Wildfire smoke is hurting your health

With Edmonton setting a record for smoke hours this summer and with more wildfire smoke expected this month. Doctors say the smoke is ruining more than just summer, it could cause big health complications down the road.

“There’s an increase risk of getting a viral infection — a respiratory virus — and the severity of the viruses people catch,” explained Dr. Anne Hicks, Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta.

Dr. Hicks says that was the case even before the pandemic — but is now happening at a time when children are returning to school and illnesses usually see a spike.

This was the worst summer in Edmonton history for wildfire smoke. If we see more summer like 2023, medical leaders say people will have to treat it just as seriously as the pandemic and that could include wearing masks when the air quality is at or higher or staying indoors.

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“It’s easy to get desensitized and say ‘Well you know what, I’m just going to live with it and go outside.’ but every time you do you breathe in – you breathe in molecules of air pollution and cause lung damage,” said Hicks.

Wildfires and smoke don’t just cause immediate breathing issues. While Edmonton has seen its share of rain this summer, allergy doctors say fighting wildfires could be partly responsible for the increase in mold — causing allergies to flare up.

“There’s more water around as we try to stop the fires from advancing and then what falls from the trees might allow more molds to grow in the area,” explained Dr. Harissios Vliagoftis, a professor with the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta.