Wildfire Health Effects

How to Protect Your Lungs and Heart From the Effects of Wildfires

When you think of wildfire damage, you might picture forests — and increasingly homes — caught in a fast-moving blaze. However, there’s another important element at stake.

“You can rebuild a house. You can’t necessarily rebuild your lungs,” according to pulmonologist Anthony Gerber, MD.

As wildfires become more severe (Opens in a new window) and widespread, it’s important to understand how airborne pollution from these fires can affect your health. This knowledge is crucial even when you appear to be out of harm’s way.

Why Are Wildfires Getting Worse?  

Since 1983, the wildfire problem in the western U.S. has been growing (Opens in a new window). Wildfires that impacted more developed areas such as the 2021 Marshall Fire (Opens in a new window) in Colorado near Denver and the 2025 L.A. Fires are just two examples. Climate change, drought and previous forest management practices have contributed to the issue.

It’s a problem Dr. Gerber doesn’t see going away anytime soon. “There is model after model that predicts hotter summers and more sporadic rainfall,” he noted. New home construction is piling even more fuel on the fire. “We now have this increasing tendency to build up into the wildlands,” Dr. Gerber explained.  "And so we’re seeing urban encroachment in areas that are simply more at risk for wildfires.”

This means that the devastation from wildfires includes more homes and personal property. And when synthetic materials burn, the health effects of wildfire smoke can be more severe.

The Particulate Problem

When something burns, it’s broken down, and its elements are released into the air, often combining with oxygen. The carbon from burnt matter can take the form of carbon dioxide (as carbon atoms bond with the oxygen).

Heavy, prolonged exposure to the carbon dioxide/monoxide in smoke can have a smothering effect. However, with a wildfire, especially one that burns homes and other structures, there are a lot more unknowns.

“You wouldn’t throw a battery onto a campfire,” explained Dr. Gerber, “but that’s what’s happening. When homes burn, along with cars and other things, you incinerate all of this material. It’s hard to quantify, but that stuff is almost certainly more toxic. Also, the chemicals that are sprayed to put out the fire were designed for use in forests, not in urban areas.  Although necessary, they add to the toxic impacts of wildfires that occur in populated areas, such as the 2025 Los Angeles area fires.” It is particularly distressing when you think of your computer, television and even refrigerator going up in smoke.

Dr. Gerber emphasized that the plume we see from a nearby wildfire is actually a particulate soup. It is peppered with toxins released from industrial materials. Plastic, for instance, produces sulfur dioxide and hydrochloric acid when burned, along with heavy metals (Opens in a new window).

An EPA-led study (Opens in a new window) on toxic particulates showed that plastics produced the most harmful emissions. Burning plastic is more toxic than plywood, cardboard and even diesel fuel. When inhaled, these particulates can cause a range of breathing problems, especially if you have a preexisting condition.

How Wildfires Can Affect Your Respiratory and Heart Health

Smoke can worsen symptoms for those who have preexisting respiratory conditions, such as asthma, allergies and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Typical symptoms may include:

• Cough with or without mucus
• Chest discomfort
• Difficulty breathing normally
• Wheezing and shortness of breath

“Pretty much any preexisting lung condition can be aggravated by breathing in these particles,” according to Dr. Gerber. “You’re living with your normal asthma symptoms, and then suddenly you may have a decline. That decline might be manageable with inhalers, but sometimes it requires medical attention.”

If you have a lung condition, it’s important to monitor local air quality. Be aware of any wildfires in the region.  

Particulate-laden smoke also can worsen heart disease. Inhaled particles trigger the release of chemical messengers into the blood, which may increase the risk of blood clots, angina episodes, heart attacks and strokes. People with chronic heart conditions are more susceptible to chest pain, heart attacks, cardiac arrhythmias, acute congestive heart failure or stroke.

Even people without lung or cardiac disease may become symptomatic if the smoke is thick enough.

Do Wildfires Increase the Risk of Heart Attacks and Strokes?

Scientific evidence published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that exposure to these toxic particles increases everyone’s risks for heart attack and stroke. This risk for heart attack and stroke increases even if you don’t have a preexisting lung disease. The EPA says that even if you’re only exposed for a few hours, it can affect your health.

People without lung diseases aren’t as used to tracking air quality. They are perhaps less likely to avoid exposure to wildfire smoke and to notice its effects on their systems. “You may never realize that, ‘Hey, I might be more at risk for a heart attack two days from now because I was out in the pollution,’” said Dr. Gerber. “So it’s another major problem that tends to really get lost in the shuffle. We don’t pay attention to it.”

Long-Term Effects

For people with prolonged exposure to wildfire smoke, such as firefighters and other safety personnel, long-term respiratory problems could be seen down the road. Smoke inhalation, long working hours and scorching temperatures all contribute to health concerns. In these cases, wildfire smoke exposure could result in decreased lung function, although these effects could be reversible. The proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is paramount to mitigating the effects of smoke exposure.