SACRAMENTO, Calif. — When California legislators return to the state Capitol in three weeks, reducing wildfire smoke won’t be at the top of their to-do list. But a new report calls the pollution source a “growing concern.”
The Legislative Analyst’s Office, which advises lawmakers on fiscal and policy matters, suggested they consider more support for research, money to purchase air purifiers for people in need and stepped-up efforts to improve public awareness of smoky skies.
The report reiterated the negative health consequences of wildfire smoke, which carries small particles that can travel deep into lungs. That makes residents with respiratory conditions and pregnant women and their fetuses especially vulnerable to its effects.
It also noted that Californians with lower incomes are more likely to live in draftier homes, exposing them to greater amounts of smoke. They are also less likely to have money for supplies, like air filters, to protect themselves.
Many of the state’s most destructive fires have occurred in recent years. Hotter and drier conditions due to climate change are partly to blame, the report said. So are efforts to suppress naturally occurring fires over the past century. That left forests with more vegetation and smaller trees, which help increase the spread and intensity of flames.
Those factors are expected to lead to even more smoke. So will controlled burns, which are used to help manage vegetation and lessen wildfire risk. While the report acknowledged they also cause air pollution, it said the planned blazes were less harmful because of their limited size and intensity.
Either way, the report concludes, smoke-filled air will continue to be an inevitable part of life for people living across the state.
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