Josephine County tied for highest wildfire-smoke death rate in U.S

A study published in Nature has identified Josephine County, Oregon, and Trinity County, California, as having the highest wildfire-smoke death rates in the United States. Between 2006 and 2020, wildfire smoke and climate-related factors were linked to 17 premature deaths per 100,000 people in Josephine County.

Several factors contribute to the high risk in Josephine County, including a geography that allows smoke to settle in valleys for extended periods, an aging population, and high poverty rates. In Grants Pass, the number of days where air quality reached unhealthy levels for sensitive groups rose from 16 days in the decade prior to 2016 to 94 days between 2016 and 2025.

Nationally, researchers estimated 164,000 premature U.S. deaths from wildfire smoke between 2006 and 2020, averaging nearly 11,000 annually. Projections suggest that without controlling planet-warming pollution, this figure could reach 70,000 deaths per year by 2050. Exposure to smoke can aggravate conditions such as asthma, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.