Experts urge awareness of health risks from wildfire smoke

Wildfire smoke has become a serious public health issue as surrounding forests burn for weeks, funneling smoke into the valleys where we live. 

“Smoke isn’t something that’s going to go away,” said Hollie Smith, an associate professor who studies and teaches about natural hazards in the Pacific Northwest, during a University of Oregon wildfire forum Thursday. 

So it’s more important than ever for people to take action to protect their own health, and that of their children, by reducing exposure, experts said at the forum.

Oregon has always been fire-prone, but now the state is hotter and drier. Climate change, population growth, and development pushing into wildlands have ushered in an era of extreme wildfires. 

Wildfire smoke can be especially dangerous because it carries fine particles that are easily inhaled. What is in those particles depends on what is burning, ranging from trees to buildings. 

Over the past five years, particle pollution has worsened in the region, according to the American Lung Association. In its State of the Air report released last month, the association ranked Eugene and Springfield fourth-worst in the nation for air pollution, largely due to wildfire smoke.

Everyone is at risk, researchers say, but the most vulnerable are children, older adults, and people with preexisting heart or lung conditions. Their bodies respond differently than those of healthy adults, depending on factors like immune defenses, body weight, and circulation. 

People with low incomes often face greater exposure to smoke because they may live in homes without air conditioning or filtration, making it harder to escape poor air quality.

Additionally, emerging research shows a correlation between worsening wildfire smoke and declining mental health, highlighting the need for both physical and emotional preparedness.

Community programs designed to protect the most vulnerable from wildfire smoke recently have suffered setbacks.

The Environmental Protection Agency recently terminated a $19.5 million grant that would have supported extreme weather shelters in Lane County, including one in West Eugene that would have offered relief during smoke events. The agency also canceled a $1 million grant intended to help Oakridge residents improve indoor air quality through home upgrades.

“The reality is that some of what we’re seeing right now is having a pretty major impact on our ability for communities to be able to prepare,” said Heidi Huber-Sterns, an associate research professor with expertise in environmental governance. 

“And we see smoke and heat co-occurring more and more frequently. So I am concerned about that,” she said. 

Despite uncertainty, researchers emphasized that people still have power in what they can do and by understanding what information is available. Using air purifiers, checking air quality, and knowing when to stay indoors can make a meaningful difference. 

Air quality resources like airnow.gov provide real-time updates using a color-coded scale from 0 to 500 — where higher numbers indicate worse conditions and dark red signals hazardous air. People can also enable smoke alerts through the Department of Environmental Quality’s free OregonAir app.

“Wildfire and wildfire smoke are a way of life for us,” said Ellen Peters, director of the UO Center for Science Research Communication. “Understanding that, and understanding what to do about that, is just supercritical for people so they can be healthy.”