Wildfire Smoke Threatens Health as Anti-Mask Sentiment Persists: Why N95s Matter This Year

Six years ago this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began advising that even healthy individuals wear face coverings to protect against the spread of what was then called the “novel coronavirus.” Since then, mask debates, mandates, bans, and confrontations have dominated public discourse. Today, in some parts of the country, wearing a mask can still draw hostility or worse.

If there were ever a year to keep an N95 respirator on hand, it’s now. This past winter was the warmest on record in nine U.S. states. Oregon, Colorado, Utah, and Montana have also recorded some of their lowest snowpack levels since record-keeping began. These conditions set the stage for “above normal significant fire potential,” according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), which issues seasonal outlooks for wildfire risks.

The threat extends beyond the West. The 642,000-acre Morrill grass fire, which ignited in early March, became the largest in Nebraska’s history. Meanwhile, exceptional drought conditions stretching from East Texas through Florida have created conditions for “well above normal fire activity” ahead of the spring lightning season.

As of the end of March, wildfires in the U.S. have already burned more than 1.6 million acres—231% of the previous 10-year average.

“Air pollution is the most significant toxic environmental exposure that the average person is ever subjected to, and wildfire smoke in particular is probably the most toxic type of air pollution [they’re] ever exposed to,” said Brian Moench, president of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, a nonprofit clean-air advocacy group.

Research continues to uncover the severe health risks of wildfire smoke. After their grant was pulled by the Trump administration, researchers at University of California, Davis Health and UCLA published a report this winter reviewing more than 8.6 million births in California. The study demonstrated a link between exposure to wood smoke during pregnancy and an increased likelihood of autism.

Another report, also published this winter by researchers from UCLA, estimated that particulate matter from wildfire smoke is responsible for nearly 25,000 deaths per year in the United States, with no safe threshold for exposure.

“If a person is in a circumstance where they really can’t avoid wildfire smoke, they absolutely should be doing everything they can to protect themselves,” Moench added.

Public health experts emphasize that wearing an effective mask is one of the best ways to reduce exposure. N95 respirators are about 95% effective at protecting wearers from dangerous particulates in wildfire smoke (though they do not protect against gases or asbestos). While public health departments do not recommend them due to limited effectiveness, surgical masks and cloth masks can provide some protection—about 68% and 33% respectively.

However, masks only work if they are worn. Following the Los Angeles fires in early 2025, health officials warned that exposure to toxic ash and dust remained a threat even after air quality improved.