Who is most at risk from wildfire smoke?

Wildfire smoke reaches everyone, but it doesn't hit everyone the same. The people most at risk are those whose heart and lungs are already under strain. In someone with asthma or COPD (a serious long-term lung disease), smoke can set off severe breathing trouble that ends in the emergency room, and it can be fatal.¹ In someone with heart disease, or a related condition like diabetes or obesity, it can trigger a heart attack or stroke.¹

Age matters at both ends. Children up to 18 are more vulnerable because their lungs are still growing, they breathe more air for their body size, and they're more likely to have asthma.¹ Adults 65 and older are at higher risk too, because they more often already have chronic heart and lung disease.¹

The list also takes in pregnant people, outdoor workers, and people with fewer resources or in some minority groups, who often breathe more smoke with less access to care.¹

So know who these people are. If you or someone in your home is one of them, treat a smoky day differently: watch the air quality closely and get to cleaner indoor air early. When smoke rolls in, they are the ones to check on first.