TASS2 hours agoEnvironment1 min readRussia

Wildfire smoke linked to nearly 100,000 additional annual deaths, WMO reports

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The World Meteorological Organization reports that wildfire smoke caused nearly 100,000 additional deaths per year between 2010 and 2018, with extreme fire-smoke events tripling since the 1990s.
WMO warns that standard risk models underestimate mortality by up to 93% due to unaccounted smoke toxicity, and rising pollution from wildfires and heatwaves threatens global air quality efforts.

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Why It Matters

The World Meteorological Organization issued a bulletin highlighting the growing health threat of wildfire smoke, noting that extreme fire-smoke events have tripled globally since the 1990s and contributed to nearly 100,000 additional annual deaths between 2010 and 2018.

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GENEVA, September 8. /TASS/. Wildfire smoke caused nearly 100,000 additional deaths annually between 2010 and 2018, according to a bulletin from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The agency reports that extreme wildfires are becoming more frequent, with serious health consequences due to the toxicity of smoke. The bulletin’s authors note that "extreme fire-smoke events have tripled globally since the 1990s," contributing to an estimated "nearly 100,000 additional deaths per year between 2010-2018." They caution that the actual figures could be higher.

According to WMO experts, standard risk assessment models fail to account adequately for smoke toxicity and may underestimate the associated mortality by up to 93%. The organization also warns that rising pollution from wildfires and heatwaves could undermine international efforts to improve air quality.

In 2025, concentrations of fine particulate matter known as PM2.5, which poses a health hazard, exceeded average levels in northern Canada, parts of Russia, and West and Central Africa. WMO experts attribute this to increased fire activity. Northwestern Spain was another pollution hotspot last year.

Open Questions

What specific policy recommendations does the WMO propose to address wildfire smoke mortality?
How are different regions being affected by long-term exposure to wildfire smoke beyond mortality estimates?
What improvements to risk assessment models are being developed to better account for smoke toxicity?