Wildfire Smoke Can Attack Almost Every Part of Your Body Not Just Your Lungs

 

A wildfire, bushfire, wild land fire or rural fire is an unplanned, unwanted, uncontrolled fire in an area of combustible vegetation starting in rural areas and urban areas. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire can also be classified more specifically as a forest fire, brush fire, bushfire (in Australia), desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, peat fire, prairie fire, vegetation fire, or veld fire. Many organizations consider wildfire to mean an unplanned and unwanted fire, while wild land-fire is a broader term that includes prescribed fire as well as wildland fire use (WFU; these are also called monitored response fires).

Wildfires can be characterized in terms of the cause of ignition, their physical properties, the combustible material present, and the effect of weather on the fire. Wildfires can cause damage to property and human life, although naturally occurring wildfires may have beneficial effects on native vegetation, animals, and ecosystems that have evolved with fire. Wildfire behavior and severity result from a combination of factors such as available fuels, physical setting, and weather. Read more

 

Wildfire Smoke Can Attack Almost Every Part of Your Body Not Just Your Lungs   Science Alert - July 20, 2026

This past week, a child stood on the observation deck of Toronto's CN Tower and looked out at a city skyline blurred by haze. Hundreds of miles away, National Guard troops patrolled a smoke-dimmed National Mall in Washington, and commuters pulled on masks. Smoke drifting south from Canada's wildfires has become an almost annual visitor to American skies. None of these scenes look that unusual these days.