Extreme weather events can have serious negative effects far beyond the event itself. Research has revealed exactly what kind of damage forest fires can have long after a fire is clear, and the study authors pointed out a noticeable effect.

what’s going on

International research published in Nature Climate Change journal, summary of conversationlinked a warming climate with exposure to fire smoke deaths worldwide.

Fire smoke deaths attributed to rising temperatures were found to have increased significantly in recent decades, from 1.2% in the 1960s to 12.8% in the 2010s.

These figures were obtained through computer modeling that looked at how climate factors such as higher air temperatures and lower humidity influenced fire activity and smoke exposure.

Forest fires they are more likely made in warmer, drier conditions where vegetation becomes increasingly combustible. While smoke is also produced by other factors – such as the controlled burning of forest land to clear areas for agriculture and encourage new growth – the impact of a warmer climate increases the risk of wildfires, exposing us to more much to the risk of smoke. exposure.

Why is smoke exposure a concern?

As Professor Fay Johnston of the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, noted while writing for The Conversation, smoke inhalation can worsen existing illnesses in the short term by triggering immune responses that can raise blood pressure, blood sugar and it creates blood clots. . For those with chronic conditions such as heart disease and blood vessel disease, this can make heart attacks and strokes more likely.

In the long term, smoking can increase the risk of heart disease, lung disease, asthma, diabetes and stroke.

This paints a much more worrying picture of the death toll in wildfire events. For example, Johnston’s own team studied the number of bushfire deaths in Australia between 2019 and 2020, finding that while 33 deaths were directly attributable to these fires, a further 429 people died due to related to smoke.

What can be done to reduce exposure to smoke?

Johnston asks increased education as we adapt to a smokier planet, so that the public can reduce the risks of smoke inhalation and health professionals can deal with related problems accordingly.

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Air quality monitoringmaking the most of air filter devicesand wearing face masks can help reduce individual exposure.

But reducing the risk of bushfires can also help, and as international research has suggested, reducing the rate of global temperature rise is a good place to start.

Avoiding dirty fuels is essential to reducing the release of heat-trapping gases into our atmosphere. This can be done by walking or cycling more, instead of driving and by investing in home renewable energy technology which reduces our reliance on grid-supplied power – which is still overwhelmingly generated using oil, gas and coal. Not only can this help reduce our personal pollution output, but it can also save us money.

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