Scientists have estimated that between 52,480 and 55,710 people in California died prematurely from 2008-2018 due to chronic exposure to dangerous particulate matter in wildfire smoke. The economic impact of these deaths was at least $432 billion. Previous studies primarily focused on short, acute exposures to wildfire smoke, but the UCLA researchers considered it a chronic exposure, leading to a higher estimate of deaths. Longitudinal studies are expensive but necessary to understand the long-term effects of chronic wildfire smoke exposure. Action is needed to reduce exposure to wildfire smoke, which includes small-scale solutions and addressing larger societal issues like climate change.
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California wildfire smoke linked to 52,000 early deaths, study says
