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The original was posted on /r/collapse by /u/TuneGlum7903 on 2025-09-19 00:54:09+00:00.

Wildfire Smoke Will Kill Thousands More by 2050, Study Finds.

Pollution from fires, intensified by rising temperatures, is on track to become one of America’s deadliest climate disasters. — NYT 09/18/25

They say you should lead with something dramatic to capture a readers attention. This story does exactly that.

“If the planet continues to warm at its current rate, exposure to wildfire smoke will kill an estimated 70,000 Americans EACH YEAR (emphasis mine) by 2050, according to new research.”

Total US Deaths in Vietnam War over 8 YEAR period - 58,220

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 46,728 gun-related deaths in the United States in 2023, a SINGLE YEAR.

By 2050, wildfire smoke will be killing more people than guns in the US.

"Wildfire smoke, intensified by rising temperatures, is on track to become one of America’s deadliest climate disasters, causing as many as two million deaths over the next three decades, the analysis found. Published Thursday in the journal Nature, it is the most robust estimate yet of how deadly wildfire smoke could become as the planet warms."

(Wildfire smoke exposure and mortality burden in the US under climate change. Nature Sept 18, 2025)

“The researchers used roughly two decades of death records and satellite and ground data on wildfire smoke pollution to measure how exposure affects mortality.”

“It’s “basically a toxic soup of chemicals,” said Francesca Dominici, a professor of biostatistics at the Harvard School of Public Health. Long term heath effects from exposure can include heart problems and respiratory issues.”

The study found over half the nationwide smoke mortalities would occur in Eastern states, where population density tends to be higher.