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Public Health

Wildfires pose serious risks to public health, both during and long after a fire.

Beyond deaths and injuries caused directly by flames, wildfire smoke and air pollution can affect communities far from the affected area, increasing respiratory and cardiovascular risks and placing pressure on health systems. Explore the latest research, insights and resources on the health impacts of wildfires and the measures needed to reduce risk and protect vulnerable populations.

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Research briefs
Exposure to wildfire smoke late in pregnancy may raise autism risk in children

Exposure to wildfire smoke during the final months of pregnancy may raise the risk that a child is later diagnosed with autism, according to a new study led by Tulane University researchers.

Tulane University
Research briefs
Get ready for smokier air: Record 2023 wildfire smoke marks long-term shift in North American air quality

A new analysis of air quality data from the past 70 years shows that Canada’s record wildfire smoke in 2023 is part of a broader, continent-wide trend toward smokier skies across North America.

Columbia Climate School
Wildfire heatwave compund event
Update
USA: Chemicals from the smoke lingered inside homes in LA long after the wildfires were out – studies tracked the harm

New research offers both a warning and steps people everywhere can take to protect their homes and themselves from wildfire smoke in the future.

Conversation Media Group, the
Update
As wildfires mount, so do efforts to use less plastic

Plastic in both the exteriors and interiors of homes burns far hotter than do traditional building materials such as wood or other natural products.

Context
Research briefs
UW-led study links wildfire smoke to increased odds of preterm birth

Researchers have identified a potential link between wildfire smoke — one of the fastest-growing sources of air pollution in the United States — and preterm birth, but no study has been big or broad enough to draw definitive conclusions.

University of Waterloo
Update
1,400 annual deaths in Canada linked to wildfire smoke, report finds

A new global health report suggests that every year from 2020 to 2024 about 1,400 deaths in Canada were associated with wildfire smoke pollution as climate change takes an increasing toll on the country’s health.

The Energy Mix
Update
Particulate matter from wildfires causes globally over 100,000 annual deaths – impacts of fire smoke and desert dust are unevenly distributed between continents

Fine particles from wildfires cause over 100,000 premature deaths each year around the world, according to the Lancet Countdown 2025 report.

Finnish Meteorological Institute
Update
How wildfires and other climate disasters put health systems under extreme pressure

Wildfires are no longer rare disasters in Canada. At a time when hospitals are already strained by staff shortages, long wait times and rising costs, wildfires add yet another layer of pressure.

Conversation Media Group, the
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