(Photo courtesy of Anadolu)
TRENTON, Canada — Deaths associated with wildfire smoke in Canada have increased sharply over the past two decades, with a new report estimating an average of 4,000 deaths annually between 2022 and 2025.
The report, published Tuesday in the medical journal The Lancet, found that the estimated annual death toll was nearly four times the 1,050 deaths recorded on average between 2003 and 2012.
The figures represent an increase of approximately 281 percent, highlighting the growing public health risks associated with wildfire smoke as climate change contributes to more severe fire seasons.
Ian Hamilton, a co-author of the report and a planetary health researcher at Imperial College London, said the findings reflect an increase in deaths associated with periods of wildfire smoke exposure, although individual deaths cannot always be directly attributed to smoke.
“For any individual, it might not be that [wildfire smoke] was the trigger,” he said. “But on average across the population, we’re seeing more death associated with those periods,” Hamilton told CBC News.
Health experts also warned that extreme heat can compound the risks posed by wildfire smoke, particularly during strenuous outdoor activities.
Dr. Courtney Howard, chair of the Global Climate and Health Alliance, said young people and athletes may be especially vulnerable when they continue intense physical activity despite dangerously high temperatures.
“Young people are almost so strong, especially athletes, that they push through heat and heat related exhaustion,” Howard said.
“And unfortunately that can actually lead to mortality.”
The report also examined the role of climate change in worsening extreme heat, linking approximately 80 percent of the hot days analyzed to the influence of fossil fuel-related climate change.
Researchers warned that continued greenhouse gas emissions could intensify heat-related health risks and contribute to worsening wildfire conditions in the coming years.
Howard emphasized the need to reduce emissions to prevent further deterioration of public health conditions.
“We need to know that this is going to keep getting worse year on year and year, unless we decrease greenhouse gas emissions,” she said.
The findings underscore growing concerns about the combined effects of wildfire smoke, extreme heat and climate change on public health in Canada.
