Name: The Scary Truth About Lingering Wildfire Smoke
Channel: The Weather Channel
Description: The record-breaking wildfires in California, including the Palisades and Eaton fires, are unleashing toxic smoke filled with hazardous chemicals, wreaking havoc on air quality for miles around and raising concerns about the safety of homes long after the flames are extinguished.

Breathing

Wildfire smoke is linked to a host of medical problems, even in people who are otherwise healthy. Here's what you need to know.

ByJan Wesner Childs•January 16, 2025

The Scary Truth About Lingering Wildfire Smoke

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Wildfire smoke is linked to a host of medical problems, even in people who are otherwise healthy.

Why is wildfire smoke so bad for us?

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Wildfire smoke is made up mainly of microscopic particulate matter 30 times smaller than the diameter of a strand of hair.
The particles are made up of things like acids, chemicals, metals, soil and dust from whatever the fire is burning – including vegetation, buildings and vehicles.
When inhaled, they can go deep inside the lungs and bloodstream.
Research has shown smoke from wildfires is 10 times more hazardous to humans than similar pollution from other sources.
The CDC says breathing in wildfire smoke can cause coughing, shortness of breath, increased heart rate and other immediate effects, even in healthy people.
It can also aggravate chronic heart and lung conditions, increase the risk of stroke and heart attack, damage vital organs and shorten a person’s lifespan.

A surfer rides a wave against a backdrop of a red sky filled with smoke. — A surfer takes off on a wave in Santa Monica, California, during sunset under a blackened sky from the Palisades fire Jan. 7, 2025.
(AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Weather.com meteorologist Danielle Banks adds:

Air quality can be affected hundreds or thousands of miles away from the actual fire.
Small particles of smoke can stay in the air and move through the atmosphere for weeks depending on how long the fires last.
Pets can also be affected by unhealthy air and if possible, should be brought indoors.

Two people embrace in front of wildfire ruins. — Ari Rivera, rear, Anderson Hao hold each other in front of their destroyed home in Altadena, California, Jan. 9, 2025.
(AP Photo/John Locher)

What can you do to protect yourself?

There are a few ways to track your local air quality index (AQI), including the federal government’s AirNow website and The Weather Channel app.
NOAA says: “The AQI focuses on health effects you may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air.”
For some people, health issues can start with relatively low AQI. The higher the number gets, the worse the effects.
It may be necessary to stay indoors with windows and doors closed and avoid outdoor activities.

Smoke and embers fly across a red fiery sky. — The Palisades Fire burns a beach front property, Jan. 8, 2025, in Malibu, California.
(AP Photo/Etienne Laurent, File)

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Weather.com staff writer Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.

Wildfire smoke is linked to a host of medical problems, even in people who are otherwise healthy. Here's what you need to know.

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