Wildfires: How to cope when smoke affects air quality and healt
As wildfires become more frequent due to climate change and drier conditions, more of us and more of our communities are at risk for harm. Here is information to help you prepare and protect yourself and your family. How does wildfire smoke affect air quality? Wildfire smoke contributes greatly to poor air quality. Just like pollution from burning coal, oil, and gas, wildfires create hazardous gases and tiny particles of varying sizes that are harmful to breathe. Wildfire smoke also contains other toxins that come from burning buildings and chemical storage. Smoke carried by weather patterns and jet streams can cross state and national boundaries, traveling to distant regions. How does wildfire smoke affect our health? The small particles in wildfire smoke –– known as particulate matter, or PM10, PM2.5, PM0.1 –– are the most worrisome to our health. When we breathe them in, these particles can travel deep into the lungs and sometimes...