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Alongside a global pandemic that has killed millions, residents of the American West have for two consecutive summers confronted unprecedented wildfire seasons. So far this year, roughly 43,500 wildfires have charred more than 5 million acres, and fires continue to grow in frequency and intensity. With them come a number of human health concerns, including the risk that bodies worn down by exposure to smoke could more easily succumb to infectious diseases.
Teasing out the effects of wildfire smoke on health is both urgent and difficult. “With wildfires, we’re generally looking in the rearview mirror, looking retroactively,” says Sheryl Magzamen, a respiratory epidemiologist at Colorado State University. While air pollution from cars can be studied in real time by placing sensors near roads, she adds, wildfires are sporadic and unpredictable. “Where they are and when they happen and where the smoke goes is really complex.”
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