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Landscape fire smoke accounted for 1.9% of deaths and $994.5 billion in losses

Across 1366 communities in ten countries and territories over 2000-19, smoke from landscape fires was estimated to account for 906,869 deaths and $994.5 billion in mortality-related economic losses.

Daily death records from 1366 communities in ten countries and territories over 2000-19 were compared with modelled fine particles from landscape fires. Each 1 ug/m3 rise in the two-day average was associated with a 0.60% increase in mortality. Fire smoke accounted for 906,869 deaths and $994.5 billion in mortality-related economic losses.

Why it is interesting: Standard methods put the death toll from fire smoke a median 56% below the estimate here.

Source
The Lancet Planetary Health, 16 September 2026
Paper
Premature mortality and economic losses attributable to landscape fire-related PM<sub>2·5</sub> in ten countries and territories: a causal analysis
Authors
Ju K, Xu R, Huang W, Yang Z, Ye T, Yu W et al.
DOI
10.1016/j.lanplh.2026.101506
Type
Peer-reviewed article
Design
Multi-country time-series with instrumental-variable estimation, 1366 communities in ten countries and territories, 47.8 million deaths, 2000-19
Verdict
Refines prior evidence
Driver
A changing climate
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