SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Months have passed since firefighters contained the devastating wildfires that raged across 40,000 acres of the greater Los Angeles area — a swath of land larger than the city of San Francisco. The fires left behind a trail of destruction, burned buildings, demolished homes, and miles of scorched earth. As the community begins the long process of rebuilding, the long-term health impacts of these wildfires on millions of men, women and children are only now beginning to emerge.
Recovery from the devastating California wildfires will take years and its health impact could last a lifetime.
“Wildfire smoke, we estimate to be about 10 times as toxic as the regular air pollution we’re breathing,” said Stanford pediatrician Lisa Patel, MD.
She says wildfires produce a range of harmful air pollutants.
“It’s different because when a house or a car goes up in flames with it, go all the chemicals that get aerosolized as well. And so, we’re breathing in things that are potentially carcinogenic and much more toxic,” Dr. Patel explained.
Particulate matter or PM is the main pollutant of concern — they’re so small, PM’s can get deep into the lungs and pass into the blood stream. It’s especially dangerous for children. Teenagers exposed are at a higher risk for depression. Younger children are at higher risk for breathing problems because their airways are smaller, and their lungs are developing quickly. As for babies before birth?
“There are more and more studies coming out about the exposure to wildfires and your risk of things like preterm birth, low birth weight infants,” stated Dr. Patel.
What should parents do? Check your local air quality index daily, if there is smoke in your area, don’t go outside, and if you do, use a NIOSH-approved N95 mask, and to keep your house safe, use a CARB-certified air cleaner to reduce indoor particles. And most importantly,
“If it’s a day where it shows to take precautions, really take those precautions,” implored Dr. Patel.
If you don’t live in an area at risk of wildfires, you still need to be aware of the risks. Even far from a fire, smoke can travel and affect your family’s health. Smoke from the wildfires in Canada in 2023 darkened the skies in Chicago and New York City, but did you know that it also made its way across the Atlantic and impacted people 2,000 miles away in Europe? And one more thing to think about — while you’re planning to keep your family safe, don’t forget about fido. Pets can also be impacted by wildfire smoke. So, if you can, be sure to bring them indoors during dangerous air quality days.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Executive Producer; Joe Alexander, Videographer; and Bob Walko, Editor.
Produced by Child Trends News Service in partnership with Ivanhoe Broadcast News and funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
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Sources:
https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/california-fires-facts-faqs-how-to-help
https://ceh.unicef.org/spotlight-risk/wildfire-smoke
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/151507/canadian-smoke-reaches-europe
If this story or any other Ivanhoe story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Marjorie Bekaert Thomas at mthomas@ivanhoe.com
