Story Spark: Wildfire Smoke
As climate change fuels more frequent and severe wildfires, plumes of smoke, traveling thousands of miles from the initial blazes, are choking hundreds of millions across the planet. Wildfire smoke is even more dangerous than pollutants from factories and cars — up to 10 times more harmful in the short term, in fact. Wildfire smoke contains a toxic mix of organic compounds and high amounts of fine particulates, classified as PM2.5, that can attack deep in the lungs. Even exposure to low concentrations of smoke can pose significant health risks, including triggering asthma attacks, increasing heart attacks and strokes, and leading to more pre-term deliveries.
Unfortunately, these impacts, and the dystopian scenes of orange skies we’ve seen this summer, are expected to become much more common as our planet continues to warm. A recent study estimates that wildfire smoke will kill 70,000 Americans each year by 2050. Apart from masking and using air filtration systems, there’s often little that can be done to protect against this growing threat, as the majority of wildfire smoke experienced locally comes from distant fires, and for many, staying inside isn’t a refuge. In addition to poorly weatherized older buildings that let smoke in, many households most at risk lack air conditioning — a hazardous combination as wildfire smoke events often coincide with extreme heat.
The best reporting about wildfire smoke highlights people at greatest risk: children, those living with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, the unhoused, and Indigenous communities. In Canada, Indigenous and First Nations people make up only 5% of the population but, between 1980 and 2021, they accounted for 42% of all forest-fire-related evacuations. Don’t forget to dig into the mental health and long-term health impacts that linger long after the fires go out.
– David Dickson, CCNow
Expert Tips
This edition’s tips come to you from David Yeomans, an award-winning meteorologist and climate reporter with CBS News in Chicago, which recorded its worst air quality ever earlier this summer due to wildfire smoke from Canada.
Familiarize yourself with the EPA’s Air Quality Index (AQI). The Air Quality Index is a unitless scale from 0–500 that takes complex measurements of many different pollutants and translates them into one easy to use chart. When the air quality is Good (AQI 0-50), pollution levels are low. When the AQI reaches Hazardous (301+), it is a health emergency where even healthy adults can expect to feel impacts. During the worst batch of wildfire smoke last month, some cities recorded an AQI as high as 650+!
Make the health connection. Everyone is a cigarette smoker on smoky days. Berkeley Earth researchers found that for every 22 micrograms of wildfire smoke per cubic meter of air, 24 hours of exposure is equivalent to smoking one cigarette per day. I recommend using this online calculator to determine how many cigarettes worth of pollution you may be exposed to on the worst air quality days to make the real health impacts clear.
Even pregnant mothers exposed to wildfire smoke can give birth to children with breathing problems. Smoke that enveloped the Great Lakes and northeastern US between July 15 and 23 has already been blamed for around 4,000 premature deaths, according to Yale Climate Connections.
Encourage people to change their daily activities on smoky days. Shorten your walk with the dog. Delay your trip to the playground. Wildfire smoke particulate is so small; it sneaks right through medical masks and implants deep in your lungs. N95 masks do offer protection for those who must spend time outdoors, but everyone who can should limit their exposure. Tiny smoke particles can even sneak into your house by passing through your home air filter. Consider upgrading the filter quality and purchasing a standalone home air purifier to run on smoky days.
Stories We Like
- Yale Climate Connections highlights how the Bay Mills Indian Community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are fighting against a pipeline while enveloped in wildfire smoke made worse by fossil fuel pollution.
- Grist explores how “smoke taint” can lead to unwanted flavors — like burnt bacon — in grapes used in wine, and how winemakers are adapting.
- Across the country, wildfire fighters are getting sick and dying early as they battle toxic smoke unprotected, the New York Times reports in its series, “Exposed and Expendable.”
- The Guardian unpacks the science and unequal health burdens from this summer’s wildfire smoke, which impacted North America and Europe.
- After a “lost summer vacation” spent inside away from smoky skies, Inside Climate News explores how this new normal is reshaping childhood and impacting children’s physical, mental, and emotional development.
Resources
- Track current fires across the world using near-real time data from NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS).
- Check out Climate Central’s resources examining how climate change has worsened wildfire smoke in the US.
- Explore your area’s current air quality using AirNow.gov and better understand how the agency develops its Air Quality Index (AQI).
Experts and Sources
- May-Lin Wilgus, associate clinical professor, UCLA
- Jennifer Richmond-Byrant, associate professor, North Carolina State University
- Christopher Thorncroft, director, Atmospheric Sciences Research Center at SUNY Albany
- Moms Clean Air Force, a non-profit community focused on protecting children’s health from worsening climate impacts and air pollution
Before We Go…
The next Locally Sourced will examine climate change’s impact on food insecurity. Research suggests that global food supply and security will be severely threatened as climate change reduces crop yields through significant changes in precipitation and temperature trends. Have you reported on this and possible solutions to mitigate its impact on especially vulnerable communities? Send them to us at local[at]coveringclimatenow[dot]org. We’d love to consider them for the next edition of Locally Sourced and our media trainings and social platforms.
NEW! The South Atlantic Climate Journalism Hub (SAJCH). CCNow is launching a regional support project for journalists working in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. There’s no cost to join or membership fees. Email david@coveringclimatenow.org with questions or to join.
Want more story ideas? Check out the Locally Sourced archive for more topics to explore, including AI data centers, coastal flooding, air transportation, and more.
Know someone who might be interested in this newsletter? Forward Locally Sourced to a colleague!