EXPLAINER: As wildfire smoke spreads, who’s at risk?

The Staten Island Ferry departs from the Manhattan terminal through a haze of smoke with the... — The Staten Island Ferry departs from the Manhattan terminal through a haze of smoke with the Statue of Liberty barely visible, Tuesday, July 20, 2021, in New York. Wildfires in the American West, including one burning in Oregon that's currently the largest in the U.S., are creating hazy skies as far away as New York as the massive infernos spew smoke and ash into the air in columns up to six miles high. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)(Julie Jacobson | AP)

By MATTHEW BROWN

Published: Jul. 22, 2021 at 9:35 AM MDT

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Smoke from wildfires in the western U.S. and Canada is blanketing much of the continent and reaching unhealthy levels this week in communities from Washington state to Washington D.C.

Experts say get used to it, as a warmer climate stokes bigger and more intense blazes.

Growing research points to potential long-term health damage from breathing in microscopic particles of smoke, with millions of people potentially at risk far from where huge fires burn.

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