Tens of millions of people — from the Great Lakes to Long Island to as far south as the Chesapeake Bay — have been breathing unhealthy air from Canada’s wildfires. New York last week became the most polluted major city in the world.
Even as air quality improves in the coming days, the dangerous health effects will linger, and the haze could return. Health officials need to prepare for the grim reality that wildfires are becoming more common — and more dangerous.
Canada’s forests have been burning for weeks with little sign of abating. Most of the 400 blazes have been out of control, contributing to the country’s worst wildfire season on record. While such fires aren’t unusual during the summer, this year’s spread and intensity is virtually unprecedented. Large swathes of the country had experienced record heat and severe droughts in the preceding weeks.
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The health risks are serious. Wildfire smoke is a blend of gas and fine particles that can penetrate the lungs and bloodstream. Some research suggests it’s more toxic than the exhaust from a tailpipe. Common symptoms for healthy people include coughing, throat irritation, stinging eyes, wheezing and headaches. For those at greater risk — such as the elderly, asthmatic children and pregnant women — even short-term exposure can lead to hospitalization and, in some cases, death.
States prone to wildfires, such as California, have a tested preparedness playbook that includes clear guidance to stay indoors, evacuation plans and a stash of high-quality masks, such as N95s. (Surgical masks used during COVID-19 aren’t very effective.) Yet the northern U.S. was largely caught flat-footed. Fire forecasting is notoriously imprecise, and coordination between meteorologists, forestry officials and public health workers tends to be weak.
Growing evidence suggests changes in climate and land use are making wildfires more frequent and intense, with extreme fires estimated to rise 14% by 2030. One recent study estimated that annual exposure to wildfire smoke results in more than 30,000 deaths globally. Another study calculated that the long-term health costs imposed by wildfire exposure in the U.S. from 2008 to 2012 may have been as high as $450 billion.
The worst of the smoke will likely dissipate in the coming days. That’s no excuse for complacency. A serious preparedness effort should include stockpiling masks for distribution at schools, police precincts, community centers and other public spaces, for starters. In major cities, it should also involve longer-term investment in air-filtration systems, air conditioning for the most vulnerable, and clean-air shelters for those in need. States should also establish labor protections for outdoor workers, even on a temporary basis, where federal standards have fallen short.
The seemingly apocalyptic haze that befell New York City and much of the northern U.S. came as a surprise. Next time, it shouldn’t.
