A new study by University of Oregon researchers found environmental and public health agencies could be more proactive about warning people about smoky air from wildfires.
Researchers with the UO School of Journalism and Communication looked at the frequency and content of tweets on X, previously known as Twitter, in the Pacific Northwest in 2022.
Catherine Slavik is a postdoctoral researcher at UO who led the research. She said agencies in Oregon and Washington do a good job issuing smoke warnings during wildfires.
“What we were kind of surprised to see was there wasn’t as much of that kind of information around smoke that was coming out during the smoke offseason,” she said.
Slavik said this could help people prepare for wildfire season by getting and maintaining air filters for example.
"Are folks getting the right kind of information to really take those preparations ahead of time before this smoke is an imminent threat?” Slavik asked.
The study was published in the journal BMC Public Health. It includes recommendations for how public institutions can more effectively communicate wildfire smoke and it’s risks and provide people time to prepare.
The researchers created a list of best practices for government agencies in Oregon and Washington to consider when communicating wildfires and smoke events:
- Communicate the severity, risk, likelihood and mitigation of a hazard.
- Describe risks with numeric information and air quality index levels.
- Engage with communities to foster community-building and resilience.
- Implement proactive communications by discussing wildfire and smoke risks during off-seasons.
