Analysing the effects of the 2002 McNally fire on air quality in the San Joaquin Valley and southern Sierra Nevada, California

Authors:Cisneros, RicardoSchweizer, DonaldZhong, SharonHammond, KatharinePerez, Miguel A.Guo, QinghuaTraina, SamuelBytnerowicz, AndrzejBennett, Deborah H.

Source:INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WILDLAND FIRE

Volume:21

DOI:10.1071/WF11025

Published:2012

Document Type:Article

Abstract:Smoke from wildfires can expose individuals and populations to elevated levels of particulate matter (PM) and ozone (O-3). Between 21 July and 26 August 2002, the McNally Fire burned over 150 000 acres (61 000 ha). The fire occurred in the Sequoia National Forest, in the southern Sierra Nevada of California. This study evaluated the effects of the McNally Fire on air quality, specifically particles, 10 m mu in diameter (PM10) and O-3. Downwind of the fire on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, 24-h concentrations of PM10 more than doubled. The PM10 federal standard was exceeded four times during the fire. Violations of the California PM10 standard increased drastically during the fire. The California PM10 standard was violated six times before the fire and 164 times during the fire. Most of the PM10 exceedances occurred at the Kernville Work Center and sites east of the fire. Compared with the other sites, the highest 2-week average O-3 concentrations occurred in the eastern part of the Sierra Nevada and north of the fire, where O-3 increased by a factor of two at two locations.

Author Information

Corresponding Author:

Reprint Address:Cisneros, R (corresponding author), USDA Forest Serv, Air Program, Reg 5,1600 Tollhouse Rd, Clovis, CA 93257 USA.

Addresses:[Cisneros, Ricardo; Schweizer, Donald] USDA Forest Serv, Air Program, Clovis, CA 93257 USA. [Zhong, Sharon] Michigan State Univ, Dept Geog, E Lansing, MI 48824 USA. [Hammond, Katharine] Univ Calif Berkeley, Sch Publ Hlth, Environm Hlth Sci Div, Berkeley, CA 95720 USA. [Perez, Miguel A.] Calif State Univ Fresno, Dept Publ Hlth, Fresno, CA 93740 USA. [Guo, Qinghua; Traina, Samuel] Univ Calif Merced, Environm Syst Grad Grp, Sierra Nevada Res Inst, Merced, CA 95343 USA. [Bytnerowicz, Andrzej] USDA Forest Serv, Pacific SW Res Stn, Riverside, CA 92507 USA. [Bennett, Deborah H.] Univ Calif Davis, Dept Publ Hlth Sci, Davis, CA 95616 USA.

E-mail Addresses:rcisneros@ucmerced.edu; dschweizer@fs.fed.us; zhongs@msu.edu; hammondk@berkeley.edu; mperez@csufresno.edu; qguo@ucmerced.edu; straina@ucmerced.edu; abytnerowicz@fs.fed.us; dbennett@ucdavis.edu

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