Understanding carbon pools to improve emission estimates from fires

"Use of prescribed burning creates emissions and particulates. However, fire management can potentially decrease the emissions produced by fires via modifications to their size and intensity. Currently, agencies such as ACT Parks and Conservation Service and National Parks and Wildlife Service NSW don’t have the capacity to report how much C is emitted from their prescribed burning programs. With the recent public focus on air quality, the ability to estimate C emissions it is vital for management agencies. A better understanding of how much C is stored in different fuel fractions and how much remains after a fire will help fire managers to tailor their prescribed burning programs to reduce emissions." Felipe Aires, Fire and Incident Management, Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW