California Wildfires Are Now A Public Health Crisis As Smoke Spreads

The current crop of wildfires in California already have burned through more than 1.3 million acres of land and displaced nearly 130,000 people, and now the danger is spreading further.

The Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency Wednesday, giving local healthcare providers access the resources needed to handle things. The declaration was issued because of the massive amount of smoke the blazes are producing, threatening people with asthma and other lung problems -- factors that compound the coronavirus pandemic.

California has had the most coronavirus cases of any state, nearly 688,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

"We are working closely with California health authorities and monitoring the needs of healthcare facilities to provide whatever they may need to save lives and protect health during these dangerous wildfires,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in an official press release. “With this declaration and waiver, the Trump administration is helping to ensure that Californians who rely on Medicare and Medicaid have continuous access to the care they need during this disaster and as communities recover.”

As part of the emergency declaration, HHS has sent “regional emergency coordinators” to help local and state health officials plan their response to the public health crisis.

The more than 650 wildfires in California have so far resulted in seven deaths. Despite the widespread destruction, officials say that changing weather patterns are helping firefighters tackle the flames. Declining temperatures, increased humidity and weaker winds are working to make the fires more manageable.