58 | March 2019
Montana tracks the amount of
small particulate matter from ash in
the air (called PM2.5) and considers
air quality "good" with a concentra-
tion of 0 – 12 micrograms per cubic
meter, unhealthy at 55.5 – 150.4, and
hazardous above 250.4. For several
days in August 2017, the Rice Ridge
Fire caused PM2.5 concentrations
that were literally off the charts – with
peaks near 1,000 micrograms per
cubic meter, four times what is con-
sidered hazardous.
I spoke to Christopher Migliac-
cio, a researcher at University of
Montana's School of Pharmacy. Pri-
or to this study, most research into
the effects of wildfire smoke on the general population
had been retrospective, focusing on hospital admissions
and emergency room visits. "This is the first time some-
body has been able to follow people right after a smoke
event," says Migliaccio.
The dangers of inhaling particulate matter are
well-documented, and can lead to coughing, difficulty
breathing, irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma, and
even heart attacks or premature death. Children, along with
people who have heart or lung disease and older adults,
are most likely to be affected by particle matter exposure.
The Rice Ridge Fire study found lung function decreased
significantly for residents of Seeley Lake over the course
of the following year. Of the people who came back to be
retested a year later, 90 percent saw a decrease in lung
functioning. Nearly a third of these people now had abnor-
mal lung functioning, compared to 17 percent a year earlier.
The researchers were not able to include children in
their Rice Ridge Fire study, but they hope to look at the
effects of wildfire smoke exposure on children in the future.
While its currently recommended that sensitive individu-
als —including children — decrease their outdoor activity
when air quality is poor, researchers are still determining
how activity levels affect health.
For now, Migliaccio recommends that people at risk
create safe air spaces indoors by using HEPA filters in
order to decrease exposure to smoke.
The Rice Ridge Fire study is a concerning first peek
into the effects wildfire smoke has on people in affected
areas. But as climate change increases the risk of wild-
fires through warmer temperatures and drier conditions,
the issue of smoke inhalation on developing lungs will
become even more pressing.
For families like mine across Montana when wildfires
rage on and on, climate change isn't a down-the-road
problem. It's already impacting the health and safety of our
friends, neighbors, and children. We don't have any time
to lose. Now is the time we must speak up, and tell our
elected officials they must protect our families and act on
climate change.
