The Health Toll of the California Fires
Coughing and itchy eyes are only the beginning
As I write this, Northern California’s Kincade Fire in Sonoma County covers 113 square miles — roughly double the size of the entire city of San Francisco. In Southern California, the Getty Fire rages, threatening thousands of homes as well as the priceless art of the famous Getty Museum. Several other fires have sparked up over the past several days; meanwhile, the state’s two main utility companies, Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison, are intermittently shutting off power to millions of Californians in an attempt to stave off any additional fires caused by their aging, volatile equipment.
Even after escaping a fire relatively unharmed, survivors are left with negative health effects that not only impact them in the short-term but could potentially stick around for years after the event. And as fire season in the Western United States continues to get longer and more intense year after year, it’s possible we’ll witness lingering health problems on survivors all across the Western states.
First, a bit of background on smoke, which seems more straightforward than it actually is. There are thousands of different compounds in smoke, ranging from carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, trace minerals, particulate matter, and more. The…
