Model Simulation of the Air Quality Impact of Record-Breaking Southern California Wildfires in December 2017

We simulate the air quality impact of record‐breaking wildfires in Southern California during 5–18 December 2017 using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry in combination with satellite and surface observations. This wildfire event was driven by dry and strong offshore Santa Ana winds, which played a critical role in fire formation and air pollutant transport. By utilizing fire emissions derived from the high‐resolution (375 × 375 m²) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite active fire detections, the simulated magnitude and temporal evolution of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) concentrations agree reasonably well with surface observations (normalized mean bias = 4.0%). Sensitivity tests reveal that using a high spatial resolution for fire emissions and a reasonable treatment of plume rise (a fair split between emissions injected at surface and those lifted to upper levels) is important for achieving decent PM_2.5 simulation results. The 2017 December fire event increases the 14‐day averaged PM_2.5 concentrations by up to 231.2 μg/m³ over the downwind regions, which substantially exceeds the U.S. air quality standards, potentially leading to adverse health impacts. The human exposure to fire‐induced PM_2.5 accounts for 14–42% of the annual total PM_2.5 exposure in areas impacted by the fire plumes. The results and findings of this study may have important implications for the forecasting and practical early warning of Santa Ana wind-driven wildfires.