006-2020) and a causal forest approach, we quantified and compared the impacts of prescribed fires and wildfires on air quality, assessed their differences in population-level smoke exposure, and identified key factors influencing their smoke exposure levels. On a per square-kilometer basis, prescribed fires resulted in over six times less population-level smoke exposure compared to wildfires. Additionally, prescribed fires were associated with lower smoke exposure in regions with higher relative humidity and precipitation. This work could enable the broad risk-benefit assessment to guide the judicious use of prescribed fires and optimize public health outcomes while mitigating wildfire threats.

Problem

• wildfire
• prescribed fire
• air quality
• population-level smoke exposure
• health impacts

Innovation

• causal forest approach
• population-level smoke exposure
• prescribed fires