A Growing Climate Threat Is Putting Californians’ Health at Risk
Hospitalizations across the state are higher on days when extreme heat and wildfire smoke coincide, according to a new study.
A helicopter flies over a fire near a home on Pinecrest Drive during the Oak Fire in Mariposa County, California, on July 23, 2022.
Photographer: David Odisho/BloombergCalifornians exposed to both extreme heat and wildfire smoke on the same day run a greater risk of hospitalization for cardiorespiratory illness than from either threat alone, according to a new study.
High temperatures can trigger heart attacks and strokes, while particulate matter in wildfire smoke is linked to cancer and lung disease. Low-income communities of color are particularly vulnerable to this double-barreled threat driven by climate change, according to the paper published Friday in the journal Science Advances.