Urban vs. wildfire smoke plumes are chemically distinct (IMAGE)
Caption
A Caltech confirms that urban and wildland fires are chemically distinct. Plot A shows the estimated relative contributions of urban and wildland burning in the smoke plume as measured at the Pico Rivera ASCENT station for the period from January 8-12, 2025.
Plot B traces the concentrations of potassium (dotted red line) and lead (solid blue line) measured at the Pico Rivera station over the same period.
Plot C compares the potassium vs. lead ratio of two very different fires. The urban fire plume associated with the Eaton Fire (as measured by the Pico Rivera ASCENT station) is shown in purple. The wildfire plume from the Airport Fire in Riverside County in 2024 (as measured by the Rubidoux ASCENT site) is shown in orange. The early urban fire plume shows a distinctly lower potassium-to-lead ratio (~5:1) due to enhanced lead release from structures and vehicles.
Credit
Baliaka et al. Science Advances 2026
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