People have mentioned using liquid smoke.  One beekeeper puts it on his hands and waives them over the top of the hive and it drives the bees down.  Another mentioned spraying their suits with liquid smoke and that helped a great deal.  I personally don't go into my hives after mid June and don't get in again until the fall, but I understand that is not always an option.  Good luck.

Hi Doug,

I hear you about fire danger with the smokers! Our favorite alternative to using a smoker is using a spray bottle loaded with 1:1 sugar syrup. We spray right on the bees (a light mist) so they are distracted grooming themselves and each other. You could add Honeybee Healthy or liquid smoke to that sugar syrup, but we've found that to be an unnecessary step. 

If you absolutely must use a smoker, I suggest having a metal bucket with sand in the bottom to set the smoker into when you have to use one.