In previous years, Australians might have been exposed to bushfire smoke for a few days, or even a week. But this bushfire season is extreme in every respect. Smoke haze has now regularly featured in Australian weather reports for several weeks, stretching across months in some areas.
What we considered to be short-term exposure we must now call medium-term exposure.
Given this is a new phenomenon, we don’t know for sure what prolonged exposure to bushfire smoke could mean for future health. But here’s what air pollution and health data can tell us about the sorts of harms we might be looking at.
Thank you 2greys for this link. I've started to read the implications of the Australian fires to humans and animals alike and it is shocking!We are so fortunate not to have any disasters of this nature, what with the size of our island. However, with the climate change effecting us all on a near-on daily basis, this is worrying to say the least. It's amazing (in a bad way) that the Met Office haven't started on any damage projections to not only humans but animals if the fires in Australia , produce ash and other particles which could reach us. Or am I being slightly paranoid?
2greys thank you for that article. You are fortunate not to have any disasters like this. Two of our kids and their families live in New Zealand and they are getting some smoke from the fires here and it is impacting their weather.
I have been wondering about the long terms consequences to our lungs with all of this. The smoke here has been ongoing since early December where we live south of Sydney. You start to have cabin fever from being in doors. I am thankful for our air purifier as I have not smelt smoke in our unit and others are smelling it indoors. It seeps in. Today we had a touch of sunshine a rarity this summer. The sky is just smoke haze. Thankfully thus far we have not had fires where we are however we are near mountain and bush. The disaster has been devastating for the wildlife. There is concern of species being lost. So so sad. However the good side of all of this is that it is wonderful to see the generosity and good will of people all around the world to this disaster. It is so touching. It sure has been a spring and summer to remember!!!
It has been awful here just seeing this on TV and seeing what you are going through there. I have never seen fire like that , so fierce and with people fleeing to the beach with fires down to the water. Homes lost and so many animals destroyed. It is heartbreaking. I do hope that you are safe where you are nr Sydney.
Thank you Jaybird19 for your kind response. We have never seen fires of this magnitude before either. It is overwhelming to see the destruction. Thank you God rain is expected this week for a large area of our state and this will be some drought relief as well as dampen down the fires. Thank you-thus far we have been safe from the fires.
I live in Dunedin NZ and was in Christchurch for a couple weeks over the Xmas period. The smoke from the Australian bushfires changed the colour of the sky and the moon looked orange behind the clouds. It was the smell of the smoke that surprised me as it was quite strong. I remember asking myself, how people with COPD, living close by in Australia are coping?
I remember how my Mum would complain about the smell of the neighbours fires in winter. I certainly know how she felt, now.
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Dad may have been incorrectly diagnosed with IPF but thanks to BLF we are now on the road to getting more precise diagnosis.
advice please
Did you know lung disease costs the UK £11 billion every year?
Were you regularly exposed to second-hand smoke in a car when you were a child? 
We are all so poorer for the loss of our dear friend Skischool
