Experts warn deaths from wildfire smoke to surge in decades aheadby AFP Staff WritersParis (AFP) Sept 18, 2025Global deaths linked to wildfire smoke could rise six-fold to 1.4 million people a year by 2100 even with moderate levels of global warming, according to research published Thursday. And by the end of the century they found that wildfire smoke could cause about 1.4 million premature deaths annually -- around six times today's level. Zheng said this underscored the "urgent need" to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. Fires are becoming more frequent and ferocious as human activities and climate change drive warmer conditions and more frequent droughts. The authors also noted a lack of international cooperation, with wildfire smoke able to cause health alerts in other countries and even continents.