“Nearly 24,000 acres of land has been burned, 29 dead, and thousands of homes lost. Smoke drifted up into the sky while LA was left in shambles. Now, the LA fires are posing a major health threat even as quick-moving flames have blowtorched homes, schools, and other buildings.” –Lilah Aparton, 7th grade
Nearly 24,000 acres of land has been burned, 29 dead, and thousands of homes lost. Smoke drifted up into the sky while LA was left in shambles. Now, the LA fires are posing a major health threat even as quick-moving flames have blowtorched homes, schools, and other buildings.
Burnt up plastics, chemicals, oils, varnish, and paint can have a deadly effect on your lungs. When burnt, these materials create particles known as PM 2.5, which are one-seventieth the width of a single human hair and can easily infiltrate the respiratory and cardiovascular system. Tracy Rich, an L.A resident says, “Even though it looks nice at times and you can't always smell the smoke, we know that the fires have released tiny particles into the air that are incredibly unhealthy that can cause respiratory issues, which are very dangerous, especially for kids, the elderly (like my parents) or anyone with asthma.”
The most dangerous part of PM 2.5 is that it’s practically invisible and can cause long-term biological harm. In fact, PM 2.5 particles are so small that they attack your lungs and enter your bloodstream. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, PM 2.5 “is the air pollutant of greatest concern to public health from wildfire smoke.”
“I had a little PTSD because we evacuated from the fires in 2018 and were out of our house for 4 days,” says Rich. “The [current] fires so far had not been in our neighborhood, however I took my dogs outside and looked to my right and saw a tremendous amount of smoke coming from the hiking trail area about a mile from our house. I ran back in the house and learned that someone had intentionally set the fire, and we were being evacuated. I panicked and frantically packed my things but also had my parents' important items at my house.”
Tens of thousands of people had been told to evacuate the area, not knowing whether or not their homes would still be there.
In 2023, a study was published about smoke and air pollution from fires in the wildland-urban interface (areas where wildlands and urban neighborhoods meet) and found that the smoke contained a variety of heavy metals and harsh chemicals harmful to humans. They include hydrogen chloride, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins and a range of toxic organic compounds, including known carcinogens such as benzene, as well as toluene, xylenes, styrene and formaldehyde, all of which are detrimental to your health.
Short-term problems from the air pollution include, coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, and asthma exacerbation, according to the EPA. Breathing in smoke can also irritate your sinuses, throat and eyes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However there are more severe cases. Exposure to smoke and chemicals like PM 2.5 is linked to damage to cognitive functions, and even worse, it can lead to long-term neurological effects such as Alzheimers and dementia.
The World Health Organization states that indoor and outdoor air pollution is associated with 7 million premature deaths annually. So here’s what you can do to protect yourself:
Avoid exposing yourself to the smoke
Stay away from going outside and if possible, close your windows and doors. Generally most high-quality air filters can filter out PM 2.5 before they enter your home, so try and use those.
Wear a mask
Since the particles are so small, most kinds of masks can’t filter PM 2.5. Experts recommend using an N95 mask to act as a barrier to PM 2.5.
Be aware of your local air quality
Air quality matters to your health, numerous apps and websites provide fast, accurate data on air quality.
Burnt up plastics, chemicals, oils, varnish, and paint can have a deadly effect on your lungs. When burnt, these materials create particles known as PM 2.5, which are one-seventieth the width of a single human hair and can easily infiltrate the respiratory and cardiovascular system. Tracy Rich, an L.A resident says, “Even though it looks nice at times and you can't always smell the smoke, we know that the fires have released tiny particles into the air that are incredibly unhealthy that can cause respiratory issues, which are very dangerous, especially for kids, the elderly (like my parents) or anyone with asthma.”
The most dangerous part of PM 2.5 is that it’s practically invisible and can cause long-term biological harm. In fact, PM 2.5 particles are so small that they attack your lungs and enter your bloodstream. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, PM 2.5 “is the air pollutant of greatest concern to public health from wildfire smoke.”
“I had a little PTSD because we evacuated from the fires in 2018 and were out of our house for 4 days,” says Rich. “The [current] fires so far had not been in our neighborhood, however I took my dogs outside and looked to my right and saw a tremendous amount of smoke coming from the hiking trail area about a mile from our house. I ran back in the house and learned that someone had intentionally set the fire, and we were being evacuated. I panicked and frantically packed my things but also had my parents' important items at my house.”
Tens of thousands of people had been told to evacuate the area, not knowing whether or not their homes would still be there.
In 2023, a study was published about smoke and air pollution from fires in the wildland-urban interface (areas where wildlands and urban neighborhoods meet) and found that the smoke contained a variety of heavy metals and harsh chemicals harmful to humans. They include hydrogen chloride, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins and a range of toxic organic compounds, including known carcinogens such as benzene, as well as toluene, xylenes, styrene and formaldehyde, all of which are detrimental to your health.
Short-term problems from the air pollution include, coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, and asthma exacerbation, according to the EPA. Breathing in smoke can also irritate your sinuses, throat and eyes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However there are more severe cases. Exposure to smoke and chemicals like PM 2.5 is linked to damage to cognitive functions, and even worse, it can lead to long-term neurological effects such as Alzheimers and dementia.
The World Health Organization states that indoor and outdoor air pollution is associated with 7 million premature deaths annually. So here’s what you can do to protect yourself:
Avoid exposing yourself to the smoke
Stay away from going outside and if possible, close your windows and doors. Generally most high-quality air filters can filter out PM 2.5 before they enter your home, so try and use those.
Wear a mask
Since the particles are so small, most kinds of masks can’t filter PM 2.5. Experts recommend using an N95 mask to act as a barrier to PM 2.5.
Be aware of your local air quality
Air quality matters to your health, numerous apps and websites provide fast, accurate data on air quality.