Climate change is making wildfires more likely and more intense, exposing more people to dangerous wildfire smoke. Scientists are continuing to learn how much damage that smoke can do to the environment and human health
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How Should Wildfire Smoke Damage Be Measured?
Homes that survive wildfire flames but that are still affected by smoke, soot and ash is a growing issue for homeowners and insurers, as is the question of how to best remediate the problem
Large Herbivores Can Help Prevent Massive Wildfires
Reintroducing large herbivores into fire-prone areas can help combat the global rise in megafires
Some Surprising Places Are at Risk of Devastating Urban Wildfires like Maui’s
Hundreds of communities across the U.S.—many in unexpected places—are at risk from an urban wildfire like the one that tore through the Hawaiian town of Lahaina
Americans Have Breathed More Wildfire Smoke in Eight Months Than in Entire Years
Smoke from wildfires that have been exacerbated by climate change is complicating the picture of air pollution in the U.S.
How Wildfires Kill People
The deadly wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, has killed dozens of people so far. Here’s how fires threaten human health
What Caused Maui’s Devastating Wildfires?
Dry conditions and strong winds set the stage for the disastrous wildfires that tore through the historic town of Lahaina and other areas of Hawaii
Wildfires and Smoke Are Harming People’s Mental Health. Here’s How to Cope
Wildfires can have mental health impacts, both among those who are directly affected and those who find themselves under a blanket of smoke
Why Does Smoke Turn the Sky Orange?
The wildfire smoke that smothered the U.S. Northeast last week has surprising connections to astrophysics—and to the historic search for our place in the cosmos
Canada’s Wildfires Are a Warning of the East Coast’s Smoky Future
Ontario and Quebec could see wildfires grow more intense and frequent as a changing climate brings unusually hot and dry conditions
See How the Wildfire Smoke Spread Across the U.S.
Most of the eastern U.S. has been swathed in smoke billowing off more than 400 wildfires across Canada
Five Things You Need to Know about Wildfire Smoke Right Now
Where is it coming from? How long will it last? What's in the smoke? Whose health is at risk? How do you clean your own air?
How to Protect Yourself from Smoky Wildfire Air
As giant plumes from fires in Canada billow over the U.S., experts explain what smoke does to your health—and how to protect yourself
How to Use the Air Quality Index
Here’s how to read the Air Quality Index and protect yourself from unhealthy air
How Long Will Wildfire Smoke Last, and Where Will It Spread?
Smoke from record-setting wildfires in Canada has blanketed parts of the eastern U.S., but shifting summer weather patterns should bring relief
Images Show Wildfire Smoke Choking the East Coast
Scientific American will be rounding up some of the most striking images and notable updates about the smoke blanketing the Northeast from wildfires raging across Canada
What the Acrid Smoke from Wildfires Can Teach Us
Among other things, it can make those who experience it understand that climate change is visceral and palpable