Public healthWildfire smoke is becoming a nationwide health threat
The impacts of recent forest fires in California reach well beyond the burned areas. Smoke from the Camp Fire created hazardous air quality conditions in San Francisco, more than 170 miles to the southwest – but it didn’t stop there. Cross-country winds carried it across the United States, creating hazy conditions in locations as far east as Philadelphia. As an air pollution exposure scientist, I worry about the extreme levels of air pollution that rise from these fires and affect many people across great distances.
The impacts of recent forest fires in California reach well beyond the burned areas. Smoke from the Camp Fire created hazardous air quality conditions in San Francisco, more than 170 miles to the southwest – but it didn’t stop there. Cross-country winds carried it across the United States, creating hazy conditions in locations as far east as Philadelphia.
As an air pollution exposure scientist, I worry about the extreme levels of air pollution that rise from these fires and affect many people across great distances. They can create unhealthy conditions in far-flung locations where residents probably never think about wildfires. But since major wildfires are becoming increasingly common, I believe it is important for all Americans to know some basics about smoke hazards.
A complex and unpredictable threat
Forest fires do not discriminate about what they burn. Along with woody materials from forests and homes, they consume homes’ contents, which may contain plastics, petroleum products, chemicals and metals. This produces thick plumes of smoke that contains very large quantities of particles and gases. Many of these airborne chemicals are known to be quite toxic to humans.
Smoke plumes travel great distances, affecting communities hundreds of miles away. Winds tend to move from west to east across North America and carry these pollutants with them. Sometimes, depending on local weather conditions, the pollutants can be lifted up to high altitudes where wind speeds are faster and transported very quickly across the country. The pollutants can then descend back to the ground in locations far away from the fires, affecting everyone in their path.
Relatively few studies have analyzed broad public health impacts from wood smoke. Agencies such as the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences are funding some research on this issue, but it can take a long time to produce convincing science, especially on subjects that are so unpredictable.
