Wildfire smoke and your eyes

It’s already been a record-setting year for destruction from California wildfires, and the state’s peak wildfire season (which typically runs from May through October) isn’t over.

As of August 17, 2021, record-setting wildfires had already ravaged more than 1.1 million acres of land in the country’s most populous state, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).

By comparison, the 2020 California wildfires, which were historic in their own right, had only burned about 850,000 acres by mid-August.

In addition to the staggering cost and suffering these fires cause each year, wildfire smoke can be irritating and harmful to your eyes — even if you live many miles from the actual blaze.