Managing the risks of wildfire smoke

This study examines Indonesia’s peatland fires during El Niño, which severely impact air quality and health. Using 2019 sensor data in Palangka Raya, it evaluates model performance, showing substantial health risks and a need for improved fire mitigation.

Researchers behind a new study estimated how much of the historical burden of fire smoke-related deaths might be attributable to climate change. They found a considerably increasing proportion, from 1.2% in the 1960s to 12.8% in the 2010s.

A new study highlights the compounded effects of frequent wildfires and smoke exposure on physical and mental health, local economies and community resilience in Southern California.

Fires create new risks like toxic contaminants in drinking water, where plastic pipes exposed to intense heat leach harmful substances, affecting communities unaware of compromised water quality. And more.

Wildfire smoke has become a common feature of Canadian summers, fuelled by bigger, more intense and more frequent wildfires. In 2023, Canada experienced its worst wildfire season on record, with many communities contending with weeks of hazy skies.

In 2021, Montreal’s air quality was degraded by forest fires burning thousands of kilometres away, a study shows.

Study finds contaminated mining sites worsen risks from fires.

A new study finds that more than 50,000 Californians died from exposure to wildfire smoke over a little more than a decade.

Dozens of wildfires are burning across Canada in May 2024 and sending unhealthy smoke blowing into the northern U.S. again. At the same time, the southeastern U.S. is getting smoke from Mexico, where drought conditions have been fueling fires.

A new model combines wildfire smoke forecasts and data from ground-based sensors to help public health officials plan targeted interventions in areas most at risk for the negative health effects of unexpected smoke events and air pollution.