Toxic wildfire pollution infiltrates homes of 1bn people a year

Toxic wildfire pollution infiltrates homes of 1bn people a year

Friday 16 May 2025

Toxic pollution from wildfires has infiltrated the homes of more than a billion people a year over the last two decades, according to new research. The climate crisis is driving up the risk of wildfires by increasing heatwaves and droughts, making the issue of wildfire smoke a “pressing global issue”, scientists said.

The tiny particles produced by wildfires can travel thousands of miles and are known to be more toxic than urban air pollution, due to higher concentrations of chemicals that cause inflammation. Wildfire pollution has been linked to early deaths, worsened heart and breathing diseases and premature births.

Previous studies have analysed outdoor exposure to wildfire smoke, but people spend most of their time indoors, particularly when seeking refuge from wildfires. The new analysis is the first global, high-resolution study of indoor spikes in wildfire pollution.

The greatest exposure was in South America and central Africa, followed by the west coast of North America, north-west Australia, and north and south-east Asia.

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Source: The Guardian

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