Smoke Management for Prescribed Burning
Smoke management should be an important consideration when planning all prescribed burns. Smoke can obstruct visibility, which in turn can affect the safety of the personnel conducting the fire, public safety on roadways, and the recreational value of areas. Smoke can also impact public health, along with the public’s reaction to prescribed burning in general. Nuisance smoke is smoke that causes problems and is defined as the amount of smoke in the air that interferes with a right or privilege common to members of the public, including the use or enjoyment of public or private resources. That is why it is important to always manage smoke emissions so there are no problems on current or future burns. The main goals of smoke management are to reduce emissions from a fire, improve the dispersion of smoke, and make sure smoke plumes do not affect smoke-sensitive areas.