Breathing in Fire: The Growing Respiratory Threat of Wildfire Smoke

As climate change accelerates, wildfires are becoming more frequent, intense, and widespread. An international study published in Nature Sustainability offers compelling evidence that wildfire-specific fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅)—tiny airborne particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter—poses a serious and disproportionate threat to respiratory health across the globe.