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Prescribed Fire & Smoke Collaborative Management
The Pacific Northwest Joint Collaboration on Prescribed Fire and Smoke Management is a multi-agency effort.
This regional joint collaboration for managing prescribed fire and smoke is an effort to:
- Communicate with the public and interested stakeholders about the agencies’ efforts to increase the pace and scale of prescribed fire implementation while minimizing impacts to air quality and public health.
- Engage other tribal, federal, state, and local agencies/departments with land management and public health roles to increase awareness and cooperation.
- Ensure timely and equitable community engagement, transparent health risk communication, and information on the actions communities can take to protect their health from smoke.
Read the Joint Statement of Intent to Cooperate on Prescribed Fire and Smoke Management (.pdf)
April 5, 2024 - Read the Pacific Northwest Federal, State Agencies to Collaborate on Prescribed Fire, Smoke Management to Confront Wildfire Crisis news release.
Fire and Smoke Map (AirNow.gov)
Protect Yourself from Wildfire Smoke | Air (CDC)
Wildfire Guide Factsheets Publications (AirNow.gov)
Wildfire Smoke Preparedness in Community Buildings Grant Program | US EPA
Smoke-Ready Toolbox for Wildfires | US EPA
Smoke Ready (wildlandfiresmoke.net)
Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program (wildlandfiresmoke.net)
Air Quality Index (AQI) (AirNow.gov)
Air Quality Index Fact Sheet.docx (epa.gov)
Frequently Asked Questions
The main goal is to address the wildfire crisis in Oregon and Washington through increased use of prescribed fire and other fuel management strategies, with a strong focus on minimizing public health impacts from smoke. This initiative aims to enhance ecosystem resilience and reduce wildfire risk in the Pacific Northwest.
The collaboration includes the USDA Forest Service, Region 6; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10; Oregon Department of Environmental Quality; Oregon Department of Forestry; Oregon Health Authority; Washington State Department of Ecology; Washington Department of Health; and Washington Department of Natural Resources. It builds on a national Memorandum of Understanding and outlines a regional approach to wildfire and smoke management and is a dynamic group, continuing to expand to include additional collaborators.
Tribal engagement began in the fall of 2023 and has continued with focused engagement in and around the West Bend Pilot Project area. Tribal engagement will expand with efforts for the North Central Washington Pilot Project area, and more broadly across the Pacific Northwest Region.
Prescribed fire is identified as critical for reducing the accumulation of fuels that contribute to wildfire risk, enhancing ecosystem resilience, and managing land and resource objectives more effectively. The controlled application of fire is balanced against the health risks from smoke exposure, aiming to mitigate the more severe risks posed by uncontrolled wildfires. Land managers combine fire with other land management strategies such as mechanical thinning and mastication to reduce fuels and ensure effective treatments over time. Prescribed fires are carefully planned fires that occur under specific weather conditions to minimize the amount of smoke that impacts nearby communities. Our burn bosses are trained in smoke management, and all burn plans include smoke objectives.
Prescribed fires are carefully planned fires that occur under specific weather conditions to minimize the amount of smoke that impacts nearby communities and allow for advanced preparation for smoke in the area. Additionally, the initiative plans to implement new strategies at scale to minimize impacts on public health from smoke. This includes preparing communities for prescribed fire and smoke, pursuing increased public health interventions, and ensuring transparent communication about where to find the current air quality, how to protect themselves from smoke, and when to expect smoke. Special emphasis is placed on protecting vulnerable populations and communities disproportionately affected by smoke.
The initiative commits to working closely with partners and local communities to ensure meaningful engagement, support in pursuing resources, and increased health risk and smoke ready communication. Efforts will focus on preparedness and planning to reduce the risk of smoke from prescribed fires, particularly for vulnerable populations.
The guiding principles include acting with urgency; protecting public health; safety, and property; overcoming implementation barriers of prescribed fire; being innovative and comprehensive in approach; and trying new approaches to learn and adapt based on experience. A focused effort is also being placed on transparent communications with the public, and accountability.
Success will be evaluated through pilot projects in West Bend, Oregon and North Central Washington, which will inform further actions and strategies. These projects will help identify additional steps to build on the work within and across agencies, leveraging collective knowledge and experience for more effective prescribed fire and smoke management.
Participating Agencies
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10
- Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
- Oregon Department of Forestry
- Oregon Health Authority
- Washington State Department of Ecology
- Washington State Department of Health
- Washington Department of Natural Resources
