Wildfire Smoke

Wildfire smoke has caused increasingly poor air quality in the Treasure Valley, posing health risks to everyone and making it important to take precautions.

As local air quality readings remain in the unhealthy to hazardous range, what are the impacts of wildfire smoke on people’s health?

A conversation with Josh Smith, meteorologist at the Boise National Weather Service office.

It’s something Idaho and the Pacific Northwest deal with every year, but wildfire smoke from Canada is inundating the Midwest and northeastern parts of the United States.

Wildfire season is in full swing, and smoke from Central Oregon and Washington fires is funneling into Western Idaho, filling the air across the Treasure Valley.

The tiny, toxic particles in smoke can enter our homes through cracks, doorways, and HVAC systems. From HEPA filters to "clean rooms," here's how to stay safe when you're inside.

As Idahoans endure weeks of wildfire smoke each summer, a neurologist is warning that what we breathe doesn't just irritate our lungs — it may be harming our brains as well.

Wildfire smoke is associated with a growing list of health impacts. New research now ties it to reproductive harm in bulls – a finding with implications for humans.

Using new data, a team of scientists has assembled one of the first comprehensive analyses of emissions from homes burned in wildfires. What they found is that such pollution is serious, and in some cases can exceed emissions from all other human sources.

As Idahoans endure weeks of wildfire smoke each summer, a neurologist is warning that what we breathe doesn't just irritate our lungs — it may be harming our brains as well.