Wildfire Smoke Is Becoming a Major Health Threat
Extreme wildfires are increasing as climate change interacts with dry conditions and other fire-conducive weather patterns. Their smoke contains high concentrations of fine particulate matter, including PM2.5, which can travel deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream.
Risk |
WMO findings |
|---|---|
Wildfire increase |
Wildfires have tripled since the 1990s |
Estimated deaths |
Almost 100,000 annually, 2010-2018 |
Main pollutant |
Fine particulate matter, including PM2.5 |
Health impacts |
Asthma, COPD, respiratory and mental health effects |
Ozone risk |
Increased by intense, prolonged heatwaves |
Major climate sources |
Fires, fossil fuels, farming, transport and dust |
The health effects extend beyond temporary breathing difficulties. The WMO report links wildfire smoke exposure with increased asthma attacks, hospitalisations for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), greater use of respiratory medication, mental health impacts and adverse birth outcomes.
Wildfires and heatwaves threaten global air quality, with PM2.5 concentrations during extreme fire events reaching 10 to 20 times the World Health Organization’s air-quality guideline levels, according to the WMO.
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Heatwaves Drive Ground-Level Ozone
Extreme heat creates another air-quality problem through ground-level ozone. Unlike the protective ozone layer high in the atmosphere, ground-level ozone is a powerful oxidant that can damage lung tissue and trigger inflammation and circulatory problems.
The WMO says that in heavily polluted regions, around one in five COPD deaths is now attributed to long-term ozone exposure. Prolonged heatwaves, such as those experienced across Europe during the summer, can therefore compound existing pollution problems rather than simply create short-lived temperature extremes.
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Air Pollution and Climate Change Reinforce Each Other
- PM2.5 comes from fossil-fuel combustion, transport, agriculture, domestic heating, wildfires and dust storms.
- Once airborne, these particles form aerosols that can alter cloud properties and influence how clouds interact with sunlight and the climate.
Black carbon creates another concern when it settles on snow and ice.
- The soot darkens reflective surfaces, allowing them to absorb more sunlight and accelerating melting.
The WMO describes a wider feedback loop in which warming increases fires and dust emissions; those emissions increase aerosol deposition, and the resulting changes to snow and ice reinforce further warming. Lorenzo Labrador, a WMO scientific officer, said air quality and climate cannot be treated as separate issues. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fossil-fuel burning would also reduce many of the pollutants damaging air quality, making coordinated climate and pollution policies central to addressing both risks.
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