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Why are wildfires so dangerous for our health?

Wildfires are more intense and widespread this summer, and send smoke across huge areas. The fires are a major source of air pollution, and the effects on the body can be felt as soon as the fires break out. The smoke comprises different gases and particles of different sizes. Small smoke particles can get deep into the lungs and even the bloodstream, and be found throughout the body.

Colleen Reid, environmental scientist at the University of Colorado, and Danika, who was caught up in the wildfires in Boulder, Colorado, in the US in 2020, explain the impact of the fires.

Photo: A man watches a wildfire burning near ancient Olympia, Greece, August 2021 Credit: Reuters

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2 minutes