California Prepares for Increased Wildfire Risk to Air Quality From Climate Change
Wildfires, a longstanding and frequent threat to California, are expected to increase in intensity and frequency. While wildfires can pose a severe threat to property and public safety, they can also have a significant effect air quality.
Wildfires create an increase the amount of particulate matter in the air. Because of this, California included wildfire threat within its 2009 Climate Adaptation Strategy. The strategy seeks to reduce and adapt to the increasing future threat to air quality from wildfires.
Consistent with adaptation planning practices, California conducted a vulnerability assessment. This helped to better understand the projected magnitude of impact a changing environment could have on wildfire activity. Concerns explored included the effectiveness of California's climate sinks (i.e., carbon stored in vegetation) and how projected changes are expected to impact them.
While there are many factors that may influence the past trends, changes in the environment are expected to significantly impact California's forests and contribute to an increase of wildfires in the projected future. California's 2010 Rangeland Assessment’s chapter on climate change notes that the fire season has been starting sooner and ending later. In addition, the severity of wildfire acreage burned has been increasing in recent years.
The Rangeland Assessment also includes reference to studies that suggest the increased number of wildfires will lead to a corresponding increase in the number of ‘bad’ air days from particulate matter.
California is anticipating how projected changes will affect wildfires and associated public health concerns. Adaptation actions under consideration include:
- Protecting forests.
- Increasing public awareness of proper land management strategies.
- Promoting efforts to better maintain air quality.
For more information on how California is planning and adapting, visit:
| How Did They Do It? | Applicable EPA Tools |
|---|---|
Assessed public health risk from increased wildfires due to changing climate conditions
| Review the 2014 Quadrennial Fire Review (PDF) (96 pp, 4.4 MB) to evaluate the strategic outlook of wildland fire management over the next 10-20 years and use EPA’s Wildfire Smoke Guide for Public Health Officials to identify potential impacts to public health. |
Identified adaptation strategies and created local resources
| Use the Forest Service’s LANDFIRE (Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools) to map vegetation, fire, and fuel characteristics at a landscape scale to support resource management initiatives. * (This is a non-EPA resource from the U.S. Forest Service.) |
Similar Cases and More Information
Wildfires pose extreme threats to public safety. However, this case focuses on EPA's role in protecting air quality. For more information on wildfires, including the impact to human health and safety, please visit the U.S. Resiliency Toolkit.
For another example on how a community is adapting to air quality concerns see the Salt Lake City case.
References
- California Wildfire Emissions (CARB)
- California’s Comprehensive Wildfire Page
- Climate Change Impacts on California, CA Office of the Attorney General
- California Adaptation Planning Guide: Defining Local & Regional Impacts (PDF)(94 pp, 5.8 MB)
- California Adaptation Planning Guide: Planning for Adaptive Communities (PDF)(60 pp, 7 MB)
- 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy (PDF)(200 pp, 4.2 MB)