A new study has found that wildfires cause more than 41,000 deaths in the United States each year.
Researchers warn that by 2050, wildfires could become the deadliest climate-related threat to Americans, claiming tens of thousands more lives each year.
Furthermore, by mid-century, smoke-related deaths are expected to increase by 26,500 to 30,000 annually, more than extreme heat, crop losses or rising energy costs, according to the study published on September 8.
“Wildfire smoke poses a much greater health risk than we previously thought,” study author Marshall Burke, a professor of environmental social sciences at Stanford University, said in a news release published by NBC News.
The study combined data from satellite smoke tracking and climate models to estimate deaths. The results suggest that wildfire smoke is undoing decades of clean air progress from the Clean Air Act, especially in places like Western states and New York.
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