People in the U.S. are breathing in four times as much wildfire smoke on average than what they did in the past 14 years. That’s according to the independent research and reporting collaboration Climate Central. All of that smoke can affect the health of Indiana residents.
Wildfire smoke puts harmful particle pollution into the air. Exposure to it over time can lead to heart and lung problems.
If you already have those issues, even short-term exposure can be dangerous. Sarah Commodore is an assistant professor at the Indiana University School of Public Health.
“For example, it could cause somebody who's having breathing issues to have even more breathing difficulties, and then that could also lead to premature death,” she said.
A recent study estimated particle pollution from wildfire smoke was a contributing factor in at least 2,500 deaths in Indiana over the past 15 years.
Most of Indiana experienced an average of 40 to 60 days of wildfire smoke per year over the past decade and a half. And we’ll likely experience more in the future as wildfires become more frequent, larger and more intense.
Wildfire smoke is unhealthy for everyone — but particularly for children, pregnant people, those who are immunocompromised or have heart and lung conditions.
READ MORE: How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke.
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Commodore said children breathe in more air for their size than an adult does and — because their lungs are still developing — they can’t clear out those pollutants as well.
“So the impact is harder on them — and it actually affects how their lungs and the rest of their organs develop, and it makes them more susceptible to developing some of these diseases,” she said.
Commodore said if you know the air quality is poor or smell smoke outside, try to stay indoors as much as possible. She also suggests avoiding things that create indoor air pollution — like smoking, vacuuming or burning candles.
She said you can also consider setting up a "clean room" — an interior room with fewer doors or windows, like a closet — and run an air purifier. The air purifier should have a HEPA filter and not produce ozone.
Canada had its worst wildfire seasons on record in 2023 and 2025.
Data from Climate Central shows wildfire smoke is partly to blame for why air quality improvements in Indiana have stagnated. Wildfire smoke has actually reversed air quality gains in states along the West Coast.
There are several ways to check the air quality in your area, including the AirNow app and IDEM's Near-real Time Air Quality Maps and Data.
Rebecca is our energy and environment reporter. Contact her at rthiele@iu.edu or on Signal at IPBenvironment.01. Follow her on Twitter at @beckythiele.