Health · WHO wildfire smoke alert · ArchiveWHO Declares Wildfire Smoke a Growing Health EmergencyAired July 30, 2026 at 3:49 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00The World Health Organization says0:01wildfire smoke from Southern Europe is0:04now a growing health emergency. The0:06smoke is a toxic [music] mix released0:07from burning forests, homes, vehicles,0:10plastics, electronics, paints, and other0:11materials. It contains microscopic fine0:14particles that can travel thousands of0:16kilometers penetrating [music]0:17deep into the lungs and entering the0:19bloodstream. People with heart0:20conditions may experience arrhythmia,0:22heart attack, or stroke. Asthma and0:24chronic lung disease patients face0:26[music] worsening symptoms, and even0:28healthy individuals can suffer runny0:29nose and throat irritation. [music]0:31This pathway means these fine particles0:33can trigger systemic health effects far0:35beyond the lungs, increasing [music] the0:36risk of cardiovascular and respiratory0:38emergencies.0:45The World Health Organization is0:47explicitly labeling the situation0:49[music] a growing health emergency,0:51emphasizing the far-reaching danger of0:53these invisible particles. The WHO warns0:55that health systems must prepare now0:57with extra resources, [music]0:59specialized training, and greater1:00preparedness to handle the long-term1:02health consequences of these1:03increasingly common fires.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗