Oregon Natural Events Action Plan for Wildfire Smoke

The Oregon Natural Events Action Plan (NEAP) responds to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Exceptional Events Rule for wildfire smoke. It was originally developed as a response to extreme smoke events that impacted several cities in Oregon during the summers of 2002 and 2003. The plan addresses the protection of public health in Oregon communities when future wildfire natural events occur.

EPA's Exceptional Event Rule addresses pollution from exceptional or naturally caused events that are not reasonably controlled such as wildfire, volcanic and seismic activity, or high wind events. EPA acknowledges that smoke from major wildfire events cannot be controlled and wildfires can be a major source of harmful particulate in the air. EPA recognized the wildfires in Oregon during the summer of 2002 as natural events and the exceedances of the fine particulate matter standard of similar events in the future will be treated as a natural event. Actions to be taken during future events are included in this plan.

This NEAP responds to the need for better human-health protection associated with natural events such as wildfires. The plan addresses actions in the following categories:

1. Public notification and education
2. Minimizing public exposure
3. Abating or minimizing controllable sources
4. Implementing mitigation measures and
5. Periodically evaluating the plan.

Roles and Responsibilities

DEQ is responsible for determining whether an exceedance is due to a natural event, for flagging and documenting exceedances, and for developing, implementing and reevaluating a Wildfire NEAP. EPA reviewed and commented on the plan during the process prior to final publication. They also reviewed and approved the documentation of the 2002 events as natural events. The wildfire plan must be reviewed every five years at a minimum by DEQ. The latest revision of the NEAP was January 2007.

Elements of the Plan

Public notification and education

• Public Notification Process: In addition to the 24-hour AQI notification program, DEQ developed a communication plan and notification system using shorter term action levels to better reflect the needs of public information.
• Coordination with Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF): DEQ coordinates with ODF to issue wildfire smoke forecasts for potential smoke impact areas during a wildfire event. Meteorologists employed by ODF forecast potential smoke impact areas. ODF forecasts and tracks wildfire smoke as part of a communications network. DEQ uses this information to develop a smoke advisory for local communities to use with suggestions on protective health measures.

Minimize public exposure

• Monitoring: The Oregon DEQ laboratory monitors ambient concentrations of smoke in many Oregon communities for more information see the Wildfire Air Quality Health Rating.
• Air Quality Advisory Program: DEQ and ODF are alerted when smoke enters a community by using monitoring data, fire reports and other sources. Each agency's staff coordinates activities and share information. DEQ uses this information and communicates it to the local health officials.
• Wildfire smoke and meteorological forecasts: DEQ provides real-time information to determine the extent of pollution events in a particular community. ODF's meteorological center estimates the potential of wildfire smoke impacting Oregon cities over the next few days.
• Wildfire Smoke and Your Health: information and fact sheets related to health and wildfire smoke.

Abate or minimize contributing sources

• Wildfire smoke impact and requests for voluntary curtailment: ODF is consulted when there is a potential for wildfire impacts. Pollution thresholds are used to characterize the impact of wildfire smoke in the form of an advisory. Local officials are asked to restrict any additional burning in the area to avoid further aggravating smoke impact levels.
• Wildland Fire Use: Federal Wildland and Prescribed Fire Management Policy requires federal land managers to decide within two hours of discovering a fire (USDI and USDA, 1998).
• National Fire Plan: National Fire Plan implements activities in five key program areas in order to respond to severe wildfires, reduce their impacts on rural communities and enhance firefighting capabilities.
• Wildland Urban Interface Communities: The interface between areas of urban and forest use is called the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). State and federal forestry and land management agencies provide grant money to communities to mitigate fuel buildup and fire hazard in the WUI.

More information (PDF)

• Oregon Wildfire Natural Events Action Plan, revised January 2007
• APPENDIX A - EPA Natural Events Policy Memorandum
• APPENDIX B - January 2003 Letter to Region 10 Detailing PM_2.5 Exceedances in 2002
• APPENDIX C - DEQ’s Monitoring Network for PM_2.5
• APPENDIX D - Wildfire Chapter Oregon Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan
• APPENDIX E - DEQ Wildfire Internal Communication Plan

For questions contact Larry Calkins by e-mail or phone 541-567-8297 ext. 25.

[print version]