Longer Fire Season Heightens Air Quality-Related Health Concerns

Longer Fire Season Heightens Air Quality-Related Health Concerns - Health Council

“State and federal agencies, in partnership with community groups, are working to help everyone — schoolkids to elders — prevent disaster and breathe easier in communities affected by Alaska’s summer fire season.”

“Division of Forestry data from 2015 shows more than 750 fires reached 5.1 million acres in Alaska. The 10-year average for Alaska, according to the division’s 2014 annual report, is 500 fires and 1 million acres burned per fire season.”

“Salkoski stresses that in addition to being prepared to leave on a moment’s notice, communities must also be able to deal with the health impacts of fire when there’s no need to evacuate. For example, breathing in high concentrations of PM2.5, a particle that is about 1/20 the width of a human hair, will affect anyone’s health, and is especially harmful to those with respiratory problems and compromised immune systems.”

Check out the full article: Longer fire season heightens air quality-related health concerns