More than 1100 wildfires burned in the US during the month of September, according to the Fire, Weather, and Avalanche Center¹ — a situation that, according to research, causes more people with asthma, other respiratory issues, and heart conditions to show up at doctors’ offices, emergency departments, and hospitals. The particulate matter generated by wildfires is especially hazardous for children, particularly infants and young children with asthma.

With climate change likely to increase wildfire activity and the health issues that result, there is a real and growing need for clinicians to educate at-risk patients, according to Jennifer Stowell, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the department of environmental health at the Boston University School of Public Health and co-author of a recent study on the health effects of wildfires.² “For clinicians, education of patients is paramount, especially for those with already compromised health,” said Dr Stowell.

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