Provided below are lists of additional resources that organizations can share with the public or use to draft messaging. Resources are also listed on creating and evaluating communication materials.
Note: Some resources may include information on wildfire smoke. Although on a smaller scale than wildfires, prescribed burns may produce enough smoke to potentially cause adverse health outcomes, especially among vulnerable populations (e.g., outdoor workers, children, pregnant women, older adults). Therefore, some information from these resources can be adapted for prescribed burns, especially in circumstances where a prescribed burn was successfully conducted but produced a high concentration of smoke.
Resources about Prescribed Burns & Smoke Management 101
- USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/prescribed-fire
- National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/articles/what-is-a-prescribed-fire.htm
- CDC Wildfire Smoke: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/features/wildfires/index.html
- California Air Resources Board (CARB): https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/prescribed-burning/about
- Oregon Department of Environmental Quality: https://www.oregon.gov/deq/aq/Pages/Smoke-Management.aspx
- USDA Introduction to Prescribed Fire in Southern Ecosystems: https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/su/su_srs054.pdf
- US Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Native Fire – An Educational Video about the Safe Use and Application of Prescribed Fire: https://www.bia.gov/news/bureau-indian-affairs-releases-native-fire-educational-video-about-safe-use-and-application
- USDA Forest Service, Tribal and Indigenous Fire Tradition: https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/tribal-and-indigenous-fire-tradition
- National Park Service, Indigenous Fire Practices Shape our Land: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fire/indigenous-fire-practices-shape-our-land.htm
- U.S. EPA Wildfire Smoke and Your Patients’ Health: The Air Quality Index https://www.epa.gov/wildfire-smoke-course/wildfire-smoke-and-your-patients-health-air-quality-index
Health Risks & Safety Precautions
- AirNow Fires and Your Health: https://www.airnow.gov/air-quality-and-health/fires-and-your-health/
- U.S. EPA Why Wildfire Smoke is a Health Concern: https://www.epa.gov/wildfire-smoke-course/why-wildfire-smoke-health-concern
- U.S. EPA Health Effects Attributed to Wildfire Smoke: https://www.epa.gov/wildfire-smoke-course/health-effects-attributed-wildfire-smoke
- U. S. EPA Which Populations Experience Greater Risks of Adverse Health Effects Resulting from Wildfire Smoke Exposure? https://www.epa.gov/wildfire-smoke-course/which-populations-experience-greater-risks-adverse-health-effects-resulting
- U.S. EPA AirNow FAQ Smoke and Health: https://usepa.servicenowservices.com/airnow?id=kb_search&kb_knowledge_base=798f5d172fa050102be2d2172799b6d8&spa=1&kb_category=23bbbd9f1b681c104614ddb6bc4bcb70
- U.S. EPA Strategies to Reduce Smoke Exposure Indoors and Outdoors: https://www.epa.gov/wildfire-smoke-course/fire-or-smoke-event-plan
- CDC Protect Yourself from Wildfire Smoke: https://www.cdc.gov/air/wildfire-smoke/default.htm
- U.S. EPA Wood Smoke and Your Health: https://www.epa.gov/burnwise/wood-smoke-and-your-health
- New Mexico Fire Information: https://nmfireinfo.com/smoke-management/
- PSE Healthy Energy: https://www.psehealthyenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/PSE_Wildfire-and-Prescribed-Fire-Brief_FINAL_2022.pdf
- Washington Department of Ecology: https://ecology.wa.gov/air-climate/air-quality/smoke-fire/health-effects
- Southern Fire Exchange: https://southernfireexchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2018-2.pdf
- Smoke from Fires FAQ: https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/air-quality/smoke-fires
- Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units Children’s Health & Wildfires: https://www.pehsu.net/Children_s_Health_Wildfires.html
- NIOSH Outdoor Workers Exposed to Wildfire Smoke: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/firefighting/wffsmoke.html
Prescribed Burn Information
*Local information on scheduled prescribed burns can be found at these sites depending on your location. Examples have been provided.
Federal
- U.S.D.A. Forest Service (e.g., USFS Prescribed Fire & #BurnAlerts)
- National Park Service (e.g., NPS Cuyahoga Valley)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (e.g., Prescribed Burns Planned for Spring 2023)
State or Local
- Department of Natural Resources (e.g., Ohio DNR)
- Department of Environmental Quality or Environmental Protection Agencies (e.g., NC DEQ)
- Department of Forestry/Forestry Commissions (e.g., NC Forest Service)
- State or local park services (e.g., Scioto Grove Metro Park)
- USDA Cooperative Extension System’s Cooperative Extension, Regional or County Extension Offices, and/or Land-Grant Universities (e.g., NC State Extension)
- Prescribed Fire Councils (e.g., Ohio Prescribed Fire Council)