Health: What the color of smoke says about a fire

The hot season It is usually accompanied by forest fires. During one of these accidents, The color of the smoke can be a very important indicator to identify the type of material that is burningas well as to take precautions against harmful effects on health.

According to the National Disaster Prevention Center (Cenapred)the materials, due to the chemical composition of each one, produce a different color of smoke when it burns, so we can know what type of fire it is.

He smoke that is white It results from the combustion of plant material such as grass, wood and plants. It is common to see this type of smoke in grassland fires.

When the smoke is yellow, it comes from the burning of resinous plants or trees.just like when a forest burns like Spring, located in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Zone (ZMG). Also, certain chemicals such as sulfur, hydrochloric acid, and nitric acid can also generate smoke of this color. It can be harmful to health.

When we see gray smoke, we are witnessing a fire in which cellulose materials or artificial fibers, as well as bushes, are burning. It can also harm your health.

And finally, the black smokewhich is produced by burning plastics, petroleum, and acrylic materials. This smoke is particularly dangerous for health.

Cenapred points out that the smoke generated by forest fires emits a complex mixture of gases and particles that can also have harmful effects on the health of any person, which is why It does not only affect people with respiratory or chronic diseases.

When exposed to fire smoke, symptoms such as eye pain, cough, throat and nose irritation, irregular heartbeat, chest pain, fatigue may occur, and in more serious cases, fatal heart attacks may occur.

To prevent the effects, if you live in an area close to places where the forest fires, you should avoid leaving garbage that is at risk of being flammable (such as cigarette butts, matches, paper); do not light fires, or if you do, eliminate them completely before leaving the place; do not smoke near grasslands; limit the burning of land as is done in some agricultural activities, and notify the authorities in advance.

It is important to take care of the activities carried out near forest areas to prevent a fire from starting. This, says Cenapred, can save the environment and, above all, lives.

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