Study: Wildfire Smoke Already Kills 40,000 Americans a Year, With Deaths Projected to Top 70,000 by 2050

Wildfire Smoke Will Likely Kill Thousands More Americans Each Year

A new analysis finds that 30,000 more Americans are expected to die from wildfire-smoke exposure annually by 2050

Wildfire Smoke Poised to Be Top Climate Health Threat

A new study forecasts that wildfire smoke will become the leading climate-related health hazard in the United States, eclipsing risks like extreme heat by midcentury. The analysis estimates that smoke is already responsible for upward of 41,000 excess deaths annually—a figure more than double previous estimates. Researchers project...

Wildfire smoke is killing Americans. A new study quantifies how much

More intense future wildfires, fueled by further climate change, could lead to 70,000 deaths from smoke exposure a year, according to a new study.

Wildfire Smoke Now Kills 41,000 Americans a Year, Study Finds

Key Takeaways

Wildfire smoke could kill 70,000 Americans a year by 2050

Wildfires are no longer a seasonal nuisance but a deadly, nationwide health crisis. Fueled by climate change, smoke is spreading farther and lingering longer, with new research warning of tens of thousands of additional deaths annually by mid-century. The health costs alone could surpass all other climate damages combined, revealing wildfire smoke as one of the most underestimated threats of our warming world.

Wildfire smoke kills more than 40,000 Americans each year, study finds

The past six summers have been the smokiest on record. New research shows that smoke could become the costliest consequence of climate change for Americans.