Wildfire Smoke: Nationwide Health Risk

Wildfire smoke pollution in the U.S. has increased significantly, with per-person exposure four times higher between 2020-2024 than during 2006-2019. Research indicates that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from wildfire smoke caused approximately 164,000 premature deaths in the U.S. from 2006 to 2020, with human-caused climate change accounting for about 15,000 of those deaths. While the West and Northwest experience the most smoke days, smoke is a nationwide issue, with every county in the contiguous U.S. seeing at least 16 smoke days annually. The rise in smoke since 2016 has stalled or reversed air quality improvements in 30 U.S. states, threatening the goals of the Clean Air Act.

• Per-person exposure to harmful wildfire smoke in the U.S. was four times higher on average each year during the period 2020-2024 compared to 2006-2019.
• Between 2006 and 2020, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in wildfire smoke caused nearly 164,000 premature deaths in the U.S., and human-caused climate change was responsible for approximately 15,000 of these deaths.
• The health burden from climate change-fueled smoke was most severe in Washington, Oregon, and California, where climate change added an average of 580 annual smoke-related deaths, representing one-quarter to one-third of all such deaths in those states.
• Wildfire smoke is a nationwide air quality problem; every county in the contiguous U.S. now experiences at least 16 wildfire smoke days per year, and the increase in smoke since 2016 has stalled or reversed air quality gains in 30 states.
• While most large fires occur in the western U.S., approximately 75% of smoke-related mortality and asthma morbidity occurs in other U.S. regions due to high population density in the east and long-range smoke transport.

APA

Climate Central (2025). Wildfire Smoke: Nationwide Health Risk. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/climate-change-worsens-wildfire-smoke-2025

Chicago

Climate Central. Wildfire Smoke: Nationwide Health Risk. 2025. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/climate-change-worsens-wildfire-smoke-2025.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Wildfire Smoke: Nationwide Health Risk |date=20 August 2025 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/climate-change-worsens-wildfire-smoke-2025 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2025wildfire, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Wildfire Smoke: Nationwide Health Risk}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2025}, month = aug, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/climate-change-worsens-wildfire-smoke-2025}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }