![](media/image1.jpeg){width="7.625in" height="10.5in"}

**Yosemite National Park**

**Smoke Communication Strategy**

**PURPOSE -- To provide Yosemite National Park with a blueprint for how
to manage future smoke events from prescribed fires, fire use projects,
suppression actions, and fires occurring outside the park.**

**September 5, 2001**

**Revised 2006**

**This document was originally written by Jody Lyle, Fire Information
and Education Specialist, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. 2006
revisions made by Deb Schweizer, Fire Communication and Education
Specialist, Yosemite National Park.**

**Table of Contents**

Current Strategy [3](#current-strategy)

Audiences [3](#audiences)

Methods [3](#methods)

During a Fire Incident [3](#__RefHeading___Toc162751495)

Year-round Actions [3](#__RefHeading___Toc162751496)

Smoke Talking Points [4](#smoke-talking-points)

Year-round [4](#year-round)

Early Fire Season [5](#early-fire-season)

Beginning of Incident [5](#__RefHeading___Toc162751500)

For Prescribed Fires [6](#__RefHeading___Toc162751501)

For Wildland Fire Use [6](#__RefHeading___Toc162751502)

When AQI Becomes Unhealthful for Sensitive Groups for PM2.5 (24 hour
period) [6](#__RefHeading___Toc162751503)

When AQI Becomes Unhealthful for General Public (PM 2.5 for 24 hour
period)
[7](#when-aqi-becomes-unhealthful-for-general-public-pm-2.5-for-24-hour-period)

After the Incident [8](#__RefHeading___Toc162751505)

Talking Points at a Glance [8](#talking-points-at-a-glance)

Other Sources of Information [9](#__RefHeading___Toc162751510)

# Current Strategy

The key to a successful strategy is targeting the right people
(audiences) in the right ways (methods) with the right messages (talking
points). During a fire incident, there are specific smoke messages that
can be integrated into the general fire information effort.

## 

## 

# Audiences

1.  Superintendent, Assistant, and Deputy

2.  Division Chiefs

3.  All employees and their families

4.  Safety Committee Members

5.  Concessionaires and their employees

6.  Park Visitors

7.  Media

8.  Park Communities -- Yosemite Valley, El Portal, Foresta, Wawona,
    Hodgdon, White Wolf, and Tuolumne Meadows.

9.  Neighboring Communities (including eastside) -- Yosemite West, Fish
    Camp, Oakhurst, Mariposa, Midpines, Coulterville, Groveland, Sonora,
    Lee Vining, June Lake, Mammoth Lakes.

10. County Health Departments and Air Districts for Mariposa, Tuolumne,
    Madera, and Mono

# Methods

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc162751495 .anchor}**During a Fire Incident**

1.  Clearly outline the authority given to park supervisors to minimize
    smoke impacts to their employees. Employees can notify supervisors
    if they are having adverse impacts from smoke. Alternative work
    schedules and locations will be arranged where appropriate.

2.  Hold Open House/Town Meeting for employees and residents in smoke
    affected areas.

3.  Operate particulate monitors in affected areas. Be prepared to move
    or add monitors. Start monitoring early in the incident.

4.  Provide daily air quality information, which interprets the
    particulate monitor data.

5.  Set up a smoke hotline (phone) to handle smoke complaints.

6.  Leave flyers on employee doorsteps with tips to decrease exposure.

7.  Post on bulletin boards.

8.  Put information in the "Daily" (hard copies and email)

9.  Use the park webpage as a vehicle for dispersing daily air quality
    information.

10. Give air quality conditions during the daily weather report on park
    radio.

    []{#__RefHeading___Toc162751496 .anchor}**Year-round Actions**

```{=html}
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1.  Incorporate air quality messages into year-round public outreach:
    interpretive programs, public meetings, press releases, etc.

2.  Offer special air quality seminars or trainings to help locals
    understand regional air issues.

## 

# Smoke Talking Points 

In addition to general fire messages/information, the following talking
points on smoke should be included in public information. Each talking
point includes an example of language that might be used in updates,
press releases, articles, presentations, etc. The talking points are
organized in groups according to trigger points (i.e. specific time
periods in an incident): Year-round, Early Fire Season, Beginning of
Incident, Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeds 50 for PM10, and AQI exceeds
100 for PM10.

##### 

## Year-round 

##### 

1.  **Wildland fire smoke fits into a larger regional air quality
    situation.**

> ***Example:*** "The scenic vistas in the parks, especially in the
> summer, are highly obscured by regional haze. Haze is caused when
> sunlight encounters tiny particles in the air. These particles may be
> the result of either natural events or human activities. According to
> the local Air District, over 95% of the particulate pollution in our
> area originates from Central Valley sources (i.e. motor vehicles,
> industrial fuel burning, manufacturing, and agriculture). Less than 5%
> comes from wildland fire in the Sierra Nevada." (From SEKI's *"Story
> of Fire"* newspaper)

2.  **Smoke, like fire, is a natural ecosystem component.**

> ***Example:*** "A Breath of Fresh Air: Is there a bright side to all
> this talk about smoke? While it is a health concern for humans, plants
> have adapted to live with smoke just as they have many other natural
> elements of the environment. Scientists are discovering that some
> plants might even depend on smoke for their survival. A recent study
> looked specifically at the low elevation chapparral plant communities.
> In the laboratory, scientists exposed various seeds to heat and
> charring, as in a fire, and certain species remained dormant. When the
> same seeds were exposed to smoke, germination occurred. While some
> plants, like the giant sequoia, use heat from fires for seed
> dispersal, it now appears that other plants rely on smoke for
> germination." (From SEKI's *"Story of Fire"* newspaper)
>
> ***Example:*** "Research has shown that smoke reduces the growth of
> mistletoe, which can damage black oaks."

3.  **Visitors, residents, and gateway communities should expect to see
    smoke in Yosemite National Park, particularly in the late summer and
    early fall.**

> ***Example:*** "Regional haze and localized smoke from fire was
> historically part of the Sierra Nevada viewscape. Lightning fires that
> spread naturally burned through the late summer and early fall months
> and ended with the first significant rain or snow (known as a season
> ending event).
>
> ***Example:*** "Fire managers in Yosemite take advantage of natural
> lightning strike fires in an attempt to restore a natural fire cycle
> and regime in Yosemite. Smoke from these fires will likely be visible
> from certain locations in the park, particularly in the late summer
> and fall. Additionally, the fall months provide excellent prescription
> windows for fire managers to complete projects that meet the desired
> community protection and ecological goals of the park."

## [ ]{.underline}Early Fire Season

Use general fire messages and:

4.  **Park managers are sensitive to smoke impacts for visitors and
    employees.**

> ***Example:*** "The Yosemite fire program is committed to balancing
> the needs of park resources and people. While fire has always been a
> natural part of this ecosystem, our current society presents unique
> conditions. Today, there are more people than ever living in or
> visiting Yosemite National Park. Every fire management action
> considers this fact when determining incident objectives."

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc162751500 .anchor}**Beginning of Incident**

Use the talking points above and:

5.  **The park has the ability to monitor particulate levels in Yosemite
    National Park during smoke events.**

> ***Example:*** "As soon as the park anticipates a smoke event with the
> ability to affect people, air quality technicians begin operating a
> Smoke and Weather Monitoring Module. This mobile unit measures
> particulate levels in the air. Particulates are solid particles
> produced by things like vehicle emissions, agricultural activities,
> and fires. The module records levels every hour and then computes a
> 24-hour average which correlates to the National Ambient Air Quality
> Standards (NAAQS) established by the Environmental Protection Agency
> (EPA). During extreme smoke conditions, technicians retrieve data from
> the module daily."

6.  **Some characteristics of smoke accumulation are predictable because
    they are based on daytime and nighttime winds.**

> ***Example:*** "Up-slope or up-canyon breezes occur during the day
> which will often take smoke into higher elevations. At night, these
> winds change direction and bring smoke down-slope to the lower
> elevations."

7.  **Some characteristics of smoke accumulation are not predictable
    since they are dependent on atmospheric conditions.**

> ***Example:*** "With unstable atmospheric conditions, smoke from
> wildland fires is mostly lofted up to very high elevations where it
> disperses. When atmospheric conditions are stable, perhaps with an
> inversion layer, smoke can be trapped at lower elevations.

8.  **Small fires prevent larger fires. Therefore smaller smoke events
    prevent larger smoke events.**

> ***Example:*** "It's a pay me now or pay me later, both for wildland
> fire and its smoke event. Every acre that burns under favorable
> conditions helps prevent the larger, unwanted fire and its smoke
> event."

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc162751501 .anchor}**For Prescribed Fires Include**

9.  **Due to the deliberate nature of prescribed fire, audiences can be
    notified prior to the smoke event about what to expect.**

> ***Example:*** "During the week of ignition, visitors traveling
> through the area will smell and possibly see smoke. Smoke will likely
> be visible from \[specific location\]. The smoke will most likely
> settle in lower elevations during the early morning."

10. **During prescribed burns, fire managers utilize smoke management
    techniques.**

> ***Example:*** "The entire burn segment is 925 acres, but is split
> into two sections for smoke management reasons. A fire line has been
> constructed inside the segment where the fire can be held if smoke
> production is a problem. The burn boss plans to ignite 30-40 acres per
> day to minimize smoke output. This will increase the duration of the
> smoke event but will decrease the ambient level of smoke at any one
> time."

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc162751502 .anchor}**For Wildland Fire Use
Include**

11. **Small natural fires have the potential to become large fires.**

> ***Example:*** "Burning in heavy mixed conifer fuels, the newly
> discovered \[*Name*\] Fire has the potential to expand across hundreds
> of acres over the next several months. This fire was naturally-caused
> and will be naturally-extinguished with rain or snow. A "season-ending
> event" bringing more than ½-inch of rain over a 3-day period usually
> occurs in October."

12. **There are ways of minimizing smoke output in a fire use project
    without suppressing the fire.**

> ***Example:*** "While the park hopes to maximize resource benefits by
> allowing this fire to spread naturally, managers have at least two
> ways of reducing smoke in special situations. Hand crews can install
> fire line in strategic locations to contain certain areas of the fire.
> For example, keeping fire out of the lower Illilouette drainage would
> reduce smoke in Yosemite Valley. In extreme smoke situations, fire
> managers can drop water on hotspots. Unlike water drops in suppression
> actions, these drops are not meant to halt fire movement, but slow it
> down and reduce smoke."

## 

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc162751503 .anchor}**When AQI Becomes Unhealthful
for Sensitive Groups for PM2.5 (24 hour period)**

***Required actions include:***

-   Extended outreach to public, residents, gateways, park management,
    and park partners in the form of PSAs advising of the EPA
    recommendations for reducing exposure to smoke.

-   PSAs go to media outlets and to schools/hospitals/etc for sensitive
    groups

-   Use the talking points above and:

13. **There are ways for park residents and neighbors to reduce their
    exposure to smoke.**

> ***Example:*** "Smoke concentrations can be avoided by planning
> morning activities away from Yosemite Valley and afternoon activities
> away from higher elevation areas, such as Tuolumne Meadows. Close
> windows, doors, and outside vents when it is smoky to prevent
> accumulations indoors. Run your air conditioner, if you have one. Keep
> the fresh air intake closed and keep the filter clean. Ventilate your
> home and work place during periods of little smoke. Avoid physical
> activities while smoke is dense. Paper masks are designed to trap
> large dust particles, not the tiny particles found in smoke. These
> masks generally will not protect your lungs from wildland fire smoke."
>
> ***Example:*** "Residents of communities affected by smoke from
> wildland fires and prescribed fires are encouraged to practice the
> recommended health habits. A healthy immune system is the best
> protection against the effects of smoke. Immune function is enhanced
> with regular moderate physical activity, good nutrition, hydration,
> and adequate rest." (From USDA Forest Service publication *Health
> Hazards of Smoke: Spring 2001*)

14. **Breathing smoke is not healthy for anyone, but some people are at
    greater risk.**

> ***Example:*** "People with heart or lung disease, such as congestive
> heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema or
> asthma are at greater risk. Children and the elderly are also more
> susceptible to smoke. These people are advised to use caution and
> avoid physical activity while heavy smoke is present."
>
> ***Example:*** "The risks of occasional exposure to fine particulate
> and other components of vegetative smoke are minimal for healthy
> individuals. However, elevated levels of smoke that persist for months
> or years increase the risk of heart and respiratory disease,
> especially among the elderly and individuals with pre-existing
> respiratory or cardiovascular illness." (From USDA Forest Service
> publication *Health Hazards of Smoke: Spring 2001*)

15. **The *Air Quality Index* (AQI) is one tool that helps the park,
    visitors, and employees quantify daily air quality conditions.**

> ***Example:*** "Established by the Environmental Protection Agency and
> adopted by the States, the Air Quality Index (AQI) is a tool for
> reporting daily air quality conditions. Using numeric information from
> sensors like particulate monitors, the AQI tells you how clean or
> polluted your air is, and what associated health concerns you should
> be aware of. The AQI focuses on health effects that can happen within
> a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. You can think of the
> AQI as a yardstick that runs from 0 to 500. The higher the AQI value,
> the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health
> danger. The Index identifies six conditions: good (0 to 50), moderate
> (51 to 100), unhealthy for sensitive groups (101 to 150), unhealthy
> (151 to 200), very unhealthy (201 to 300), and hazardous (over 300)."

## When AQI Becomes Unhealthful for General Public (PM 2.5 for 24 hour period)

***Required actions include:***

-   Extended outreach to public, residents, gateways, park management,
    and park partners in the form of PSAs advising of the EPA
    recommendations for reducing exposure to smoke.

-   PSAs go to media outlets and to schools/hospitals/etc for sensitive
    groups

-   Use all of the talking points above and hold an open house/meeting
    to respond to community, public, and employee needs.

## 

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc162751505 .anchor}**After the Incident\
**

16. **Yosemite National Park appreciates the patience of visitors,
    residents, and gateway communities during the incident and its
    associated smoke event.**

> ***Example:*** The fire management program considers smoke management
> in every step of the program. We know that the mountain communities
> surrounding the park are affected by our management decisions. We
> attempt to find a balance in the program that addresses your concerns
> while also returning natural fire to the landscape to reduce the risk
> of larger, unwanted fires and to achieve the ecological benefits of
> natural fire. The park appreciated your patience and understanding
> during this period.

## 

# TALKING POINTS AT-A-GLANCE

The detailed talking points outlined earlier are indicated below with
their corresponding numbers. When incorporating these messages into
materials, refer back to the text examples.

+--------+---------+-----------+------------+------------+----------+
| **     | **Early | **        | **AQI is   | **AQI is   | **End of |
| Year-r | Fire    | Beginning | u          | u          | Season** |
| ound** | S       | of        | nhealthful | nhealthful |          |
|        | eason** | I         | for        | for        |          |
|        |         | ncident** | sensitive  | general    |          |
|        |         |           | groups**   | public**   |          |
|        |         |           |            |            |          |
|        |         |           | **for PM   |            |          |
|        |         |           | 2.5 in**   |            |          |
+--------+---------+-----------+------------+------------+----------+
| 1\.    | 4\.     | 5\. The   | 13\. There | Use all of | 16\.     |
| Wi     | Park    | park has  | are ways   | the        | Yosemite |
| ldland | m       | the       | for park   | talking    | National |
| fire   | anagers | ability   | residents  | points and | Park     |
| smoke  | are     | to        | and        | use PSAs/  | app      |
| fits   | se      | monitor   | neighbors  | media to   | reciates |
| into a | nsitive | pa        | to reduce  | outreach   | the      |
| larger | to      | rticulate | their      | to public, | patience |
| re     | smoke   | levels in | exposure   | gateways   | of       |
| gional | impacts | Yosemite  | to smoke.  | /employees | v        |
| air    | for     | National  |            | schools,   | isitors, |
| q      | v       | Park      |            | hospitals  | re       |
| uality | isitors | during    |            |            | sidents, |
| situ   | and     | smoke     |            |            | and      |
| ation. | emp     | events.   |            |            | gateway  |
|        | loyees. |           |            |            | com      |
|        |         |           |            |            | munities |
|        |         |           |            |            | during   |
|        |         |           |            |            | the      |
|        |         |           |            |            | incident |
|        |         |           |            |            | and its  |
|        |         |           |            |            | as       |
|        |         |           |            |            | sociated |
|        |         |           |            |            | smoke    |
|        |         |           |            |            | event.   |
+--------+---------+-----------+------------+------------+----------+
| 2\.    |         | 6\. Some  | 14\.       | Hold an    |          |
| Smoke, |         | charac    | Breathing  | open       |          |
| like   |         | teristics | smoke is   | hou        |          |
| fire,  |         | of smoke  | not        | se/meeting |          |
| is a   |         | acc       | healthy    | to respond |          |
| n      |         | umulation | for        | to         |          |
| atural |         | are       | anyone,    | community, |          |
| eco    |         | pr        | but some   | public,    |          |
| system |         | edictable | people are | and        |          |
| comp   |         | because   | at greater | employee   |          |
| onent. |         | they are  | risk.      | needs.     |          |
|        |         | based on  |            |            |          |
|        |         | daytime   |            |            |          |
|        |         | and       |            |            |          |
|        |         | nighttime |            |            |          |
|        |         | winds.    |            |            |          |
+--------+---------+-----------+------------+------------+----------+
| 3\.    |         | 7\. Some  | 15\. The   |            |          |
| Vi     |         | charac    | *Air       |            |          |
| sitors |         | teristics | Quality    |            |          |
| should |         | of smoke  | Index*     |            |          |
| expect |         | acc       | (AQI) is   |            |          |
| smoke  |         | umulation | one tool   |            |          |
| in the |         | are not   | that helps |            |          |
| park,  |         | pr        | the park,  |            |          |
| partic |         | edictable | visitors,  |            |          |
| ularly |         | since     | and        |            |          |
| in the |         | they are  | employees  |            |          |
| late   |         | dependent | quantify   |            |          |
| summer |         | on        | daily air  |            |          |
| and    |         | at        | quality    |            |          |
| early  |         | mospheric | c          |            |          |
| fall   |         | co        | onditions. |            |          |
|        |         | nditions. |            |            |          |
+--------+---------+-----------+------------+------------+----------+
|        |         | 8\. Small |            |            |          |
|        |         | fires     |            |            |          |
|        |         | prevent   |            |            |          |
|        |         | larger    |            |            |          |
|        |         | fires.    |            |            |          |
|        |         | Therefore |            |            |          |
|        |         | smaller   |            |            |          |
|        |         | smoke     |            |            |          |
|        |         | events    |            |            |          |
|        |         | prevent   |            |            |          |
|        |         | larger    |            |            |          |
|        |         | smoke     |            |            |          |
|        |         | events.   |            |            |          |
+--------+---------+-----------+------------+------------+----------+
|        |         | **P       | Use all of |            |          |
|        |         | RESCRIBED | the        |            |          |
|        |         | FIRE**    | talking    |            |          |
|        |         |           | points and |            |          |
|        |         | 9\. Due   | use PSAs/  |            |          |
|        |         | to the    | media to   |            |          |
|        |         | d         | outreach   |            |          |
|        |         | eliberate | to public, |            |          |
|        |         | nature of | gateways   |            |          |
|        |         | p         | /employees |            |          |
|        |         | rescribed | schools,   |            |          |
|        |         | fire,     | hospitals  |            |          |
|        |         | audiences |            |            |          |
|        |         | can be    |            |            |          |
|        |         | notified  |            |            |          |
|        |         | prior to  |            |            |          |
|        |         | the smoke |            |            |          |
|        |         | event     |            |            |          |
|        |         | about     |            |            |          |
|        |         | what to   |            |            |          |
|        |         | expect.   |            |            |          |
+--------+---------+-----------+------------+------------+----------+
|        |         | 10\.      |            |            |          |
|        |         | During    |            |            |          |
|        |         | p         |            |            |          |
|        |         | rescribed |            |            |          |
|        |         | burns,    |            |            |          |
|        |         | fire      |            |            |          |
|        |         | managers  |            |            |          |
|        |         | utilize   |            |            |          |
|        |         | smoke     |            |            |          |
|        |         | m         |            |            |          |
|        |         | anagement |            |            |          |
|        |         | te        |            |            |          |
|        |         | chniques. |            |            |          |
+--------+---------+-----------+------------+------------+----------+
|        |         | **FIRE    |            |            |          |
|        |         | USE**     |            |            |          |
|        |         |           |            |            |          |
|        |         | 11\.      |            |            |          |
|        |         | Small     |            |            |          |
|        |         | natural   |            |            |          |
|        |         | fires     |            |            |          |
|        |         | have the  |            |            |          |
|        |         | potential |            |            |          |
|        |         | to become |            |            |          |
|        |         | large     |            |            |          |
|        |         | fires.    |            |            |          |
+--------+---------+-----------+------------+------------+----------+
|        |         | 12\.      |            |            |          |
|        |         | There are |            |            |          |
|        |         | ways of   |            |            |          |
|        |         | m         |            |            |          |
|        |         | inimizing |            |            |          |
|        |         | smoke     |            |            |          |
|        |         | output in |            |            |          |
|        |         | a fire    |            |            |          |
|        |         | use       |            |            |          |
|        |         | project   |            |            |          |
|        |         | without   |            |            |          |
|        |         | su        |            |            |          |
|        |         | ppressing |            |            |          |
|        |         | the fire. |            |            |          |
+--------+---------+-----------+------------+------------+----------+

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc162751510 .anchor}**OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION**

-   Local Air District

-   Air Quality Specialist in the park

-   California Air Resources Board Public Education website -- (many
    links)
    [www.arb.ca.gov/smp/progdev/pubeduc/pubedue.htm](http://www.arb.ca.gov/smp/progdev/pubeduc/pubedue.htm)

-   National Interagency Fire Center --
    [www.nifc.gov](http://www.nifc.gov/)

-   Environmental Protection Agency --
    [www.epa.gov/airlinks/](http://www.epa.gov/airlinks/)