Last year's wildfire smoke killed 169 people in Michigan, new study estimates

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Approximately 169 people died last year from smoke-related illnesses in Michigan, a new study on 2023 mortality during wildfire season estimates. 

Last year's summer in metro Detroit and around Michigan was marked by hazy skies and thick smoke from wildfires in Canada. At times, Detroit's air quality was the worst in the world due to severe smoke.

The impact from the smoke was outlined in a new interactive map that reveals Southeast Michigan was among the worst-hit in the country. 

With wildfires growing in recent years, researchers are increasingly focused on the subsequent smoke and its threat to the public. Their studies show it's not the fire that defines the emergency, but the smoke.

In addition to spreading further than fire, the smoke may have more than just carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. 

"The really concerning thing about wildfire smoke, is that wildfires are not always just burning trees, they're often burning through a community. They're burning the vinyl siding on houses. They're burning computers. They're burning household chemicals," said Alistar Hayden, an assistant professor in Cornell University's Department of Public & Ecosystem Health.

The study and interactive map was released through Cornell's public health school.

It can take time to fully assess the damage that smoke has caused, Hayden says. Because of the delay, Hayden and a team of researchers developed a new online tool to better visualize where wildfire smoke is the worst in the U.S. 

"The public health risk is greater than people think. And that's part of the picture that we're trying to paint here," Hayden said.

According to the study, the smoke from wildfires can be 10–100 times more deadly than the actual fire. 

The items burned in a fire can create incredibly fine particulate matter known as PM 2.5. PM 2.5 is a dangerous pollutant directly correlated with the rise in wildfire hospitalizations and deaths.

Smoke is of particular concern in Detroit where asthma rates and other respiratory issues are higher than average.

"These particles get into the lower airways, and that's when they start to cause damage and inflammation," said Dr. Erica Ridley, a senior staff allergist at Henry Ford Health. "So not only do you get that particulate matter, but you also get other noxious gases, like carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and those can really exacerbate not only asthma, but also other lung conditions.

That includes heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Ridley has noticed that her patients with asthma are struggling the most. She says they experience more episodes of coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath to the point of hospitalization in extreme cases. Sometimes, the most extreme symptoms from smoke inhalation can't be fixed with medication.

Hayden's team used formulas from existing studies and independent research to reach their mortality estimate. These predictions are important for recognizing emergencies and preparing for evacuations, he says.

According to the lab's estimate, only 25 people died from smoke-related illness between 2019-2022. 

There are existing maps that report air quality and active wildfires in real time, resources Hayden says everyone should utilize, but they are limited. Most in-depth studies take months and even years, time residents don't have.

"The goal really is to help communities understand what's going on. Because as an emergency manager, I know what we need is good information to make decisions," said Hayden, "And there wasn't that much good data on wildfire smoke. We didn't have a great picture of what all the health impacts were, even retrospective, let alone in enough time to make a decision."

For more information visit Public & Ecosystem Health | Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.