Wildfire-fueled ozone is linked to premature deaths across the U.S., new research finds

Wildfires are reversing America’s progress on ozone pollution • Washington State Standard

A firefighter watches as the Gifford Fire burns on Aug. 6, 2025, in Los Padres National Forest in California. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images) For decades, the United States made steady progress in reducing surface ozone pollution, the main ingredient in smog. But that progress – achieved as vehicles, industries and power sources became cleaner – is increasingly being overshadowed by a different and growing source of ozone pollution: wildfire…

Wildfire-fueled ozone is linked to premature deaths across the U.S., new research finds

Wildfire smoke driving up ground-level ozone — the main component of smog — may be linked to thousands of early deaths in the United States. What's happening? Researchers have linked an increase in wildfire-driven ozone pollution to more than 300 additional premature deaths in the U.S. each year since 2013. In 2023 alone, the smog was associated with almost 8,000 premature deaths nationwide, according to coverage of a new study in Scientific Ame…