Wildland Fire Work at EPA

Wildland Fire Research Briefing Book (pdf) (9.65 MB, June 12, 2025) outlines EPA's completed research on the effects of wildland fire smoke on air quality, water quality, ecosystems and public health, and actions that can be taken to reduce exposures to smoke. 

On this page:

• Wildfires and Air Quality Education and Capacity Building
• Wildland Fires and Air Quality Research
• Wildfires and Water
• Wildfires and Emergency Response and Waste Management
• Interagency Coordination

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Wildfires and Air Quality Education and Capacity Building

EPA has developed educational and capacity building-related materials for a range of audiences to aid in protecting public health from wildfire smoke exposures. 

• Smoke Ready Communities: Learn how both members of the public and community leaders can better prepare for, respond to,  and recover from smoke events. 
• Smoke-Ready Toolbox: This toolbox includes links to resources and information around smoke, health, air quality and fire risk that communities can use to help them prepare for smoke events. 
• AirNow: Wildfires: The AirNow Fire and Smoke Map provides a near-real time look at local air quality data for the public. This website also features informative infographics and factsheets about simple actions that can reduce exposure. 
• Wildfire Smoke and Your Patients' Health: A self-guided, web-based course for health professionals to learn about the health effects associated with wildfire smoke and suggested actions to recommend to patients.
• Teachers' Air Quality Resources - Activities and Materials: Check out EPA's kid-friendly air quality education resources like "Why is Coco Red?," and its sequel "Why is Coco Orange?".
• Wildfire Smoke Air Monitoring Response Technology (WSMART): EPA loans air monitoring technologies to state, local, and Tribal air organizations to support supplemental air monitoring in areas experiencing smoke and with observational data coverage gaps.
• EPA's Air Sensor Toolbox: Access the latest science on the performance, operation, and use of air sensor monitoring systems.

Wildland Fires and Air Quality Research

The smoke from wildland fires is a complex mixture of pollutants that can travel a great distance. Exposure can worsen respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and in some cases, can be life-threatening. EPA has completed research on the effects of wildland fire smoke on air quality, the impact of smoke on public health, and actions that can be taken to reduce exposures to smoke. 

• Wildland Fire Research to Protect Health and the Environment: EPA studies what is in smoke, its impacts on water, ecosystems, and human health, and how to reduce exposures.
• Wildland Fire Research: Human Health: Read about how EPA is researching the health effects associated with poor air quality from wildfire smoke.
• Research on DIY Air Cleaners to Reduce Wildfire Smoke Indoors: EPA conducted research to evaluate Do-It-Yourself (DIY) air cleaners to answer questions from EPA partners and the public about their effectiveness and safety. 
• Webinar: How to Evaluate Air Sensors for Smoke Monitoring: This recording provides best practices for evaluating air sensors over a wide concentration range, over multiple locations, and in network applications. 
• Wildland Fire Research: Smoke Measurement: Read about research being conducted to assess performance of various smoke measurement approaches.
• Wildfire Study to Advance Science Partnerships for Indoor Reductions of Smoke Exposures: Read about EPA's Wildfire Study to Advance Science Partnerships for Indoor Reductions of Smoke Exposures (ASPIRE).

Wildfires and Water

Wildland fires do not just destroy trees, vegetation, wildlife, and structures that get in their paths. They can also severely affect water quality by causing soil erosion, increased flooding, and the flow of debris and potential contaminants. At the same time, fires can result in the resuspension of legacy mine and industrial waste that has settled in river bottoms. 

Research is critical to better understand how fires affect water quality, drinking water sources, and the overall health of an ecosystem. EPA research is filling gaps in our understanding of these issues.

• Wildfires and Water Quality Research: Explore how EPA researchers and grantees are examining post-wildfire effects on drinking water quality.
• Wildfire Fire Research: Water & Ecosystems: Read about research being conducted to understand how wildfires can impact stream temperatures and flow.
• Wildfire Impacts on Water Infrastructure: This presentation discusses EPA's emergency response efforts to the Maui wildfires and ongoing research to further understand contamination of water infrastructure.
• Wildfire Conditions & Risk Map for Water Utilities: This StoryMap provides information for water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities to assess the potential for wildfire near their facilities or within their watersheds.
• Drinking Water Data and Tools: See what data are available to increase understanding of drinking water across the nation.

Wildfires and Emergency Response and Waste Management

EPA is tasked by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), at the request of a State, to respond to natural disasters and emergency events such as wildfires. This work involves assessing, removing, and safely disposing of household hazardous materials like oils, pesticides, paints, solvents, cleaning supplies, asbestos, and lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles, from areas impacted by wildfire.  

• EPA's Role in Emergency Response: EPA’s emergency response program responds to oil spills, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents and large-scale national emergencies (including wildfires like the Southern California and Maui wildfires).
• 2025 Southern California Wildfires: In early 2025, EPA assisted with the largest wildfire hazardous waste cleanup in the history of the agency in the wake of catastrophic fires in Southern California. 

Interagency Coordination

EPA partners with other federal agencies to tackle the wildfire crisis from every angle.

• Wildland Fire and Air Quality Coordination MOU (pdf) (1,787 KB): In 2023, the EPA, USDA, DOI, and CDC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Wildland Fire and Air Quality Coordination.
• Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Program: Air Resource Advisors: Air Resource Advisors are trained personnel dispatched to large smoke events to predict, analyze, summarize, and communicate smoke impacts to the public, fire incident teams, and air quality regulators.
• Key Links to Other Science Agencies: The EPA works with other federal agencies, states, communities and tribes on wildland fire science. This resources provides information by others working on wildland fire science and includes web pages for information about wildland fires and health.