Seltzer, Miller, and Seltzer, 2007
Children are especially vulnerable to environmental hazards. They eat more food, drink more liquids, and breathe more air than adults on a pound for pound basis. Children are in a critical period of development when toxic exposures can have profound negative effects, and their exploratory behavior often places them in direct contact with materials that adults would avoid.
Wildfires expose children to a number of environmental hazards, e.g., fire, smoke, psychological conditions, and the byproducts of combustion of wood, plastics, and other chemicals released from burning structures and furnishings. While wildfires are burning (acute phase), the major hazards to children are fire and smoke (described in the fact sheet “Health risks of wildfires for children – acute phase”).
