New research reveals that smoke from wildfires poses a greater health risk than previously assumed, with death tolls from PM2.5 underestimated by 93%. Between 2004 and 2022, an average of 535 people in Europe died each year due to toxic particles from wildfires, contrary to earlier estimates of just 38. The level of PM2.5 generated in 2025 has already exceeded records, exceeding the average pollution levels seen in previous decades. Dirty air from wildfires is a major health threat, contributing significantly to global air pollution-related deaths.
Choking smoke spewed by wildfires is far more dangerous than previously thought, with death tolls from short-term exposure to PM2.5 underestimated by 93%.
Researchers found that 535 people in Europe died on average each year from breathing in PM2.5 released during wildfires, significantly higher than previous estimates.
New data from EU fire monitors show that wildfires have burned 895,000 hectares in 2025, pumping out more than double the usual amount of PM2.5.
Dirty air is one of the biggest threats to human health, and wildfires significantly contribute to the vast global death toll attributed to air pollution.
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