Smoke from natural wildfires has caused approximately 100,000 deaths each year, according to a bulletin by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Report informs.
The WMO noted that the number of severe wildfires is increasing, and the toxicity of smoke poses serious health risks.
"Since the 1990s, the number of extreme smoke events caused by fires worldwide has tripled. Current estimates suggest this led to about 100,000 additional deaths annually between 2010 and 2018," the bulletin's authors stated, adding that actual figures may be even higher.
WMO experts stressed that standard risk assessment models do not account for smoke toxicity, which may lead to underestimating related deaths by up to 93%.
The WMO also warned that rising pollution from wildfires and heat could undermine international efforts to improve air quality.
According to the organization, in 2025, concentrations of hazardous PM2.5 fine particles were above average in northern Canada, parts of Russia, and West and Central Africa. Experts linked this to the growing number of fires. Another region with severe pollution last year was northwestern Spain.