Josephine County in Oregon, near the California border, has been identified as the deadliest place in the United States for wildfire smoke-related deaths, according to a 2025 study published in Nature magazine. The county ties with Trinity County, California, for having the highest rate of wildfire smoke deaths linked to climate breakdown between 2006 and 2020, with an estimated 17 premature deaths per 100,000 people.

The region, known for its evergreen forests and mild climate, has faced increasing health challenges due to wildfire smoke. Between 2016 and 2025, Grants Pass, a city within Josephine County, experienced 94 days with air quality classified as unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse because of wildfire smoke, based on data from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

Wildfire smoke has contributed to an estimated 164,000 premature deaths across the US from 2006 to 2020, according to the same Nature study. The health toll is personal for residents like Chris Granville, 73, who carries a handwritten note during wildfire season warning of her severe asthma and allergies that can cause her to temporarily stop breathing.

The dangers of wildfire smoke are underscored by individual tragedies, such as a man who died in the summer of 2013 after smoke rolled into the valley and worsened his illness.

This growing public health crisis reflects the broader impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities in the US.

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