"The toxic smoke from the fires, combined with disruption to the economy, health care system, and mental health may lead to thousands of deaths over the coming years."

"The death toll from Los Angeles’ catastrophic wildfires has risen to 24 and is expected to increase further. The 16 direct fatalities from the Eaton Fire alone make it California’s fifth-deadliest wildfire, while the Palisades Fire, with eight deaths, ranks as the state’s 14th-deadliest fire.

However, the eventual death toll from the disaster is likely to be far, far, higher, once the health effects from the toxic smoke from the fires are fully realized. Additional deaths can be expected in the coming years because of the large-scale disruption to people’s lives that such a colossal disaster brings about – similar to what has been found in the aftermath of major hurricanes, which have been linked to thousands of indirect deaths up to 15 years after they hit.

In a 2020 policy brief, Marshall Burke, an associate professor of Earth system science at Stanford University, wrote: “Our research suggests that many more people likely perish from smoke exposure during large fire events than perish directly in the fire, and many more people are made sick.”"

Jeff Masters reports for Yale Climate Connections January 16, 2025. [2]