Wildfire Smoke, Heat, and Skin Health: Insights from Experts

In 2023, there were over 56,000 wildfires in the United States, which burned over 2.6 million acres. While we may be familiar with the environmental and structural effects of wildfires, the health impacts of climate change are wide-ranging. From extreme heat to massive wildfires resulting in long range plumes of wildfire smoke, what are the acute and chronic health issues we may experience? How does heat play a role in the worsening of wildfires? And how do these exposures impact the largest organ in our body: our skin? We spoke with Daniel Swain, PhD, a climate scientist at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA, about the causes of wildfires and the role extreme heat plays. We then sat down with Shadi Kourosh, MD, MPH, dermatologist and Associate Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School, about important measures for protecting our skin’s health in the face of wildfires.