Wildfire season is here again, and where there’s fire, there’s smoke – which, research shows, can be as deadly as the flames themselves. Recently, a group of scientists sought to quantify the long-term outcomes of smoke exposure from California wildfires between 2008 and 2018. Their paper modeled statewide levels of tiny particles in wildfire smoke called PM2.
5, and applied mortality data by ZIP code. They estimated that up to 55,710 premature deaths were attributable to wildfire-related PM2.5 in the air.
Around 90% of wildfire smoke is made up of these particles , which are 30 times smaller than the diameter of a strand of hair. “PM2.5 particles can migrate deep into the lungs, and, from there, into the bloodstream, causing everything from inflammation to asthma attacks to sudden cardiac death,” says Mary Johnson, a research scientist at the Harvard T.
H. Chan School of Public Health, who studies the health impacts of wildfires. While the premature death study looked at California, smoke from megafires can waft thousands of miles, putting people who aren’t as aware of its risks in harm’s way.
“If you’re in California or Texas, you’re used to closing windows, staying inside, and turning on an air purifier when there’s a wildfire,” says Johnson. But as climate change makes large fires more frequent, everyone needs to be prepared to protect themselves. And people with certain health conditions face increased risks.
Here’s what to know – with specific .