Long-term exposure to wildfire smoke is poorly understood — and a growing risk

by Luke Montrose, for The Conversation January 22, 2025January 20, 2025

Smoke from the Palisades Fire drifts across the Los Angeles basin on Jan. 11, 2025. Along with the thousands of structures destroyed by flames comes an untold impact on the environment through the toxic chemicals released into the atmosphere. It may be years until the true health effects are realized. (Ashok Boghani/Flickr, CC BY-NC)

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE across the Los Angeles area are being exposed to wildfire smoke as fires burn through homes and vehicles. The fires in January 2025 have burned thousands of structures, along with the building materials, furniture, paints, plastics and electronics inside them.

When materials like these burn, they can release toxic chemicals with the potential to harm people breathing the air downwind.

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