The Hidden Toll of Wildfire Smoke: It’s Time Insurers and Lawmakers Treat Smoke Damage as Deadly

Our client, Luis Cazares, thought he was lucky.

When the Eaton Fire tore through the foothills of Altadena, his home—unlike many of his neighbors—was still standing. But relief didn’t last. The air inside was thick with chemicals, ash, and toxins. Within minutes, he felt sick. Smoke had soaked into walls, furniture, and ventilation system, rendering the house unlivable.

Luis isn’t alone. Thousands of Californians returned to homes spared by flames but poisoned by smoke. A  2025 JAMA study found that Los Angeles County experienced over 440 excess deaths following the Eaton and Palisades fires, far beyond the 31 official fatalities. And analyses summarized by the Salata Institute at Harvard link wildfire smoke to dramatic spikes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, in some cases reaching 70% above baseline during heavy-smoke periods.