Perceived wildfire risk and past experiences with wildfire smoke influence public support for prescribed burning in the western conterminous United States
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.
The study finds that approximately two-thirds of the population supported prescribed burning in general, and more than half supported prescribed burning near their neighborhood. High perceived risk of future smoke impacts was associated with support for prescribed burns in general and near their residence. Although only trending towards significance, perceived future risk mediated 16.9% 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.
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