In several parts of the world, vast wildfires are blazing as they coincide with extraordinary heatwaves. The resulting dense smoke envelops millions, filled with dangerous gasses and microscopic pollutants that present significant health threats.

Here’s what is essential to understand about the dangers associated with wildfire smoke.

WHAT IS CONTAINED IN WILDFIRE SMOKE?

Smoke from wildfires is more hazardous than typical air pollution, with the potential to remain suspended in the atmosphere for extended periods and travel vast distances.

In addition to vegetation, wildfires often consume vehicles, buildings, and their contents. This results in smoke that contains not only soil particles and biological matter but also traces of chemicals, metals, plastics, and various synthetic materials.

WHAT ARE THE KNOWN HEALTH EFFECTS?

Kent Pinkerton, co-director of the Center for Health and the Environment at the University of California, Davis, explains that in lab settings, the smoke from wildfires induces more inflammation and tissue damage compared to conventional air pollution.

Studies have linked wildfire smoke with higher rates of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac arrests, increases in emergency room visits for asthma, weakened immune defenses and poorer survival rates after surgery. A 2023 study in Maryland, identified a spike in heart and lung illnesses ​that was associated with wildfire smoke originating up to 2,100 miles away.

Wildfires also have been linked with eye and skin problems.

Wildfire exposure in pregnancy has been associated with miscarriage, low birth ​weight and preterm delivery. A California study found a link between wildfire exposure and cellular damage in first- and second-trimester placentas. A separate study found that wildfire smoke exposure during ⁠the third trimester may raise the risk of an autism diagnosis.

The effects of exposure can persist for years. After Australia’s 2014 Hazelwood Coal Mine fire, heart disease rates remained elevated for two-and-a-half years and respiratory illnesses for ​five years.

A 2026 US study linked wildfire smoke exposure with elevated risks for lung, colorectal, breast, bladder and blood cancer, with the risks increasing along with the level of pollution from the fires.

Exposure to the 2018 Camp ​Fire in California was linked to changes in cognition and brain activity six to 12 months later, California researchers found. Several studies have now linked longer-term wildfire smoke exposure to higher risks for dementia.

Data from California, also show an increase in fungal infections in the months following wildfire smoke exposure, likely due to spores in the smoke.

IS THERE A SAFE LEVEL OF INHALED PARTICLES?

“The bad news is, there’s no safe level” of inhaled particles from wildfire smoke, said Doug Brugge, who chairs the Department of Public ​Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. “The higher the exposure, the worse the risks, but even at levels below the national safety standards, these particles can make people sick.”

Any amount of inhaled particles will ​trigger inflammatory responses in the body. Children, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses are most vulnerable.

Even in healthy adults, some effects of exposure – such as sore throats, excessive phlegm, coughing, headaches and brain fog – can appear immediately and ‌persist long after ⁠the smoke plume is gone, said Keith Bein of the Air Quality Research Center at the University of California, Davis.

WHAT CAN HELP MITIGATE THE RISKS?

Experts advise wearing N95 masks when wildfire smoke is present and limiting outdoor activities, especially strenuous sports. The longer you are outside and the harder you breathe, the more pollution you inhale, said Dr. Jasvinder Singh, a lung medicine specialist at Medstar Franklin Square Medical Center in Baltimore.

Experts also recommend the use of indoor air purifiers that can trap particles smaller than 2.5 microns.

“Air purifiers reduce exposure and in our studies reduced blood pressure and cognitive impacts of air pollution,” Brugge said.

For those who cannot afford an air ​purifier, UC Davis offers simple instructions for building one.

Online instructions for reducing exposure to wildfire smoke are available ⁠from the EPA.

ARE PEOPLE SAFE INDOORS?

Particulates from wildfire smoke enter most buildings in high concentrations, experts say.

On average, the concentration of wildfire pollutants indoors is about half of what it is outdoors, Singh said.

If a building is poorly sealed, the concentration may be up to 70% of what it is outside, he said. Old buildings ​may expose people to greater amounts of pollution through drafty windows and doors.

The EPA advises that during wildfire smoke events, people avoid indoor activities that ​put more fine particles into ⁠the air, such as smoking cigarettes, frying or broiling food, burning candles or incense, and vacuuming without a HEPA filter.

Bein compared indoor wildfire smoke exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke exposure.

“The particles … end up everywhere – on your clothes, on your walls, on surfaces, and they’re still outgassing” – being released into the air – “after the smoke plume is gone,” he said.

WHAT IS UNKNOWN?

More frequent wildfires likely linked to climate change mean people will be exposed more often. The health effects over ⁠multiple seasons are ​not yet clear.

“It is hard to make predictions because it is hard to say how many fires people will be exposed ​to, how long the fires will burn, or what the smoke will contain,” Bein said.

Researchers are looking into the long-term effects of smoke particles in water supplies, on crops or ingested by livestock; of urban wildfire smoke; of wildfire exposure in utero; and whether wildfire ​smoke amplifies the adverse effects of extremely hot weather.

Nutrients carried in wildfire smoke may contribute to downwind algal blooms, which has implications for drinking water reservoirs and lake ecology, researchers warn.

A heartbroken woman finds herself embroiled in a fierce feud with her Homeowners’ Association, accusing them of trying to push her out of her late father’s property in an age-restricted community.

Six years ago, 28-year-old Bethany Michel moved to her father’s residence in a Florida retirement community to care for him during his battle with a terminal illness.

Following her father’s passing in the autumn of 2023, Michel hoped to find comfort in remaining in his house. However, challenges posed by the Arbor Mill Homeowners’ Association in a Jacksonville suburb are making her stay nearly impossible.

With more than 75,000 followers on TikTok, Michel has taken to the platform, appealing to her audience for assistance while shedding light on her predicament.

“They’re trying to sue me out of my home by demanding that 155 residents aged 55 and older, living on fixed incomes, each contribute $1,000. My HOA expects every resident to cover their financial demands,” she explained.

Michel claimed that the fees were to cover the HOA’s attorney fees in a legal battle against her.

She added that residents received a notice that if the payment was not made by August 30, the board would add a $100 increase to monthly fees for the next 10 months. 

‘They’re trying to financially force me out of my own home,’ Michel said. 

‘This needs to be documented. People need to know what’s going on in their own backyard. There are 154 homes, and they’re all on fixed incomes.’ 

Michel told local Florida outlet News 4 Jax that she has been locked in a legal dispute with her HOA for nearly three years. 

The saga began just a few months after her dad died, when she received a letter that she no longer met the housing community’s age requirements. 

The federal Housing for Older Persons Act allows elderly communities serving the elderly population to restrict residency based on age, requiring at least one person in the home to be over 55. 

Arbor Mill requires that every home have a resident who meets the age requirements and prohibits anyone under 19 from living in the community. 

However, Michel said that she was ‘grandfathered in’ when she moved in with her father and that his dying wish was for her to keep the home. 

‘My dad’s biggest concern was something would happen to him,’ she told News 4 Jax. 

‘Every upgrade we made, he said, “This is going to be for you one day.” It’s so sentimental. I sleep with the same pillow in the same bed that he did every day.’

Michel has refused to give up the home she shared with her father without a fight. Her legal battle against the HOA has incurred legal fees, which she believes the board is forcing residents to pay with the $1,000 ‘special assessment fee.’ 

A notice published by News 4 Jax was sent to residents on July 1 and read, in part: ‘The special assessment is specifically to pay for legal services necessary in the defense and enforcement of the Association’s 55+ community status under state and federal law.’ 

William Baltaza told the publication that he believes a majority of the residents would rather have Michel stay than have to fork over $1,000 to the HOA for legal fees. 

‘As a person who has kids, I don’t believe that this is the right thing to do, to just kick her out and take her out. The majority of the people here disagree with this. There are very few people that are really pushing it,’ he said. 

Residents had the opportunity to voice their concerns at a meeting on Wednesday. Michel shared an update on her Instagram that the five board members voted on the measure without consulting the residents. 

‘Residents stood outside in 90°+ Florida heat for nearly 2 hours, believing their voices would be heard and that we’d all have a vote on a proposed $1,000 special assessment,’ she said. 

‘It wasn’t until the meeting began that everyone learned the 155 homeowners would not be voting. The decision rested solely with the five board members.’

Michel added that residents were limited to sharing comments and demanded that the HOA be transparent. 

‘Residents deserve to know how decisions affecting their homes and finances are being made. This chapter may be over, but the fight isn’t. Now we fight,’ she concluded. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Michel and the HOA board for additional comment.  

With a fresh perspective on international aid, the Trump administration unveiled its detailed strategy, emphasizing that America’s global development efforts should pivot from taxpayer-funded aid towards bolstering private investment, trade, and American enterprise.

In an exclusive conversation during the U.N. “Trade Over Aid” forum, Ambassador Mike Waltz shared that the administration is overhauling its aid strategy. The focus is shifting dramatically from government-funded programs to initiatives driven by the private sector.

“For entirely too long, the U.S. and other nations have invested billions in these aid schemes with minimal outcomes,” Waltz explained. “Attend any global development forum, and you’ll encounter academics, NGOs, and state representatives, yet the absence of the private sector – the genuine drivers of economic growth and job creation – is glaring.”

Waltz said the new model is designed to “create jobs, to create business for American companies in line with America First,” while also raising living standards abroad and reducing instability that can fuel terrorism and poverty.

The administration moved to dismantle USAID in 2025, arguing the agency was inefficient and too often disconnected from U.S. foreign policy. Asked directly whether “Trade Over Aid” is replacing USAID, Waltz said USAID’s functions had been folded into the State Department as part of a broader efficiency effort, but insisted the initiative is about something larger than one agency.

“What we’re doing, this isn’t about USAID or what replaces it,” Waltz said. “That was an efficient effort to get our aid to serve our foreign policy, not the other way around. But what I think is more important is how do we help American businesses and how do (we) help create jobs around the world and reduce dependency.”

The stakes are immediate: with USAID reorganized under the State Department and aid budgets under pressure, the Trump administration is trying to show that it has a replacement model for how the U.S. helps poorer and fragile countries. The answer it is pitching is not more traditional aid, but more private capital, more trade, more deals for American companies and fewer open-ended taxpayer commitments.

EXCLUSIVE: SERBIAN PRESIDENT VUČIĆ SAYS SUPPORT FOR US ‘SURGED’ UNDER TRUMP, INVITES HIM TO VISIT BELGRADE

The forum brought together representatives from dozens of countries, U.N. agencies, international financial institutions and major private-sector players, including Microsoft, Google, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Boeing, Walmart, Mastercard, Meta and others.

Czech Environment Minister Igor Cerveny, who attended the forum, said the idea resonated with his country’s own post-communist experience. 

After communism, he said, the Czech Republic had to rebuild through work, business, industry and innovation rather than dependency.

“If you work on your economy, on your industry, on your society, on nature as well, probably two, three, five years later, (you will) be in a better position,” Cerveny told News Media. “You have your own money. You are not now the slave of (asking). You are now the master of your destiny.”

Cerveny said trade gives countries an “opportunity to cooperate” rather than forcing them to return again and again with the same request: “Please give me some money.”

Ambassador Dan Negrea, who is spearheading the initiative in the U.S. Mission, told News Media that shrinking aid budgets around the world make a new model necessary.

“We need to think differently about how we help developing countries in an environment in which, in the United States, we are indebted and we cannot continue to spend money on helping other countries the way we used to,” Negrea said. “Development aid is going down not only in the U.S., but in countries around the world.”

Negrea said the initiative has received less resistance from developing countries than from traditional donor nations. 

“Interestingly, there is less pushback from countries receiving aid than from some donor countries that like to continue in this attitude of charity, being magnanimous to other countries,” he told News Media. “For years and years and for decades, many developing countries are saying that they want to end this status of recipient of charity and move to a much more dignified relationship of partners and development.”

But some leaders from developing countries also warn that trade cannot replace aid overnight, especially in emergency settings. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Francophonie, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, told News Media that aid remains critical in crises such as the Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC.

“Aid sometimes can transform dramatically a situation,” she said. “This is not something you can change overnight with trade. But yes, over a long term, trade is the pathway to create greater growth, greater economic prosperity, and therefore also more equal relationships between countries.”

Kayikwamba Wagner added that the shift must be “adapted to circumstances” and not be “too abrupt.”

The initiative already has drawn 46 countries, and launched a digital library with 63 capacity-building offers from private companies, governments, NGOs, philanthropies, academic institutions and international organizations.

But when pressed on what those offers have produced so far, Negrea acknowledged the initiative is still in its early stages. The library was inaugurated last week, he said, and the goal now is to turn offers into concrete outcomes.

“We want to see more deliverables,” Negrea said. “We want to see actual transactions that were done. We want to see countries using the digital library to see usable capacity building offers coming from around the world. So we want to help without the cost to the U.S. taxpayers, but at the same time creating opportunities for American companies.”

The central challenge facing the effort is whether private capital will go where aid has traditionally been most needed: fragile countries with weak institutions, unreliable infrastructure, corruption, conflict or markets too risky for major investors.

Waltz argued that is exactly where institutions such as the U.N. Development Program, the World Bank and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation can play a role.

“When we talk to organizations like J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs and others, they’re saying, we want to invest hundreds of millions into these industries abroad, but they need better laws, they need better arbitration,” Waltz said. “We need to know that we can get our money out for our investors here in the United States.”

He said the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and U.S. contributions to the World Bank can provide “risk insurance and guarantees” for investments in riskier markets, including critical minerals projects needed by the U.S. technology sector.

“It is incredibly risky,” Waltz said. “Sometimes these capital providers like on Wall Street and in New York are only going to go to the safest place. Sometimes it makes sense, for example, as we’re looking for critical minerals for our tech industry, to go into risky places, but they need a little help.”

The strongest note of caution came not from critics outside the room, but from inside the forum itself.

Alexander De Croo, the former Belgian prime minister who now leads United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said trade and aid should not be treated as enemies. 

“Trade is a destination, but development is how we get to that destination,” De Croo said. “Markets do not build themselves. They have to be built.”

De Croo said investment flows when rules are predictable, institutions are trusted and workers have the skills to seize opportunity. He described UNDP’s role as helping countries build those foundations. “There is no country over the past decades that has successfully developed without a strong private sector and without trade being a big part of that,” he said.

Christopher Sharrock, Microsoft’s vice president for United Nations and international organizations, also warned that aid still has a role that markets cannot fully replace.

“Aid does do an essential job and it does a job that possibly nothing else can do,” Sharrock said, pointing to vaccination campaigns, famine response and natural disasters as areas where assistance remains critical.

For the Trump administration, “Trade Over Aid” is being pitched as a more disciplined, America First answer to development: fewer handouts, more deals, less dependency, more jobs for American companies and foreign partners alike.

But the test will be whether it can deliver not only in countries already ready for investment, but in the hardest places — the places where aid has long filled the gap because markets would not.

DEAR ABBY: Let me share a bit about my family dynamics. My husband, who has both a twin brother, “Kaden,” and a younger sibling, seems to be constantly overshadowed by parental favoritism toward Kaden. From the tales his family shares, it’s obvious his parents have long showered Kaden with most of their time, energy, and financial resources. Initially, this attention seemed justified since Kaden battled health issues as a child and needed extra care. However, even now as a healthy man in his mid-30s, not much has changed in how they treat him.

For instance, during the speech at our wedding, my father-in-law astonishingly asked everyone to toast to Kaden’s many successes, rather than celebrating my husband and me. Our plans are frequently disrupted when they cancel visits to us because Kaden decides to drop by. Their holidays are meticulously planned around destinations Kaden suggests. Conversations with them often turn frustrating, as the dialogue veers mostly toward Kaden’s happenings.

Discussing this with my husband isn’t easy, as he gets upset whenever I bring it up. His younger brother dismisses the issue as a longstanding norm. Now, Kaden and his spouse are hoping to start a family, and my husband wants us to begin trying as well.

I feel torn, Abby. I deeply value the role of grandparents who actively nurture and support their grandkids. However, given the preferential treatment we’ve seen over the last three decades, I fear that if we have children, they would be sidelined in favor of Kaden’s kids.

The anxiety weighs on me—the thought of my children having their birthdays overlooked or of grandparents being uninterested worries me greatly. I hesitate to subject my future kids to such a reality and am seriously considering declining my husband’s wish to start a family right now, regardless of potential consequences for our marriage. Do you think I’m being unreasonable? — UNFAVORITE IN THE WEST

DEAR UNFAVORITE: Because of the degree of dysfunction on your husband’s side of the family, it might be helpful to talk this through during some sessions with a marriage and family therapist. You didn’t mention in your letter whether you want to be a mother. If the answer is yes, it could be time for you and your husband to start — provided he isn’t making the request because he’s trying to keep up with his twin brother. 

Granted, your in-laws may be dreadful grandparents — but there are usually four of them. I would think your parents would be delighted at the prospect of a new grandchild, as would other relatives on your side of the family.

DEAR ABBY: I am a lover of words and find great pleasure in them. There are so many different ways to express myself that I try to use as many as possible. It was recently suggested that perhaps I should limit my vocabulary in order not to confuse some within my circle. I would never knowingly want to make anyone feel “less than,” but it breaks my heart a little bit to not use all the wonderful words available to me. Am I being too sensitive? — LOVES LANGUAGE IN THE EAST

DEAR LOVES: Words are meant to help us communicate with each other, not separate us. If the vocabulary you are using is too esoteric for your friends to easily comprehend, do them (and yourself) a favor by using language they can understand when you are with them and save the fancy lingo for people who are more receptive.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Michelle Obama brought her vivacious spirit to Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday, engaging in a lively gathering sans her husband, Barack Obama. Reveling in the moment, she was seen both dancing energetically and showering attendees with friendly hugs.

The 62-year-old former First Lady graced Norman’s restaurant in Oak Bluffs, marking her presence at an event orchestrated by The Vineyard Icon Foundation.

Age seemed just a number to Michelle, as she exuded youthful charm while flaunting her dance prowess. She sported a stylish ensemble featuring a strappy white tank with an open back and chic Bermuda jean shorts.

Complementing her vibrant attire, she donned a pair of oversized aviator sunglasses, adding a trendy flair to her look.

Michelle appeared to be in great spirits and was seen dancing and embracing an attendee in footage shared via Instagram by The Vineyard Icon Foundation. 

In a delightful moment shared with the crowd, Michelle was captured on video moving to the rhythm of “Wobble,” embracing the joyous occasion with the surrounding revelers.

Michelle appeared solo, without husband Barack or daughters Malia, 28, and Sasha, 25.

The two have been married for over three decades, but in recent years, they’ve been inundated with rumors that their marriage has become rocky.

The speculation first erupted when Michelle skipped two high-profile events Obama attended solo in January 2025. 

During a recent interview with the New Yorker, Barack confessed that there was ‘genuine tension’ in their household because Michelle wanted him to ‘ease up’ on public duties to spend more time with her.

In addition, during a joint sit-down interview with People last month, Barack admitted he wasn’t sure if his partnership with Michelle was an equal one.

‘I don’t know if it’s been an equal partnership, but it’s worked out for me pretty well,’ he said. ‘I’ve gotten more out of it than she has.’

He continued: ‘For her, it’s probably more of a mixed bag.’

Meanwhile, Michelle heaped praise on her spouse as she responded to his remarks.

‘My husband is always thinking about reflecting the light on other people,’ she said. ‘I am so proud of how my husband showed up in that role [as President of the United States], how he shows up every day.’ 

Michelle added that together, she and Barack were each other’s ‘counterbalance.’ 

‘The truth is, I probably would have been someone who stayed more put,’ she said. ‘I think I would have had a beautiful life here, but it would have been smaller.

‘But because of who my husband is, he offered all of us – our girls, my mom, my family – a broader sense of what’s possible in life.

‘He made me think more broadly about what I could do with this Harvard law degree besides be a lawyer. He gave me the courage. He was my ballast. He was like, “I got you.” And however hard it’s been, the ups and downs, he’s got me.’

The family was recently seen all together as they opened The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago in June.

During her speech at the Obama Presidential Center, Michelle gushed that there had not been a single second in their marriage where she was not ‘left in awe.’ 

She also commended Barack for his ‘truest essence, stubborn optimism and unflinching courage.’

In addition, Michelle paid tribute to what she said was Barack’s ‘dazzling brilliance, unpretentious decency, ferocious work ethic and unshakable moral fiber.’

The Vineyard Icon Foundation is a nonprofit that is dedicated to ‘spotlighting those who consider [Martha’s] Vineyard their happy place and [want to] make an impact,’ founder Erin Goldson told the Daily Mail.

‘The Obamas are very much a reflection of that,’ she added. 

Last year, she hosted the first annual Vineyard Icon Awards which was attended by an array of stars including Gayle King.

And Goldson, whose family has been going to Martha’s Vineyard for five generations, said she hopes that the Obamas will make an appearance at the awards show one day.