Fire smoke can spread germs hundreds of miles away

Scientists from the United States arrived at a surprising discovery by analyzing the effects of catastrophic forest fires in this country that have become more frequent as a result of climate change.

Traditionally it was believed that practically nothing could survive in smoke rising from the fire zone. It turned out, however, that particles contained in such smoke can serve as carriers of microbes from the area, including burned particles, and even water vapors and parts of plants, writes Science.

This is especially true of land - resistant germs.

“Microbs can reach smoke poles outside the fire zone. For example, flames in a fire in Yosemite National Park, California, caused winds of 13.5 feet [1.5 m] per second, while dry fungi spores from the earth normally rise in air movement of only about three feet [1 m] per second. As soon as they are able, aerosol, germs, and spores less than 5 micrometers can pass hundreds of miles,” says the study.

The effects of such conditions are said to be especially great for people who are closest to the fire, such as firemen who can spend up to 14 days in smoke - an added concentration of germs.

The consequences of this phenomenon have long been observed by the U.S. CDCP, which considers burning as a particularly dangerous profession for cococidioidomysis, also known as St. James' Ethet and low fever, lung or hematogenic disease caused by coccidides immitis.