2018 Ferguson Fire in Mariposa County, California
Photo credit: USDA

Wildfire smoke in California is deadlier than car accidents; Smoke contributed to over 52,000 deaths between 2008 and 2018 in the state while car accidents kill about 4,000 people per year

Over 726,000 acres have burned across California this year – almost six times the average for this time of year

In years of heightened fire activity like 2017 and 2018, wildfire smoke contributed to 10,000 deaths in California each year

July 30, 2024 - WASHINGTON – Representative Josh Harder (CA-9) just introduced a new bill to add wildfire smoke to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) list of disaster events. Wildfire smoke in California kills more people every year than car accidents according to data from 2008 through 2018. During that period, more than 52,000 lives were cut short because of wildfire smoke – nearly 20% more deaths each year than car accidents. In years with high fire activity including 2017 and 2018, wildfire smoke contributed to more than 10,000 deaths each year.

The Keeping Our Families Safe from Wildfire Smoke Act would make federal resources for air purification equipment, masks, medical care, and other resources available if wildfire smoke creates a major health threat. This is especially important in the Central Valley, where the air quality is already very poor and wildfire smoke tends to accumulate and settle.

“The wildfire crisis keeps getting worse and all that dangerous smoke is making us sick,” said Rep. Harder. “If wildfire smoke creates a major hazard, it should be treated like any other natural disaster – FEMA should step in with air purification equipment, masks, and other resources.”

Rep. Harder has been working to address the wildfire crisis to prevent smoke emergencies altogether – in June, he introduced the Modernizing Wildfire Safety and Prevention Act to modernize how the US responds to the wildfire crisis. Last year, Harder introduced the Extreme Heat Emergency Act to add extreme heat to FEMA’s list of disaster qualifying events. This new bill continues Rep. Harder’s work to expand protections for families from extreme heat and wildfire smoke.

Full text of the Keeping Our Families Safe from Wildfire Smoke Act is available HERE. 
Source: Congressman Josh Harder