The Emergency Smoke Response System (a prototype)

The U.S. Forest Service Emergency Smoke Response System (ESRS) prototype was first launched during the Santa Ana wildfire event of southern California (fall 2007) and after further refinement it was again launched during the lightening wildfire event of northing California (summer 2008). During both wildfire events smoke plumes from the fires caused significant impacts on the air quality in both urban and rural communities, transportation corridors, and aviation landing strips. The ESRS, called up by U.S.F.S. headquarters, is used to provide enhanced information and data on air quality impacts and smoke transport to fire management and the public. The prototype U.S.F.S. ESRS is a combination of efforts that supplement the ongoing smoke and fire modeling information with a high resolution meteorological and smoke modeling domain placed over the wildfire event location. This domain is used to look at fine-scale fire meteorology and smoke transport and air quality impacts. At the same time, additional smoke monitors (EBAMS) are deployed in the area with real-time reporting capabilities. The monitors supplement the existing network to provide air quality information in communities without monitors or in remote (i.e. locations along transportation corridors). The data from the modeling efforts and air quality monitoring are presented to fire managers and air quality regulators through websites, which show the latest available information. To ensure maximum utility of the modeling and monitoring information, an experienced air quality forecast produces daily forecast summaries by region, providing text forecast guidance and model output discussion. The forecaster is available for the daily fire calls that fire managers use to coordinate efforts across the region. Fire managers can request modifications or new graphics which they find useful for dissemination of the information. Fire is a natural ecological process. Policy, climate, and ecological shifts can change the ecological fire regime. The frequency and location of large fire outbreaks is hard to predict, however once a large fire event does occur ESRS can be called upon to assist with a coordinated multi-faced approach to create, analyze, and distribute smoke information during a wildfire event.