Rogers Christopher J, Beck Celeste, Habre Rima, Ghosh Jo Kay
Department of Health Sciences, California State University, Northridge, CA, USA.
Heluna Health, City of Industry, City of Industry, CA, USA.
BMC Public Health. 2025 Jan 8;25(1):102. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-21295-5.
Prescribed burning is an important fuel management tool to prevent severe wildfires. There is a pressing need to increase its application to reduce dry fuels in the western United States, a region that has experienced many damaging wildfires. Public support for this practice is tempered by concern around smoke impacts and escape risks. This study aims to understand how recent experiences with wildfire smoke and perceived risk of smoke events affect public support for prescribed burning.
Data were from the May 2023 Household Emergency Preparedness Survey, an online panel survey of 1,727 adults in 12 western conterminous states, applying survey weights to reflect the underlying population demographics. In weighted logistic regression models, we evaluated associations between predictor variables (past experiences with smoke, wildfire risk perception) and support for prescribed burns in general or near a respondent's neighborhood, adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, gender, education, household income, and wildland urban interface status. Mediation models were used to assess whether perceived risk of smoke exposure mediates the relationship between recent smoke experience and support for prescribed burning.
Approximately two-thirds of the population supported prescribed burning in general, and more than half supported prescribed burning near their neighborhood. 44% reported experiencing a smoke event in the past 3 years, which increased the odds of support for prescribed burning in general (OR = 2.03, 95%CI 1.51-2.74) and near their neighborhood (OR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.20-2.09). High perceived risk of future smoke impacts was associated with support for prescribed burns in general (adjusted OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.15-2.39) and near their residence (adjusted OR = 1.72, 95%CI = 1.23-2.39). Although only trending towards significance, perceived future risk mediated 16.9% (p = 0.066) of the association between recent smoke experience and support for prescribed burning nearby. Among those who experienced recent smoke events, reporting high degrees of overall smoke impacts or outdoor air quality impacts were positively associated with support for prescribed burns.
Recent experience with wildfire smoke and perceived future risk are strongly associated with support for prescribed burns. Educational campaigns can apply these findings to improve public support toward prescribed fire activities and funding to reduce wildfire risks and protect public health.
规定火烧是预防严重野火的一项重要燃料管理工具。迫切需要增加其应用，以减少美国西部的干燥燃料，该地区经历了多次破坏性野火。公众对这种做法的支持因对烟雾影响和逃逸风险的担忧而有所缓和。本研究旨在了解近期野火烟雾经历和对烟雾事件的感知风险如何影响公众对规定火烧的支持。
数据来自2023年5月的家庭应急准备调查，这是一项对美国本土西部12个州的1727名成年人进行的在线小组调查，应用调查权重以反映潜在的人口统计学特征。在加权逻辑回归模型中，我们评估了预测变量（过去的烟雾经历、野火风险感知）与对一般规定火烧或受访者社区附近规定火烧的支持之间的关联，并对年龄、种族/民族、性别、教育程度、家庭收入和野地城市界面状况进行了调整。中介模型用于评估对烟雾暴露的感知风险是否介导了近期烟雾经历与对规定火烧的支持之间的关系。
约三分之二的人口总体上支持规定火烧，超过一半的人支持在其社区附近进行规定火烧。44%的人报告在过去3年中经历过烟雾事件，这增加了总体上支持规定火烧的几率（比值比[OR]=2.03，95%置信区间[CI]1.51-2.74）以及在其社区附近支持规定火烧的几率（OR=1.59，95%CI1.20-2.09）。对未来烟雾影响的高感知风险与总体上支持规定火烧（调整后的OR=1.66，95%CI=1.15-2.39）以及在其住所附近支持规定火烧（调整后的OR=1.72，95%CI=1.23-2.39）相关。尽管仅呈显著性趋势，但感知到的未来风险介导了近期烟雾经历与对附近规定火烧的支持之间16.9%（p=0.066）的关联。在那些近期经历过烟雾事件的人中，报告总体烟雾影响或室外空气质量影响程度较高与支持规定火烧呈正相关。
近期野火烟雾经历和对未来风险的感知与对规定火烧的支持密切相关。教育活动可以应用这些发现来提高公众对规定火烧活动的支持以及减少野火风险和保护公众健康的资金投入。
