Wildfire Smoke

The recent Marshall Fire leveled some homes to the ground, leaving many others intact but uninhabitable due to smoke and ash. In some cases, the damage is so severe that moving back any time soon seems impossible.

After another historic wildfire season, scientists from across the region will gather virtually to discuss what to do about the health impacts of wildfire smoke.

New research is the first to use GPS-tracking data to look into the effects of wildfire smoke on bird migration. Its findings suggest that tagged geese changed their behavior to avoid smoky conditions.

Concerns about sending kids back to school have revolved around the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But as the wildfire season has become longer, smoke finding its way into the classroom is also a problem. The Mountain West News Bureau's Maggie Mullen reports on the battle to keep children safe.

Massive wildfires across the West have worsened the air in Colorado, contributing to roughly double the number of days residents are exposed to dangerous fine particulate matter known as PM 2.5 versus a decade ago. Researchers say the air can be hazardous even if you don't see or smell smoke.

Western wildfires pose a much broader threat to human health than to just those forced to evacuate the path of the blazes. Smoke from these fires, which have burned millions of acres in California alone, is choking vast swaths of the country, an analysis of federal satellite imagery by NPR’s California Newsroom and Stanford University’s Environmental Change and Human Outcomes Lab found.

A new report on wildfire risk uses demographic data to highlight counties around the West that may be especially vulnerable.

New research indicates newer homes and those constructed with central air conditioning may be better at keeping wildfire smoke out.

People often love the night sky in our region. There’s less light pollution and you can see more stars. That is, until wildfire season. The smoke from those fires filters starlight and sometimes blots it out completely. That could mean fewer stargazing tourists venture into our region to take in a nighttime view of the galaxy.

It found that average occupancy rates at campgrounds in the West dropped by 1.3 percentage points when smoke was bad — driving concerns about public health.