APTOPIX Climate Wildfires Smoke Washington

National Guardsmen patrol the Lincoln Memorial as the sun, obscured by wildfire smoke, rises above the Washington Monument and the Reflecting Pool, Friday, July 17, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington.

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Wildfire smoke kills tens of thousands of people a year. Here's how it attacks the body

Wildfire smoke kills tens of thousands of people a year. Here's how it attacks the body

Wildfire smoke, which is increasing in the Northern Hemisphere as the climate warms, attacks nearly every system in the body. And medical studies show that it is killing tens of thousands of people a year. Within hours, ambulance calls increase. And then emergency room visits soar for breathing problems, especially asthma. People start having heart issues. ER visits for mental health concerns also jump. People have trouble focusing. Pregnant women give birth prematurely and to underweight babies. Men’s sperm is weakened. That's because smoke as an irritant triggers the immune system. And smoke has thousands of chemicals in it, many of them toxins.

Wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota pushes farther into the US and engulfs DC in haze

Wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota pushes farther into the US and engulfs DC in haze

Millions of people in the Great Lakes, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states are muddling through another day of unhealthy air from uncontrolled wildfires in Minnesota and Canada. The nation’s capital was enveloped in an eerie haze Friday. And Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians postponed their game against Pittsburgh Pirates in Ohio. Air quality warnings are expected to remain in effect at least through Saturday in parts of the U.S. There’s potential for temporary relief with storms forecast over the weekend. But a forecaster at the National Weather Service says smoky conditions are expected to last as fires continue to burn largely unchecked.