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How record wildfires are harming human health

As fires get bigger and rage for more of the year, scientists are racing to understand the lingering impacts.
  1. Max Kozlov
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Firefighters laden with equipment approach part of a burning forest fire near Caldor California

Firefighters battle the Caldor wildfire in California in August. Credit: Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/ZUMA/eyevine

On a cool September morning in San Francisco, a group of firefighters packed their gear into a bright red van. The sickly sweet odour of pine resin from a distant blaze hung in the air as the crew prepared to battle the rapidly growing Dixie fire, on its way towards becoming the largest single wildfire in California’s history. Sweeping across the Sierra Nevada mountains, it would come to scorch more than 3,900 square kilometres before crews fully contained it in late October.

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Nature 599, 550-552 (2021)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-03496-1

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