Media release: Smoke in the air: Why New Zealand needs a real-time response to fire smoke pollution

The number and severity of outdoor fires in Aotearoa New Zealand is increasing and with it the risks posed by air pollution, according to air quality and public health experts.

The latest Briefing from the Public Health Communication Centre examines current public health advice and explores how new monitoring tools could better protect communities when paired with coordinated response plans.

Lead author Dr Guy Coulson says that while the immediate dangers of fires are well recognised, the health risks from smoke pollution are often overlooked.

“Smoke from both landscape and urban fires, which can travel vast distances, contains fine particles and toxic gases that can harm respiratory and cardiovascular health. Infants and children, older adults, people with asthma and those who are pregnant are particularly vulnerable,” he says.

Over the past 30 years, the annual number of wildfires in New Zealand has risen from around 3,000 to nearly 5,000. The fire season is projected to lengthen significantly by the end of the century due to climate change. International research estimates that wildfire air pollution contributes to more than 1.5 million deaths globally each year, with nearly 4 thousand occurring across Australasia.

Urban fires can pose additional hazards. When synthetic materials such as plastics burn, they release more toxic compounds. The World Health Organization has advised that major fires should be treated as chemical incidents.

Public health advice during smoke events often recommends staying indoors. However, the Briefing notes that homes and buildings are not always safe havens. Smoke can infiltrate through small gaps and via ventilation systems, meaning indoor air may approach outdoor pollution levels. Simply closing windows may not provide adequate protection.

A key challenge is the episodic and fast-changing nature of fire-related air pollution. Smoke plumes can shift rapidly with changes in wind direction, creating localised spikes in air pollution. In NZ, air quality monitoring stations are managed by regional councils, but they are limited in number and often do not provide real-time data. Health warnings are issued by Te Whatu Ora or local civil defence emergency management groups and are not currently triggered by air quality monitoring.

Dr Coulson says that technological advances now offer opportunities to improve responses. Low-cost, internet-connected air quality sensors can provide real-time local data through online maps, allowing communities to track pollution levels and assess the effectiveness of protective actions. When combined with weather forecasting and smoke dispersion modelling, these tools can support more accurate and timely health advice.

Portable air cleaners and HEPA filters can reduce indoor particle levels, but only if people have access to them and understand when and how to use them. The authors note that there is limited published evidence evaluating the establishment and effectiveness of designated “safe spaces” during smoke events.

However, the Briefing emphasises that technology alone is not sufficient. Protecting public health during fire-related pollution events requires a clear, coordinated response plan, access to and assessment of real-time air quality measurements, ready-to-deploy modelling tools, and coordination between emergency services, health authorities and local councils.

The authors call for expansion of real-time monitoring networks, integration of citizen-sourced data with public health alert systems, development of a national smoke incident response plan with defined roles, and further research to evaluate and strengthen planning.

Networks of privately and publicly owned air quality monitors, combined with integrated planning, have the potential to provide a cost-effective way to reduce health burdens from landscape and urban fires.

“The next major fire event is not a matter of if, but when,” says Dr Coulson. “Many of the tools needed to manage smoke-related health risks already exist. What is needed now is investment in planning, coordination and public guidance so communities can respond quickly and effectively to protect their health.”