A new study is shedding light on the health impacts of massive wildfires. Andrew Stokes, one of the authors of the study, joins "CBS Evening News Plus" to discuss.

California

A recent study has found that the health impacts of California's wildfires are far more severe than official records suggest. While 31 deaths were officially attributed to the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year, researchers estimate that at least 440 excess deaths occurred due to the fires. 

The study identified three categories of wildfire-related deaths: direct deaths from exposure, deaths among those with pre-existing conditions worsened by smoke or stress, and indirect deaths from disruptions to health systems and mental health impacts. Experts highlight the importance of prevention measures, ongoing health monitoring for affected individuals, and the need to incorporate such findings into disaster preparedness and response strategies.

The health impacts of wildfires

As California's Gifford fire continues to grow with air quality watch alerts in place for Hundreds of thousands of people a new study sheds light on the health impacts of these massive fires During the wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this year 30 people died as a direct result But hundreds more deaths may also be linked to the devastation to help explain I'm joined by one of the authors of that study Andrew Stokes. Good to see you, sir. So use the term excess deaths How do you determine their? Correlation to a natural disaster like these fires in California. What what does that mean exactly? Well, thank you for the question and thank you for the invitation to be here It's very hard to attribute deaths to a wildfire or another natural disaster The medical examiner's office despite their very hard work Can only scrape the surface of deaths associated with such a natural disaster so what we did was we constructed a weekly all-cause death series going all the way back to 2018 and then we forecast what we would have expected the deaths to have been If there had been no wildfires and then we compared that to what actually happened to estimate that gap which we call excess deaths So then what would the official causes of deaths be if you don't necessarily tie them to the fires or if you do? We think about three types of excess deaths associated with the LA wildfires One category are these direct deaths due to direct exposure Another category that's more nuanced are partially attributable deaths These are people who had lung or heart conditions whose conditions were exacerbated by the wildfire smoke or stress And then there's a third category of indirect deaths Which related disruptions to health systems and to the mental health impacts of the LA wildfires But the mace the main impetus here is the fires. Yes That's right We were able to tease out the the effects of the fires and kind of separate The wildfire effects from other background trends and so we're confident that at least 440 deaths actually were attributable to the wildfires versus the official estimate of only 31 deaths You know top of mind for a lot of people on the East Coast, especially the New York area 9-11 right we saw people getting injuries or rather conditions years and years later Health complications that go on and on is that a possibility here, too Could people be walking around with a kind of a time bomb in their bodies? Unfortunately, yes From the experience with 9-11. We know that there's a long tail of these disasters and we worry especially about the frontline workers who so heroically gave their Efforts to to protecting the populace of LA and extinguishing those fires as quickly as possible Is there any way to get ahead of that to warn people look there's danger here I know you want to be helpful and heroic in the most, you know helpful way How do you get ahead of that try to prevent this from happening to people with these conditions? Thank you, I mean on the prevention side there's a lot we can do to make sure that the next wildfire is less deadly including home hardening techniques and Other modifications to the built environment and we believe that estimates such as ours really highlight the importance of Prioritizing these prevention efforts and then those who are already suffering from from inhalation of these toxic chemicals We need to monitor their health moving forward to make sure they receive the proper support and screening that they need I remember walking around the area Los Angeles breathing the air perfectly healthy and thinking there's some bad stuff here I mean, what what could I have done to prevent that wear a mask perhaps what else? Yeah, we we're all sick of masking look it's been a long time where we had to mask during the covered pandemic But um this this is a proper precaution that one can take to prevent the worst effects of these heavy metals and these other Particles that are in the air. This kind of thing is most definitely not limited to any one region We were talking about 9-11 on the East Coast. The fire is in LA. What about going forward as climate change? Continues what should we be thinking about when it comes to natural disasters and these unintended expectations? Well, I think you know, this was just a staggering result that the true burden was almost 15 times greater than the official estimate I think we need to You know include these types of estimates and routine surveillance so we can do better at disaster preparedness and response Going forward. Okay, Andrew Stokes. Thanks so much for the insight

U.S. President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil in a move that sharply escalated tensions between the two nations after trade talks reached a deadlock.

Global Tariffs

Trump imposes extra 25% tariff on India over Russian oil imports

President Trump has been briefed about the shooting at Fort Stewart in Georgia, the White House press secretary says. At least five soldiers were shot before a suspect was apprehended, officials say.

Fort Stewart

Five soldiers shot at Fort Stewart in Georgia; suspect apprehended

A Russian official said President Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, had a "useful and constructive" conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday.

Moscow

Ukraine Invasion

Witkoff, Putin had 'useful and constructive conversation'

The U.S. aims to deploy nuclear power reactors on the Moon and Mars, targeting the first launch by decade’s end. A new NASA directive, revealed by Politico and AFP, calls for appointing a nuclear power czar to choose two commercial proposals within six months, aiming to outpace a Chinese-Russian collaboration.

Washington

NASA races to put nuclear reactors on Moon and Mars

Japan held a memorial service and ceremony for victims and the remaining survivors of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, marking its 80th anniversary and renewing pledges of working towards a world without nuclear weapons.

Hiroshima

Hiroshima marks 80th anniversary since U.S. atomic bombing

The U.S. is warning travelers as cases of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne illness, spreads in China. Health officials in China have ordered mass disinfection measures. The region near Hong Kong reported more than 7,000 cases in recent weeks.

Beijing

U.S. warns travelers as cases of chikungunya increase in China

Japan has commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing during World War II. Ceremonies at Peace Memorial Park honoured the victims of the 1945 nuclear attack by US forces.

Japan’s Hiroshima marks 80 years since U.S. atomic bombing

Multiple media outlets in Israel have reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants a complete military takeover of Gaza, while almost 600 former Israeli military and security officials are petitioning Washington to stop the fighting.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Netanyahu reportedly wants complete Gaza takeover

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that he had a productive talk with President Trump focused on ending the war with Russia. CBS News national security contributor Samantha Vinograd has more.

Kyiv

Zelenskyy holds 'productive talks' with Trump about war

Family members of two of the victims from the 2023 implosion are demanding tougher regulations following the damning report released on Tuesday. Five people died when the submersible imploded off the coast of Newfoundland.

Deadly Titan submersible disaster was preventable, Coast Guard says

The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed multiple people over the Jeffrey Epstein files, including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. CBS News' Jake Rosen has more details.

House committee subpoenas Clintons, others over Epstein files

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents have been directed through a federal court order to stop deportations under President Trump's asylum ban, sources say. CBS News' Camilo Montoya-Galvez has more details.

Court blocks deportations under Trump's asylum ban, sources say

A man suspected of murdering four family members in Tennessee has been captured after a four-day manhunt, authorities said. CBS News' Nicole Valdes has more.

Jackson

Suspect arrested in murders of 4 Tennessee family members

The ruling comes a month after Brazil’s top court ordered the former president to wear an ankle monitor, submit to a curfew and abide by limitations on his activity as legal proceedings investigating an alleged coup plot continue.

State of Rio de Janeiro

Brazil's Supreme Court orders house arrest of Bolsonaro

The US and Lebanon have been holding talks on a roadmap to fully disarm Hezbollah. Lebanon's new leadership has pledged to extend its authority across all its territory but has so far avoided acting against Hezbollah.

Beirut

Lebanon faces renewed pressure to disarm Hezbollah

CBC News had exclusive access to a Canadian Armed Forces plane that dropped about 10,000 kilograms of humanitarian aid into Gaza, the first time Canada joined the airdrop operations. Several countries airdropped food on Monday, but aid organizations agree they are more symbolic than effective.

Ottawa

Canadian military makes aid drop into Gaza

The Prime Minister's Office said to the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir that, "If this does not suit him, you should resign."

Israel's Netanyahu says decision made for full occupation of Gaza

Delegates are gathering this week at the United Nations in Geneva, attempting to negotiate a global treaty to curb plastic pollution. But diplomats and climate advocates warn that efforts by the European Union and small island states to cap virgin plastic production are threatened by opposition.

Geneva

Strong UN treaty on plastic pollution in doubt as talks resume

President Trump announced Friday on social media that he ordered two nuclear submarines to move into more strategic positions near Russia. On Monday, Russian officials downplayed the comments and warned about the risk of nuclear rhetoric.

Russia downplays Trump's announcement about nuclear submarines

U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer told "Face the Nation" that tariff rates are "pretty much set" ahead of President Trump's Aug. 7 deadline. CBS News MoneyWatch correspondent Kelly O'Grady has the latest.

White House holds firm on tariff rates ahead on Aug. 7 deadline

Donald Trump confirmed his special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia, ahead of a deadline the U.S. president has set for Russia to agree to end the Ukraine war or face new sanctions. Witkoff is expected in Moscow in the middle of this week.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff expected to visit Russia

New images of emaciated Israeli hostages held in Gaza have horrified Israelis and added pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire with Hamas, even as his government considers another expansion of the nearly 22-month war.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Videos of hostages increase pressure on Netanyahu for ceasefire

Pope Leo XIV wrapped up a weekend jubilee for more than 1 million young Catholics at a Rome suburb. As a new generation from around the globe celebrated, the pope drew attention to their peers in Ukraine and Gaza who cannot.

Rome

Pope Leo XIV addresses Gaza, Ukraine at youth festival

A shipwreck off Yemen has killed at least 68 people, the UN's migration agency said, with dozens still missing after the boat carrying mostly Ethiopians sank.

Sana'a

Migrant boat sinks off Yemen, killing at least 68

After two unverified videos of Israeli hostages were released, Hamas said the hunger crisis in the region puts them at risk. The militant group said it would deliver food from the Red Cross to the hostages under a couple of conditions, including permanent humanitarian corridors.

Hamas says hunger crisis putting hostages at risk

U.S. President Donald Trump fired the U.S. commissioner of labour statistics after weak jobs numbers signaled tariffs weren’t yet leading to his promised economic boom.

Trump dismisses weak jobs numbers, fires labour statistics chief

Government scientists warn that the 2025 wildfire season in North America is projected to be the longest ever, with fires already causing significant damage across the western United States and Canada. Major blazes have led to evacuations, destruction of historic sites, and widespread air quality alerts.

Santa Barbara

Wildfire season in North America shaping as worst on record

A volcano in Russia's Far East has erupted after sitting dormant for 600 years. Scientists believe the eruption was triggered by the massive earthquake that struck the region last week.

Kamchatka Peninsula

Russian volcano erupts for first time in 600 years

An independent watchdog agency responsible for enforcing a law against partisan political activity by federal employees has opened an investigation into Jack Smith, the special counsel who brought two criminal cases against Donald Trump before his election to the White House last year.

Former Trump prosecutor Jack Smith faces probe by U.S. watchdog

New outbreaks of violence overnight into Sunday (August 3) rocked Syria straining a fragile ceasefire. Meanwhile residents in Sweida are calling access to more humanitarian aid.

Breakdown