Publication: Time

UCLA Expert: Olivia Sanderfoot: Postdoctoral Fellow, UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

Synopsis: Officials in New York City, where air quality is particularly bad, have even enacted a “work suspension” for carriage horses, citing unsafe conditions. That raises an important point: wildfires pose risks to wildlife as well as humans — and animals often don’t have the luxury of staying indoors. 

UCLA News: “Animals, just like us, need to breathe,” Sanderfoot said. “If the air that they’re breathing is full of toxic particles, that is going to have an impact on their health.” Just as with humans, animals may experience respiratory distress, inflammation, and poor immune function in smoky conditions. Many plant and animal species have, however, adapted to survive and even thrive in wildfire conditions. Fires can spark new plant growth by burning up debris, improving soil fertility, and allowing certain types of seeds to germinate, for example. “Fires are not inherently a bad thing. Wildfires are a natural disturbance.” The difference is that now, largely due to human behavior and climate change, wildfires are growing more intense and causing more extreme and far-flung ripple effects.

Read more at Time.