Western Wildfires Undermining Progress on Air Pollution

Smoke pollution is leading to serious public health impacts as large wildfires across the American West become more frequent and destructive.  These fires are undermining progress made during recent decades in reducing pollution from tailpipes, power plants, and other industrial sources.  The increasing frequency and area burned by large fires is linked to human-caused climate change as well as other environmental changes.

Climate Central analyzed air quality trends from 2000 through 2016 in two large California air basins that are heavily affected by smoke pollution.  The analysis focused on particulate matter (PM2.5), a dangerous air pollutant.  We found that while the air is getting cleaner overall in recent years, it’s getting dirtier during the fire season —  a season that research has shown is growing longer in the western United States.

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