Wildfire Smoke

Predicting smoke movement and preventing smoke health effects remains an unsolved problem in the U.S.   The CSU Partnership for Air Quality, Climate, and Health (PACH) is working to help communities become resilient to the impact of wildfire smoke.  Our goal is to develop a national wildfire smoke health warning system to protect people from this growing public health threat.

Our Goal: A Wildfire Smoke Warning System

  • Each year, smoke (visible and invisible) from wildfires affects the health and welfare of millions.
  • If wildfire were an industry, it would emit more cancer causing benzene than all other U.S. industries combined.
  • By 2020, particulate emissions from wildfires will overtake that from coal burning as the dominant source of particulate matter in the U.S.

Past Workshops

Wildland Fire: Air Quality, Climate, and Health Workshop
August 2015 – Longmont, Colo.
This workshop was organized by the Colorado State University’s Partnership for Air Quality, Climate and Health in collaboration with a recently funded NASA project on the health impacts of wildfire smoke and support from the A.J. Kauvar Foundation. This workshop aimed at bringing together people who need information with people that can provide information on wildland fire emission characteristics and their impacts.

National Smoke Warning System Workshop
June 2016 – Denver, Colo.
This workshop was organized by the Colorado State University’s Partnership for Air Quality, Climate and Health with the generous support of the A.J. Kauvar Foundation. This workshop aimed at defining a roadmap towards development of a national smoke warning system with input from various active agencies and players.