Wildfire smoke is lowering life expectancy in Spokane and across Washington, according to a new report by the Washington Department of Ecology.
Focusing on air pollution of all kinds, the report highlights 16 communities across the state that are “overburdened” by air pollution and have a higher death rate as a result. Using data from 2016 to 2020, the report found those in these communities — including Spokane — live an average 2.4 years less than those in Washington as a whole.
Accounting for 15.5 percent of Washington’s population, those in the overburdened communities have more health problems than those in the state as a whole, especially lung and heart disease.
While the report details the effects of many air pollutants, the largest contributor to the pollution in Spokane is fine particulate matter from wildfire smoke.