WHAT MAKES SMOKE INHALATION SO DANGEROUS?
Damage to your body due to smoke inhalation depends on various conditions, but the most common is asphyxiation, which is a lack of oxygen. There may also be chemical or thermal irritation, which would lead to chemical asphyxiation and a combination of all of these factors.
Simple asphyxiation takes place when something is burning so hot that it begins to use up all the available oxygen in the area. When this happens, there is nothing for you to breath, and you could die. The smoke in some of these wildfires contain particles of ash which can lead to lung damage.
Combustion, depending on the location it’s occurring, can form any number of chemicals which can harm you if it comes onto contact with your skin or mucous membranes. These chemicals and other foreign substances can cause extensive damage to the inner lining of your respiratory tract. Additionally, these chemicals in your body can cause swelling, airway collapse, and respiratory distress.
Some of the most common chemicals in the smoke are sulfur dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen chloride and chlorine. The thermal damage from the hot air can cause damage to the inside of your body.
Chemical asphyxiants are caused by wildfires coming into contact with substances and/or materials, that when burned, produce gases that can be dangerous. These can interfere with your body’s oxygen use at your cellular level. Carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and hydrogen sulfide are all examples of these types of chemicals. If your cells suffer an interruption in oxygen, the cell will die.
