Projects and Programs

The four main goals of this project are to: (1) expand research on how poor air quality affects cardiopulmonary conditions, (2) replicate previous research efforts in the Klamath Basin, (3) utilize the data to develop public health interventions, and (4) collect a range of new measures related to air quality including indoor residential air quality during wildfires and the chemical composition of particulate matter inside and outside homes. The project will use the information we learn to help local healthcare professionals and organizations to better understand the burdens of poor air quality, and to create tools and develop programs that address these problems and help to prepare for emergencies.

This project aims to collect fuel usage data from residents in the “air quality zone” within Klamath Falls. Specifically, the project targets residences that have “wood burning potential” to measure type of fuel used, type of device used, frequency of use, amount of fuel used, and other related questions using aerial imaging and GIS technologies.

Given the increasing threat of devastating wildfires due to heavy fuel loading and warming temperatures, a primary concern of the Klamath Falls Parks Division (KFPD) is creating forest conditions more resistant and resilient to fire through manipulative treatments. The aim of this project is to build a partnership between Oregon Tech and the KFPD which will facilitate long-term forest management and enrich student opportunities for applied research. 

This project uses filter-based air quality systems to analyze the chemical composition of air in the Klamath Basin. This project seeks to better understand the makeup of the particulate matter in the region during wildfires, and to use the data gathered to inform practices used to deter wildfires and improve public health and awareness.  

Wildfires are one of the major challenges for natural resource management in many places in the world. In fire danger, an accurate description of topographic and fuel properties is critical to improving fire danger assessment and fire behavior modeling. Many rural areas are now scanned using LiDAR sensors. We implement LiDAR data to classify land cover and improve the fire danger index.

This project uses local air quality measurements to explore how PM2.5 pollution trends have changed in Klamath Falls over the past 24 years. Early results show decreasing pollution intensity during the winter and increasing intensity during the summer months. 

This project provided recommendations for website updates based on expert guidance related to mitigating wildfire smoke risks and on results from a community survey related to the site.

With the increasing prevalence of wildfire smoke in the Pacific Northwest, it is important to quantify health impacts to plan for adequate health services. This study examines the impacts of wildfire smoke on health in the Rogue Valley area and translates the results to support hospital staffing decisions.
 

This study highlight’s locations of smoke sensitive groups in areas at high risk for respiratory hospitalization from wildfire smoke who were far from a hospital. The results allow local officials to identify the type and magnitude of needs they can expect in the event of a wildfire.

The study compares the results from the analyses using exposure data at different levels of details: treatment hospitals, zip codes, airsheds, and smoke dispersion models.

The aim of this survey-based study is to understand public perceptions of a specific prescribed fire event in Deschutes County, including public knowledge and sentiment regarding prescribed fires, awareness and impacts of a communication strategy regarding prescribed fires, and protective behaviors adopted to mitigate health risks.

The purpose of this study is to measure the relationship between indoor air quality and outdoor air pollution during clear days, prescribed burns, and wildfires in Bend, Oregon. We also explore home characteristics and resident behaviors that impact that relationship.

This study tracks the decision-making process of fire management and air quality officials during a pilot program to explore prescribed burning goals adjacent to urban areas. Lessons learned during this process will be established and shared to help guide future land management decision-making.