The Lancet, 14-20 December 2024

Global, regional, and national mortality burden attributable to air pollution from landscape fires: a health impact assessment study

Landscape fires include fires in any natural and cultural landscapes (eg, forest, shrub, grass, pastures, agricultural lands, and peri-urban areas), including both wildfires (uncontrolled or unplanned fires in wildland vegetation) and human-planned fires (eg, prescribed burns or agricultural fires). Landscape fires pose an increasing threat to both the environment and public health, intensified by climate change.

The flames and heat from landscape fires can kill people near the fire areas, with 221 direct deaths reported globally in 2018. However, the health risks from landscape fires are much greater, as landscape fire-sourced (LFS) air pollution (particularly fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2·5 μm or less [PM2·5] and ozone [O3]) often travels hundreds and even thousands of kilometres away from the source and affects much larger populations than the flames and heat do. At least 90% of global landscape fire emissions of PM2·5 were likely contributed by wildfires, and this proportion could increase with climate change.