Wildfire smoke poses a health risk to everyone, but certain individuals are more susceptible to illness.
Wildfires in Canada caused severe air quality issues in Detroit in 2023, impacting residents with preexisting health conditions and vulnerable populations – and may have killed more than 100 people in Michigan alone. And the summer of 2025 is off to a rough start.
Who’s most affected by wildfire smoke?
- People with chronic conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Those who are pregnant.
- Children.
- Wildfire first responders.
Wildfire smoke health impacts
- Coughing, trouble breathing, wheezing.
- Asthma attacks.
- Stinging eyes, scratchy throat, runny nose.
- Headaches.
- Tiredness.
- Chest pain, fast heartbeat.
What to do when the air is smoky
- Choose a room you can close off from outside air, according to guidance from the CDC.
- Set up a portable air cleaner or a filter to keep the air in this room cleaner even when it’s smoky outdoors or in the rest of your home.
- Avoid burning anything indoors, including candles, gas, propane, incense, wood, or cigarettes.
- If you have a central air conditioning system, use high efficiency filters (MERV 13 or higher if your system can use it) to help clean the air. If your system has a fresh air intake, set the system to recirculate mode or close the outdoor intake damper.
- If you have to go outside, wear a respirator. Reduce your smoke exposure by wearing a NIOSH approved respirator. A respirator is a face covering that fits tightly to your face to filter out smoke before you breathe it in.
- Keep track of fires near you. Listen to the Emergency Alert System and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio for emergency alerts.
- Monitor fires in your area using mapping tools, like AirNow’s Fire and Smoke Map and NOAA’s fire weather outlook.
Isabelle Tavares is a Community Reporter with Report for America. She covers environmental and public health impacts in Southwest Detroit for Planet Detroit. Working in text, film and audio, she is a Dominican-American storyteller who is concerned with identity, generational time, and ecology.
