An alarming number of Californians are dying from wildfires long after firefighters battle the blazes, new research shows.
Scientists are sounding the alarm about PM2.5 – tiny smoke particles that come from forest fires and can travel deep into people’s airways.
For those who inhale them, they can be more dangerous than the flames themselves.
Researchers estimate at least 52,480 premature deaths between the decade and 2018.
Wildfire smoke has been linked to a range of health problems that can send victims to an early grave.
A Santa Clara Cal Fire crew is trying to extinguish a local blaze this month, at the start of what experts say could be another bad season for fires.
A man checks the amount of small PM2.5 pollution in the air on his cell phone, a precaution many Californians are now taking
Debilitating conditions include asthma, declining lung capacity and diabetes.
Researchers also warn of atherosclerosis – when plaque builds up in the inner lining of the arteries, causing them to thicken and harden – which can lead to heart disease.
The tiny particles not only claim lives, researchers say, they also cost the Golden State about $432 billion over 11 years.
The study was led by Rachel Connolly of the University of California, Los Angeles and was published in Science Advances.
“These findings extend the evidence on climate-related health effects,” Connolly and others wrote in the study.
‘Forest fires cause greater mortality and economic burden than previous studies indicate.’
Particles from wildfires are among the finest forms of air pollution, measuring 2.5 microns or less in diameter, according to the California Air Resources Board.
Because of their small size – roughly one-thirtieth of a human hair – they can cause a range of health problems that may not be immediately apparent.
The team focused on small particles coming from forest fires, as opposed to other sources such as transportation and manufacturing.
They found that the number of premature deaths caused by this type of pollution could be as high as 55,710.
The cost of treating people affected by the pollutants could reach $456 billion, the report said.
Rachel Connolly of the University of California, Los Angeles led the study on deadly, small wildfire particles.
Small smoke particles that come from forest fires and can penetrate deep into people’s airways.
It can be difficult to escape the smoke from wildfires – this image shows the haze in New York City created by wildfires in Canada in 2023
Children, the elderly and people with underlying health conditions are more vulnerable to PM2.5 pollution, they said.
Weather apps can warn people about days when air quality is low.
On bad days, N95 masks and air filters can help limit your exposure.
The report was released as firefighters managed to contain California’s latest wildfire.
Firefighters tackled the Greenville fire near the Bay Area city of Livermore, which burned 44 acres over the weekend.
Much of California and other parts of the American West are sweltering under the first heat wave of the year, with temperatures as high as 49 degrees Celsius in some places.
Every year, vast forests and grasslands are burned in California and other parts of the country, causing millions of dollars in destruction and claiming lives.
The National Interagency Fire Center estimates that an average of 70,000 wildfires occur annually across the country.
They are becoming more and more common. California saw five times as many wildfires between 1996 and 2021 as it did between 1971 and 1995.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, at least 10 of the largest wildfires have occurred in California over the past two decades – including five in 2020 alone.
The western United States is preparing for another hot summer that could spark even more fires.
Wildfires are a natural part of the wilderness life cycle.
But climate change, caused by humans’ uncontrolled burning of fossil fuels and emissions of planet-warming gases, is making them bigger, hotter and more dangerous.
Most of the time it is people’s fault, due to discarded cigarettes, arson, faulty equipment and burnt pieces of rubble.
“The importance of wildfire management will only increase in the coming decades as desiccation increases due to climate change and more regions become susceptible to fires,” the researchers wrote in their paper.