The Premise
As a child in the 1990s, I still remember those old TV commercials with Smokey the Bear telling kids “Remember: Only you can prevent forest fires!” At the time I did not know that this was actually part of a misunderstanding among the US Forest Service and a media spin about how “bad” wildfires were, when in reality, they have actually played a critical role in shaping the forests of the western US for thousands of years.
But despite wildfires being a natural part of the life-and-death cycle of dry-climate forest ecosystems such as those found in the western US, the commercials nevertheless have a valid point: Beyond just the destruction of a beautiful forest landscape, wildfires also pose potential risks to humans, from the destruction of property to the negative effects of exposure to wildfire smoke.
This project will explore these spatial and environmental impacts of wildfires across the US. The analysis will focus on mapping wildfire events, tracking how wildfire smoke disperses over time, and assessing its impact on human health, particularly in urban areas. This project will also attempt to identify solutions that can be implemented to better manage the balance between fire-dominated forest systems and the need to ensure the safety of the population that lives in these regions.
Project Goal and Hypothesis
The goal of this project will be to map the geographic impact of wildfires on air quality, health, and the environment, and identify the most vulnerable regions. The project will also explore potential mitigation strategies, such as air quality alert systems, regional planning, and strategies for safely implementing controlled burns.
Regions closer to frequent wildfire zones, especially in the western US, experience a higher deterioration in air quality and higher rates of respiratory illnesses during wildfire seasons. Urban areas with dense populations and limited air quality management infrastructure are particularly vulnerable.
My Approach
GIS will be used to map and analyze the following:
- Wildfire locations and perimeters over time.
- Smoke dispersal patterns based on satellite imagery and meteorological data.
- Air quality metrics (e.g., PM2.5 levels) before, during, and after wildfire events.
- Overlay population density and healthcare infrastructure to assess health vulnerability. GIS will also visualize patterns of wildfire occurrence, identify high-risk regions, and assess potential mitigation solutions.
Generative AI will support this project by:
- Assisting with research on the environmental and health impacts of wildfires, particularly the effects of wildfire smoke.
- Discovering and summarizing relevant academic literature on wildfire behavior, air quality management, and public health outcomes.
- Supporting data discovery, such as finding sources for air quality indices and wildfire data from agencies like NASA and EPA.
- Assisting with blog content creation, helping to frame complex data into accessible narratives for the general audience.