Wildfires Are Impacting Southeastern Massachusetts Air Quality

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says, "Earth's warming climate is amplifying wildland fire activity, particularly in northern and temperate forests." According to NASA scientists, "extreme wildfires have become more frequent, more intense, and larger."

"The largest increase in extreme fire behavior was in the temperate conifer forests of the Western U.S. and the boreal forests of Northern North America and Russia," says NASA.

So why should we care about those fires here on the SouthCoast of Massachusetts? The smoke associated with those fires is having a significant impact on the quality of the air that we breathe.

State House News Service (SHNS) says, "The newly-released annual report from the American Lung Association (ALA) found that 156 million people, or 46% of the U.S. population, are living in areas that received a failing grade for at least one measure of air pollution."

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The Boston-Worcester-Providence region (eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and southern New Hampshire) "remains the second-worst metro area in the Northeast for year-round air particle pollution levels," according to the ALA report.

Ozone and particle pollution are less of a problem in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, Middlesex and Worcester counties than in eastern Massachusetts counties. According to the ALA, Bristol and Norfolk counties have the state's worst air quality.

The ALA says increased air pollution can lead to more frequent asthma attacks among children, greater health risks for those who work outdoors, and lower birth rates for newborns. Older adults with COPD and other lung diseases are also likely to suffer more because of poor air quality.

The wildfires may seem a world away, but the effects are being felt close to home.