[Esip-envirosensing] Call follow-up -- Washington Post piece on Cal fires, air quality monitoring issues

[frazmo]

U.S. EPA's Vasu Kilaru provided this information about recent EPA
activities that may be of interest:


   1. *EPA’s Smoke Sense mobile app is now live on android and IOS*
   2. *Multiagency Publication: Wildfire Smoke: A guide for public health
   officials (revised 2019) is available
   https://www3.epa.gov/airnow/wildfire_may2016.pdf
   <https://www3.epa.gov/airnow/wildfire_may2016.pdf>*
   3. *EPA’s AirNow air quality website has a “wildfire guide and
   factsheets" section
   https://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=topics.smoke_wildfires_guide_factsheets
   <https://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=topics.smoke_wildfires_guide_factsheets>*
   4. *The EPA wildfire sensor challenge has concluded and a winner was
   awarded.  See following*

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-05/documents/wlf_sensors_challenge_public_201705_final.pdf



https://www.epa.gov/air-research/winners-wildland-fire-sensors-challenge-develop-air-monitoring-system-prototypes
We hope this info is helpful. Cheers,   Steve

On Thu, Nov 7, 2019 at 8:12 AM Vicky Kelly <kellyv at caryinstitute.org> wrote:

> Is there a way to develop an app or website for people to know where spot
> fires have started? And possibly wind speed and direction? Residents use a
> mish mash of social media, telephone, ham radio, tin cans & string... to
> communicate with each other. Ok, maybe not that last one. They don't
> necessarily pay attention to authorities. In one area in Mendocino Co, an
> area under mandatory evacuation was changed later to warning -area may be
> evacuated - a head scratcher. The scary thing is that people could
> interpret a mandatory evacuation to mean that they should wait because the
> status could change.
> Anyway, thoughts? There would need to be a system for identifying
> validation.
> Air quality info is also so important.
> Thanks.
> Vicky Kelly
>
> On Wed, Nov 6, 2019 at 10:29 PM frazmo via Esip-envirosensing <
> esip-envirosensing at lists.esipfed.org> wrote:
>
>> At yesterday's call I mentioned 9in the chat box) an article in The
>> Washington Post that discussed the challenges of providing timely,
>> spatially and temporally relevant information about air quality during
>> California's wildfires. Among other issues, the cuts to the power grid were
>> killing air quality monitors at very bad times. Also, the existing
>> monitoring network doesn't provide adequate resolution to inform local
>> residents of dynamically changing air quality during fires. The article
>> also mentions the interesting PurpleAir project.
>>
>> A link too the article is below. Apologies in advance for any problems
>> with the Post's paywall! Cheers,
>>
>> Steve Young, EPA (Retired)
>>
>>
>> https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/11/04/when-power-went-out-during-californias-wildfires-air-quality-monitors-turned-off-too/
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Esip-envirosensing mailing list
>> Esip-envirosensing at lists.esipfed.org
>> https://lists.esipfed.org/mailman/listinfo/esip-envirosensing
>>
>
>
> --
> Victoria R. Kelly
> <http://www.caryinstitute.org/who-we-are/people-cary/victoria-kelly>
> Manager, Environmental Monitoring Program
> Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
> Phone 1-845-677-7600 ext. 174
> Email kellyv at caryinstitute.org
>
>
>
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