Smoke from wildfires burning much of the Northern Hemisphere as the planet warms attacks nearly every system in the human body, killing tens of thousands of people each year. medical research show.
The virus immediately attacks the body, with ambulance calls increasing and asthma cases surging within hours, and emergency rooms filling up within a day or so with people suffering from heart attacks and other cardiovascular and pulmonary problems, as well as mental health issues, doctors and scientists told The Associated Press.
Smoke also harms pregnant women, putting them at increased risk of premature birth, low birth weight babies and lifelong breathing difficulties, doctors and doctors said. According to research. And there are long-term risks that long-term exposure to smoke and other air pollution can lead to some cancers and dementia.
A child looks out from the observation deck of the CN Tower on Thursday, July 16, 2026, as smoke from wildfires in northwestern Ontario blankets the city of Toronto. (Cole Burston/Canadian Press, via AP)
A child looks out from the observation deck of the CN Tower on Thursday, July 16, 2026, as smoke from wildfires in northwestern Ontario blankets the city of Toronto. (Cole Burston/Canadian Press, via AP)
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After the devastating global fires of 2018 and 2019, the medical and scientific communities began to focus on the health effects of smoke, and “more and more studies are coming out finding that there are all kinds of effects that may not have been as obvious before,” said Dr. Mary Johnson, an environmental health scientist at Harvard School of Public Health.
Smoke causes the body’s immune system to go into overdrive to fight the irritants, causing inflammation. Scientists believe that it affects the brain, skin, male spermVery few body systems were left, Johnson said. People over the age of 60 are more likely to suffer a stroke while exposed to wildfire smoke.
“Wildfire smoke is a toxic product of everything burning, including homes and cars,” said Dr. Courtney Howard, an emergency room physician, president of the Global Climate Health Alliance and incoming president of the Canadian Medical Association.
“So it’s actually a huge, toxic soup of particles and gases.”
Scientists have counted at least 1,000 toxins in wildfire smoke, said Luke Montrose, an environmental toxicologist at Colorado State University.
“If you give me a list, you’ll see that some of them are very bad, often related to things like diesel fuel and cigarette smoke combustion, formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds,” Montrose says. “So the smoke itself could be bad.”
Rising global temperatures due to climate change mean more fires
A plane lands at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport as smoke from wildfires fills Toronto, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (Laura Proctor/Canadian Press, via AP)
A plane lands at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport as smoke from wildfires fills Toronto, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (Laura Proctor/Canadian Press, via AP)
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So far this year, more than 5,740 square miles According to the National Interagency Fire Center, wildfires are burning across the United States (more than 14,860 square kilometers), an increase of 31% as of today compared to the 10-year average. The amount of U.S. land burned each year in the 2020s (on a 10-year average) is now more than double what it was 30 years ago.
Europe is record amount of land Canada will burn down in 2025 Several records or near records Fires occurred in the 2020s, and recently in the Arctic. unprecedented levels of combustion.
“Wildfires are becoming more frequent and intense because climate changeAnd when there’s a fire, there’s smoke,” said Colleen Reed, professor of geography and health at the University of Colorado.
Most of the largest particles in wildfire smoke fall close to where the fire is burning, but the smallest particles — the ones that scientists say cause the most damage — travel the farthest. In a typical wildfire, the harmful particles that pose a threat to human health are about 1 micron in size, Reid said.
Inside the body, particles attack
A masked figure walks through Times Square as wildfire smoke fills the sky, Thursday, July 16, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
A masked figure walks through Times Square as wildfire smoke fills the sky, Thursday, July 16, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
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First, these particles pass through the body’s protection, primarily nasal hair and mucus, then enter the lungs, and from there into the bloodstream.
Montrose said the particles may be coated with many chemicals and have a large surface area. This causes the body’s defense system to “send a signal to other cells saying, ‘There’s a problem. We need to mount an immune response to this.'” And that’s where you get the acute effects, or within minutes to hours or even the same day. ”It primarily occurs in the heart and lungs, he said.
And many people die.
One report found that from 2006 to 2020, an average of 24,100 people died each year in the bottom 48 states due to long-term exposure to particulates from wildfire smoke. study this year Published in Science Advances magazine. a stanford research project The number of deaths caused by smoke from wildfires in the United States will increase with climate change, with annual costs expected to reach $244 billion by mid-century due to the economic value governments place on each life.
Globally, wildfire smoke particles are the culprit 677,745 people die annuallyAbout 39% of those victims are children under the age of 5, according to a 2021 study that combined observations, research into how the body reacts to particles, and computer models to calculate damages.
The biggest non-lethal effects have to do with the way people breathe, especially people with asthma.
“We did the study after spending about two and a half months here in 2014, smoking and inhaling, because we’re in a subarctic zone and we’re warming three times as fast as the world. In some ways, we’re the canary in the coal mine for the health impacts of climate change,” Howard said on a sunny day from Yellowknife, Canada. “We saw a complete doubling of emergency room visits for asthma and an approximately 50% increase in pneumonia.”
“Even if you don’t have asthma, the air can be very acrid and can cause respiratory problems, such as coughing, chest tightness, sore throat, and headaches,” Dr. Johnson said.
There are ways to minimize risk
National Guard troops patrol the Lincoln Memorial as the sun rises over the Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool on the National Mall on Friday, July 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nickinson)
National Guard troops patrol the Lincoln Memorial as the sun rises over the Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool on the National Mall on Friday, July 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nickinson)
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Research has linked smoking to people having decision-making and other cognitive problems. Howard said people who come to the emergency room are depressed. That’s why it’s important to find a place with clean air, like a designated shelter or library, to take a break from the smoke and maybe even exercise, she says.
Experts recommend wearing a high-quality mask outdoors, even if it does not provide complete protection. Indoors, they say you should check your windows and doors for seals, invest in proper ventilation systems, and check your air filters.
“The number one thing is to avoid smoke if possible,” Johnson said.
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