Breathing fire

This year wildfires have rarely been out of the press. Since June, headlines charted fires in Canada and US Pacific northwest, Siberia, California, countries around Mediterranean, including Greece, Turkey, France, Italy. At time writing, many these continue to burn, with Australian bushfire season still come, more such might be expected. The increasing frequency severity over past 40 years has driven largely by growing fire weather—the combination hot, dry, windy conditions—which, recently published IPCC Working Group I Sixth Assessment Report, was characterised as likely due human influences set become common climate continues heat. issue Lancet Planetary Health includes a collection four Articles exploring health impacts landscape fires, term encompassing deliberately (eg, for land management) well those that are not controlled. While themselves cause widespread damage threaten lives people fighting fleeing them, it is particulate matter smoke they produce presents greatest public risk, this focus collection. Gongbo Chen co-authors give global overview fires’ impact investigating deaths attributable acute effects fire-related PM2·5 43 countries. Looking at exposures, find increases nearly 2% cardiovascular, respiratory, all-cause mortality per 10 μg/m3 PM2·5. larger than conventional PM2·5, which suggest could greater toxicity or synergistic from wildfire combining other sources ambient air pollution. Focusing on one most affected wildfires, Tingting Le look short-term exposure emergency hospital admissions Brazil. Accounting background emissions, identify significant associations between smoke-related respiratory cardiovascular causes admissions, vulnerability among youngest oldest members population. Despite highest exposures burden occurring states closest Amazon, number cases actually highly populated southeast, highlighting role long-range atmospheric transport spreading risk across country. increased children young fire-sourced poses particular challenge low- middle-income countries, where world's occur. Tao Xue describe how affects vulnerable group using sibling-matched case control study. They detect child size fires. Between 2000 2014, were Nigeria, Democratic Republic Congo, India, Uganda, Indonesia—countries make international headlines. Wildfires seem like an inevitability, but there ways prepare them reduce cause, creation firebreaks being main tools. easily achieved through controlled also known prescribed burns. However, without their hazards. Nicolas Borchers-Arriagada present assessment New South Wales, Australia, comparing costs far, report, burns substantial, hectare higher, closer proximity population centres. These results emphasise need include all when weighing up benefits different measures. papers illustrate some challenges associated produce, can travel long distances, who particularly effects. With intensity grow, measures will only important, too rigorous evaluation. Rapidly deeply cutting emissions crucial minimising future, increasingly severe already us, adapting minimise risks related injustices parallel challenge.