As wildfire season intensifies across Canada and North America, communities hundreds of miles away from active fires may still feel the effects through poor air quality and smoke exposure. For University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Master of Public Health (MPH) student Ashlyn Thome, helping people understand those health risks became the focus of an internship project with Clean Wisconsin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the fall of 2025, Thome served as a science research intern with Clean Wisconsin, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the state’s air, water and natural resources. As part of her internship, she researched the growing public health impacts of wildfire smoke and developed a health brief designed to educate communities about the risks and the importance of preparedness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The project comes at a critical time. Recent years have seen wildfire smoke drift across the Midwest from large fires in Canada, creating hazardous air quality conditions in Wisconsin and other states. Public health experts warn that smoke exposure can affect respiratory and cardiovascular health, particularly among children, older adults, pregnant individuals and people with existing health conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Wildfire smoke is more than an environmental issue\u2014it’s a public health issue,” said Thome. “As smoke events become more frequent, it’s important that communities understand the health risks and know how to protect themselves.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The health brief examines the health effects associated with wildfire smoke exposure and outlines practical steps individuals and communities can take to prepare for smoke-related emergencies. The resource was created to support public awareness and inform conversations about community resilience as climate-related environmental hazards continue to evolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Thome, the internship with Clean Wisconsin provided an opportunity to apply public health principles outside the classroom while contributing to an issue with growing relevance for Wisconsin residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As forecasts predict an active wildfire season and increased wildfire risk across parts of Canada this summer, Thome hopes the resource will encourage residents, organizations and policymakers to consider the health impacts of smoke exposure and take steps to protect vulnerable populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n