The emerging threat of smoke impacts on health from forest fires and climate change

The report examines how forest fires, driven by climate change in temperate regions and intentional land clearing in the Amazon, create severe air pollution that impacts large populations. It highlights the acute risks of PM2.5 particulate matter, particularly for children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions, and calls for improved health system preparation, Indigenous-led fire management, and urgent global climate mitigation.

• Forest fire smoke contains hazardous pollutants, specifically PM2.5 particulate matter, which can penetrate the lungs, enter the bloodstream, and cross the blood-brain barrier, causing inflammation and oxidative stress throughout the body.
• Landscape fire smoke is estimated to cause 339,000 premature deaths annually worldwide, with significant burdens in sub-Saharan Africa (157,000) and South-East Asia (110,000).
• Vulnerable populations, including children, adults over 65, pregnant women, and those with asthma, COPD, or cardiovascular disease, face higher risks. Exposure during pregnancy is linked to adverse outcomes such as low birthweight.
• In Australia, the 2019/2020 'Black Summer' bushfires affected 80% of the population with smoke pollution and resulted in an estimated 417 excess deaths and AU$ 1.95 billion in health costs.
• In Canada, the 2018 fire season was the worst on record, burning 1.3 million hectares and causing significant health system disruption, including the evacuation of 880 patients and the closure of 19 sites by the Interior Health Authority.
• Fires in the Brazilian Amazon are primarily intentional, driven by land clearing for agriculture and ranching, which contributes to climate change by releasing carbon stores. These fires are associated with increased respiratory hospitalisations, particularly among Indigenous people.
• Climate change creates a reinforcing feedback loop where warming increases wildfire frequency and severity, and the resulting forest loss releases more greenhouse gases, further accelerating warming.
• Indigenous fire practices, such as 'cultural burns' or 'cool burns', are identified as a sustainable alternative to Western hazard reduction, as they manage fuel without damaging soil microflora or drying out the land.
• The report recommends an immediate moratorium on man-made land clearing fires in the Amazon, the adoption of Indigenous fire management, and the alignment of climate commitments with the Paris Agreement target of 1.5°C.

APA

MacGuire, F., & Sergeeva, M. (2021). The emerging threat of smoke impacts on health from forest fires and climate change. Global Climate and Health Alliance. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/016062021_GCHA_bushfire_report_limits_livability_health.pdf

Chicago

MacGuire, Frances, and Milena Sergeeva. The emerging threat of smoke impacts on health from forest fires and climate change. Global Climate and Health Alliance, 2021. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/016062021_GCHA_bushfire_report_limits_livability_health.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=MacGuire |first1=Frances |last2=Sergeeva |first2=Milena |title=The emerging threat of smoke impacts on health from forest fires and climate change |publisher=Global Climate and Health Alliance |date=2021 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/016062021_GCHA_bushfire_report_limits_livability_health.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{macguire2021emerging, author = {MacGuire, Frances and Sergeeva, Milena}, title = {{The emerging threat of smoke impacts on health from forest fires and climate change}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2021}, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/016062021_GCHA_bushfire_report_limits_livability_health.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }