Americans are breathing in a lot more wildfire smoke than they used to, and it's not just confined to the West. 

A new analysis from Climate Central found that the average American inhaled roughly four times more wildfire smoke from 2020 to 2025, compared to the previous 13 years.

2026 is on pace to rank as the third-smokiest year in the last 20, driven in large part by a historic wildfire season in Canada; smoke has repeatedly drifted down into the upper Midwest, Northeast, and Pacific Northwest this year.

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The four-fold jump in wildfire smoke exposure is mainly about geography and fire behavior. We are seeing longer fire seasons, more acreage burning in a given year and smoke that can easily travel hundreds or even thousands of miles from the flames.

Because wildfire smoke can travel such long distances, researchers estimate that roughly three-quarters of smoke-related health impacts in the U.S. happen outside the West, in places that never see a flame.

Research shows that since 2016, wildfire smoke has stalled or reversed decades of hard-won air quality progress in 30 states — most severely in California, Oregon, and Washington.

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What wildfire smoke does to your body

Wildfire smoke's main hazard is PM2.5 (particles smaller than 2.5 microns), or about 30 times thinner than a human hair. They're small enough to bypass your body's natural filters and lodge deep in your lungs; the smallest can even cross into your bloodstream.

Short-term symptoms include burning or watery eyes, a scratchy throat, coughing and headaches. However, at higher exposure, it can cause chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing and increased heart rate.

Longer-term, especially for vulnerable groups, it's more serious. Once in the bloodstream, PM2.5 has been linked to inflammation, elevated blood pressure and higher risk of heart attack, stroke and irregular heart rhythms. 

The American Heart Association has tied smoke exposure to increased ER visits for ischemic heart disease, heart failure and pulmonary embolism. A 2025 study found some of these cardiovascular and respiratory effects can linger for up to three months after a smoke event ends. Research on smoke-related PM2.5 attributes roughly 164,000 deaths in the U.S. over the 15 years ending in 2020.

Who's most at risk: People with asthma, COPD, or existing heart disease; adults over 65; young children (they breathe more air per pound of body weight); pregnant women; and anyone recovering from a major illness or surgery.

Here’s how to keep smoke out of your house

The good news: You don't need a total renovation to cut your indoor smoke exposure substantially. Here are some things you can do to protect yourself and your family.

• Pick one "clean room." The Environmental Protection Agency recommends choosing a comfortable room the whole household can use (ideally one with an attached bathroom and no fireplace) and closing it off from the rest of the house during smoke events.
• Close up and seal gaps. Shut windows and doors, and block obvious gaps around them. Close blinds, too, which also helps if a heat wave overlaps with the smoke.
• Run a portable air cleaner — without ozone. The EPA recommends a portable air cleaner that doesn't produce ozone as a byproduct. A HEPA-style cleaner is the most common choice; a DIY box fan rigged with a MERV-13 filter has been shown in testing to cut indoor particulate matter about as well as a HEPA unit, for a fraction of the cost.
• Upgrade your HVAC filter and use the "recirculate" setting. If your furnace/AC can accept one, a MERV-13 filter is the EPA's suggested baseline during smoky periods.
• Swap filters more often than usual. Whatever filter you're running, change it more frequently during an active smoke stretch, since it will be working harder compared to a normal day.