As wildfires grip France and Spain, what are the risks from the smoke?
Authorities warn smoke from the blazes can travel thousands of kilometres and expose millions to fine particles and other pollutants.
- On Sunday, wildfires across France and Spain forced more than 300,000 people to flee homes and holiday accommodations, triggering one of the largest peacetime civilian evacuations in French history.
- Fires generate dangerous gas and particles that pose serious health risks, with fine particulates penetrating deeply into lungs, according to Anses, France's health safety agency.
- French pulmonologist Bruno Crestani, head of the Respiratory Health Foundation, warned that "vulnerable persons" including infants and asthmatics face heightened risks as smoke particles can enter the circulatory system and trigger heart attacks.
- To protect the population in the Gironde region, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu promised 1.5 million FFP2 masks, though Anses notes such masks provide "not 100-percent protection" but remain useful.
- Data suggests wildfire smoke caused an estimated 154,000 deaths worldwide last year according to The Lancet, while Oxfam estimated 2,800 early deaths yearly in France from wildfire-related air pollution.
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For a week, huge plumes of smoke have been rising in the skies of the Landes and Gironde, causing concern for the inhabitants of the region. After the smokes come fine particles, which can be irritating for fragile people and aggravate respiratory diseases. Headache, irritated throat... There are many health risks. Health authorities monitor the quality of the air at all times. No trace of carbon monoxide has yet been detected. (Health and well-…
The forest fires in France and parts of southern Europe create unimaginable amounts of toxic smoke. Those who are particularly at risk and what helps in case of doubt against the toxic smoke clouds.
What health risks represent the smoke generated by forest fires? Who are the most at risk? Should masks be used? A review of the health issues raised by the major fires taking place this summer in France and more widely in Europe.
300,000 people had to be evacuated in France and Spain because of the major forest fires that are raging in several regions. The fires have already ravaged more than 100,000 hectares between the two countries.
The fire in southwestern France is raging unabated and the gray smoke is like a thick blanket. “It's impossible to breathe,” says Rabia Fontelas.
The Local - Fr
As wildfires grip France and Spain, what are the health risks from smoke?
What dangers does smoke from wildfires pose? Who is most at risk? Here are some answers to health questions often asked, especially now with large wildfires raging in France and Spain.
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