UCLA

Fires burning across the Amazon in the summer of 2019 attracted global attention for the widespread destruction of natural ecosystems and regional smoke production. Using a combination of satellite fire observations and atmospheric modeling, Nawaz and Henze (2020, https://doi.org.10.1029/2020GH000268) provide new evidence for the widespread regional public health consequences attributed to these fires. They find that approximately 10% of premature deaths in Brazil due to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) are attributable to smoke pollution and highlight how fire locations play a critical role in determining downwind health impacts.