UN: Wildfire smoke causes 100k deaths yearly

A report issued by the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization (WMO) indicated that toxic smoke from wildfires causes approximately 100,000 additional deaths annually between 2010 and 2018. The incidence of heavy smoke resulting from fires has tripled over the past thirty years, with the impact on air quality increasing globally, especially in regions such as northern Canada, Russia, and Africa. The report confirmed that rising levels of fine particulate matter and ground-level ozone—both linked to respiratory and heart diseases—are due to the increasing frequency of wildfires. The organization called for strengthened monitoring of pollutants like black carbon and microplastics, which remain widely dispersed in the atmosphere despite international efforts to reduce emissions.

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