Where There’s Fire, There’s Smoke, and That’s The Bigger Problem

In Southern California we talk a lot of about wildfires, but the resulting smoke doesn’t just come from wildlands. It can also come from an urban conflagration: A large, uncontrollable fire that spreads rapidly through a densely populated area, fueled by man-made structures.  

Such was the case with the June 17th warehouse fire in Boyle Heights. While most of the fire was contained to the Lineage warehouse where it started, the fire created an environmental crisis that sent incredibly high levels of smoke and soot into the air, posting higher pollution levels than some of the worst days of the Palisades and Eaton Fires in 2025.  And when the fire was out, the rotting food created horrible smells and attracted vermin to the site.    

Recognizing the scope of the disaster early on, Breathe Southern California jumped in to help the communities suffering from poor air quality due to the smoke. We distributed over 4,600 air purifiers and 2,000 KN-95 masks to families living in the area. These included many families whose children have asthma, seniors have COPD, and others have vulnerable immune systems. We will continue to support the community in the months ahead.  

For even if a fire doesn’t burn many buildings or affect a large area, the smoke can harm many more people as it travels to other communities, and the air pollution is a threat to public health.  

The smoke from major fires – wildfires or otherwise - has been a growing problem across the continent. In July, smoke from Canadian wildfires spread unhealthy air across the Northern U.S. to the East Coast creating air quality emergencies in many major cities and towns. And elsewhere, there have been major wildfires this year in Oklahoma, Kansas, Oregon, Washington State, Texas, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, and Nebraska. 

Many of these fires are either caused or exacerbated by climate change and the warmer conditions that lead to extreme dryness in forests and urban landscaping. Dry fuel burns faster, intensifying the fires and leading to larger and more damaging blazes. 

With continued dry conditions, we could see a repeat of 2025.  In order to mitigate and prevent a public health crisis, communities across Southern California need to be prepared for major fires, and not just the threat of the flames but also the threat posed by the smoke.  

Wildfire smoke pollution is considered the most toxic form of air pollution. The small particles that make up the smoke don’t just contain ash from burned trees, they also contain particles from burning all the man-made products in our lives:  buildings, car parts, electric car batteries, plastics, concrete, home insulation, etc.  And long-term exposure can not only lead to respiratory and cardiovascular disease, they can also cause cancer. 

State data shows that from 2008 to 2018, approximately 200 deaths were directly related to the flames from wildfires. But in 2024, a study from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health revealed that over the same 11-year period, inhaling wildfire smoke led to between 52,500 and 55,700 deaths in California. A study from 2025 published in the journal Nature, estimated that with wildfires becoming more frequent, deaths from inhaling wildfire smoke could kill 70,000 Americans each year by 2050. 

Breathe SoCal sponsored a state law in 2021 that directed the state Department of Public Health to issue guidance so that the state’s 58 counties can create local plans on how to prepare for, and react to, major smoke events. Unfortunately, theseguidelines aren’t expected until 2027. As a result, most counties haven’t started creating their plans. But even without recommendations from the state, nothing prevents counties from developing their plans. Counties need to get ahead of the curve because there will be more wildfires to come.  

We are grateful for all of the donors who contributed funds to help us provide the residents of Boyle Heights and neighboring communities with air purifiers, PPEs, lung screenings, and support. We are committed to using our expertise and resources to serve not just that community, but all of Southern California, in preparing for the threat of wildfires.   

I urge you to reach out to your county government and tell them you want them to develop the County-Specific Air Quality Plan required of them in AB 619 (2021), so they will be prepared when the next catastrophe strikes.