[Wildfires and their respiratory impact]

Abstract

Introduction: Largely due to climate change, wildland fires are currently increasing in extent and frequency. While particles from fire smoke exhibit higher toxicity, those identified in wildland urban interface (WUI) areas, which are exacerbated by household and vehicle emissions, are even more toxic.

State of the art: This review article is based on English-language papers published by peer-reviewed journals. Since a previous review article was published in 2018, only papers since 2017 have been selected. The respiratory impacts of wildfires in the general population include irritative symptoms, exacerbation of chronic respiratory diseases (asthma, rhino-sinusitis, COPD…) and excess short and probably long-term mortality. Among firefighters, the short-term impact of wildfires on respiratory function has yet to be clearly established. Asthma prevalence, asthma exacerbation rates and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) occurrence seem to be higher than in other occupational groups. That said, the different studies have not highlighted excess mortality. As regards cancer, while mesothelioma incidence has clearly increased, lung cancer incidence generally has not.

Perspectives: Two areas require clarification: first, short-term respiratory impact according to the characteristics of inhaled smoke; the long-term impact of exposure to particles from fire smoke.

Conclusion: Forest fires have become increasingly worrisome, in terms of both their negative health impact and their detrimental contribution to climate change.

Keywords: Climate change; Dérèglement climatique; Environment; Environnement; Feux de forêt; Fire smoke; Fumées d’incendie; Incendies; Respiratory impact; Wildland fire.