Developing an Online Tool for Identifying Areas and Populations Vulnerable to Surface Smoke from wildfires

Wildfire episodes pose a public health threat in the United States. Health effects associated with exposure to particulate matter (PM) arising from wildfires can range from mild eye and respiratory tract irritation to more serious outcomes such as asthma exacerbation, bronchitis, and decreased lung function. Adverse health impacts associated with wildfires occur near the burn area as well as in places far downwind due to wildfire smoke exposures. Real-time operational forecasts of wildfire smoke (as fine particulate matter) concentrations are available but they are not readily integrated with information on vulnerable populations necessary to identify at-risk communities before, during, and after wildfire smoke episodes.

CDC’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network), in collaboration with various partners across multiple disciplines, has developed a tool to integrate data on real-time wildfire smoke and related measures of vulnerability to help identify populations and areas susceptible to the effects of wildfire smoke. This real-time wildfire smoke tool uses data from two primary sources: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA)/National Weather Service (NWS) and CDC’s Tracking Network. The Tracking Network uses wildfire smoke data from the NOAA/NWS to display real-time and forecasted concentrations of wildfire smoke in a map display. Along with the smoke data, the Tracking Network provides users with a selection of its existing county and census tract level data on vulnerable populations. Users can select more than 25 different measures of vulnerability (presented as map layers) from topics, such as: access to care and social vulnerability, chronic disease status, population characteristics, and prevailing air quality levels. In addition, users have the option to turn on layers showing locations of day care centers, emergency medical services stations, hospitals, mobile home parks national shelter systems, nursing homes, public schools, and urgent care facilities.

A real-time vulnerability assessment tool incorporating standardized health and exposure datasets, and prevention guidelines related to wildfire smoke hazards is currently unavailable for public health practitioners and emergency responders. This tool could strengthen existing situational awareness and expedite future response and recovery efforts before, during, and after wildfire episodes.