Juan Ochoa was enjoying a hot summer day, relaxing on the banks of the Azul River with his partner and their child, when things started to go very awry before their eyes.
“We saw a column of smoke to the west that, within minutes, turned into a massive plume,” he recalls.
Ochoa, the coordinator of environmental education and restoration at GLFx Bosques de Patagonia, immediately rushed home with his family.
On the way, they learned from passersby that a wildfire had started in the nearby forest, on the outskirts of El Bolsón in Argentine Patagonia.
This was one of multiple fires that have broken out across Patagonia this summer due to high temperatures and strong winds.
Unusual weather conditions have led to devastating wildfires across the globe, including California, Japan and South Africa.
These fires are becoming more intense, too: the most extreme wildfires are now more than twice as likely to occur as they were two decades ago.
And these wildfires aren’t just extremely dangerous when they’re burning. They also remain hazardous for survivors, even long after the flames have died down.
When the air is thick with smoke, you’ll feel the effects immediately. You might start coughing and feeling irritation in your throat and eyes, or you might even experience chest pain, dizziness and trouble breathing.
But what’s less obvious is that breathing in wildfire smoke can also have many long-term health impacts. For instance, it can damage the functioning of the lungs and heart, as well as worsen asthma and other respiratory conditions.
Air pollution from wildfires has been linked to higher risks of chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, dementia and cancer. It has also been found to trigger inflammation in the body, induce oxidative stress, and hamper the immune system.
It can be difficult to pinpoint the culprit behind chronic diseases because they can arise from multiple factors throughout a person’s lifetime. However, one study estimates that each day of smoke exposure reduces life expectancy by roughly a week.
In 2015, Indonesia suffered its worst wildfires in 20 years. Much of the country was blanketed in a thick haze that spread to neighboring Malaysia and Singapore. A study later found that more than 100,000 people died prematurely as a result.
Some groups of people are especially vulnerable. Children, for instance, breath more quickly than adults, meaning they take in more toxic particles carried by the air when their brains and other organs are still developing.
Similarly, if you’re pregnant, you’re at greater risk of giving birth prematurely and suffering from conditions like preeclampsia or gestational hypertension.
Elderly individuals are also particularly vulnerable, according to David Abramson, a clinical professor of social and behavioral science at New York University.
“They’re not as mobile; they’re less likely to be able to get out of harm’s way sometimes,” he explains. “They already have a lifetime of potential comorbidities, other illnesses, physical ailments, maybe even some disabilities.”
Back in Argentina, Ochoa and his family arrived home to scenes of utter chaos.
“The smoke was growing thicker, and explosions were ringing out every minute from gas cylinders bursting in our neighbors’ homes,” he recounts.
With the flames approaching, it became clear that they had to evacuate. Ochoa dashed inside, grabbed a few important documents, disconnected the gas cylinders and fled.
They were among the lucky ones. “I met friends who weren’t allowed to return home for safety reasons, and people searching for their friends and family since the power and phone service were down. There was confusion everywhere.”
The family ended up sheltering at Ochoa’s office.
“A friend brought us a mattress, and that night, my family, friends and a rescued cat spent the most uncertain and heartbreaking night I can remember,” he says.
“Conversations among friends online revolved around whose house had burned down, whose hadn’t – at least for the time being – and whether anyone had news about certain people.”
Wildfires can leave a litany of mental health impacts: the trauma of witnessing the fire, grief for those who perished, and anguish over whether loved ones and possessions are safe. The smoke itself has been linked to anxiety, depression and poor sleep.
Ochoa describes “seeing once-green landscapes reduced to scorched trees, bare soil and ashes in the air – a scene straight out of apocalyptic science fiction.”
“The trauma left behind is complex,” he says. “Fear of fire, guilt among those who feel they could have defended their land and homes had they not evacuated, and the mystery of why some areas burned while others remained untouched.”
When people lose their homes and become displaced, they face the enormous stress of having to rebuild lives from scratch, as homes are often the most valuable assets we will ever own.
Yet, as Abramson explains, wildfires can impact other types of ‘capital,’ too – social networks, agency and self-identity tied to life before the fire.
“The energy that went into building one’s life is considerable,” he explains, “and now you have to expend that energy all over again with essentially no preparation.”
Some who are displaced may also experience ‘solastalgia’ – nostalgia for a place that is now inaccessible or permanently changed. This may lead to a feeling of having lost a part of oneself or a connection to that place.
Nearly anything that burns releases particles into the smoke it produces.
Breathing in any smoke is dangerous. But in wildfires, trees are not the only things that burn.
Buildings, furniture, electronics, cleaning agents, cars – you name it: these human-made items release fumes laden with heavy metals and volatile organic compounds, which are found in thousands of products used in daily life.
A particularly dangerous type of air pollution is known as PM2.5, which refers to all particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter. This means it’s tiny enough to penetrate deep into the lungs, bloodstream and even the brain.
According to a 2024 study, 1.5 million people around the world die from air pollution caused by landscape fires (which includes wildfires) each year. Over 90 percent of these deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries.
After a wildfire is extinguished, the smoke can linger in the air for weeks or even months, and particles can be carried thousands of kilometers downwind.
But distance doesn’t necessarily reduce its toxicity. Researchers have found that particulate matter can undergo changes over time in the atmosphere that may make them more damaging to health.
If your home or possessions have been burned, do not clean up hazardous debris on your own – you could be putting your health at risk. Always check with local authorities or fire remediation companies to see if they can offer this service instead.
Even if your home wasn’t in the burn zone, it may still be due a cleanup if it’s been exposed to ash and smoke.
Experts suggest wearing a mask – ideally an N95 or FFP2 mask, like those commonly worn during the pandemic – and clothes that protect your skin and eyes: long-sleeved shirts, long pants, gloves and safety goggles.
Any ash should be agitated as little as possible when swept and mopped. It should then be bagged before being placed into general waste to prevent it from being blown away.
Clean up any dust using a vacuum cleaner that’s air-sealed and containing a HEPA filter – an air filter that can remove almost all particles as tiny as 0.3 microns. You can also use an air purifier with a HEPA filter, along with an indoor air quality monitor to check for any remaining PM2.5 or airborne gases.
You might also consider throwing away food items that may have been exposed to smoke, as well as batteries, electronics, paint and cleaning products.
In the face of the fire, Ochoa saw his community come together to support one another.
Volunteers joined firefighters in combating the fires with improvised firefighting equipment, while hundreds worked to cook and deliver food to them. Businesses, community centers and universities organized fundraisers to provide those affected with essential goods.
The fires burned for 12 days, often flaring up violently due to wind and spreading to several neighboring areas.
“Our days were spent evacuating with my family, working endlessly on different things or assisting with community-led relief efforts,” says Ochoa.
This is unlikely to be the last wildfire the region will face, and Ochoa believes Patagonian communities have much to learn and prepare for future disasters.
“I believe that organizing community spaces that train us to prevent the spread of fire can strengthen the community and prevent negative health impacts – both physical and mental,” he says.
Equally important is training local residents to respond to fires, including administering first aid, and ensuring that homes are properly equipped with first aid kits, masks and gloves.
“It is also essential to educate ourselves about how we can obtain and share information during these emergencies, as this can help prevent the spread of fake news,” Ochoa adds.
Abramson says communities should try to reground themselves in leading the lives that they had before the fire by rebuilding social institutions such as schools, which can free up parents to focus on recovery.
Local people should also be given a say in how their neighborhoods are rebuilt to foster solidarity and allow them to build political capital by operating collectively.
That solidarity may be more needed than ever, as the devastation wrought by wildfires will only grow as the climate crisis deepens – and these fires in turn release vast amounts of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
“We’re going to be confronting these kinds of events with greater and greater regularity,” says Abramson. “We’ll have to think about how we manage them.”
Finally…
…thank you for reading this story. Our mission is to make them freely accessible to everyone, no matter where they are.
We believe that lasting and impactful change starts with changing the way people think. That’s why we amplify the diverse voices the world needs to hear – from local restoration leaders to Indigenous communities and women who lead the way.
By supporting us, not only are you supporting the world’s largest knowledge-led platform devoted to sustainable and inclusive landscapes, but you’re also becoming a vital part of a global movement that’s working tirelessly to create a healthier world for us all.
Every donation counts – no matter the amount. Thank you for being a part of our mission.
