UGA Today highlights lab’s research on smoke emissions from prescribed fire

Prescribed burns help reduce wildfire risk and maintain biodiversity. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

UGA Today recently covered new research quantifying how prescribed fire smoke affects air quality across the Southeast. The study found prescribed burns account for over 20% of regional fine particle pollution, with Georgia seeing the most smoke-impacted days of any state studied. Jones Center scientist Jeffery Cannon co-authored the work, which used burn permit records to model smoke exposure more accurately than satellite data alone — helping land managers balance fire’s conservation benefits with community health.