Fueled by increasing temperatures and droughts, severe wildfires are on the rise around the world—as are the smoke-borne contaminants that harm the environment and human health. In 2023, Canada recorded its worst wildfire season ever, with fires releasing more than 290 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere. California also experienced record-setting fire seasons in 2020 and 2021.
The side effects from this pollution range from irritating to deadly. Smoke from the Canadian wildfires drifted as far as Portugal and Spain, and set off air quality alerts in cities across the United States and Canada as it inflicted stinging eyes, stuffy noses and labored breathing on millions of people. The National Institutes of Health estimates all air pollution is responsible for 6.5 million deaths every year globally.
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