Examining fine particulate matter and cause-specific morbidity during the 2017 North San Francisco Bay wildfires

Highlights: • A clearer understanding of health effects of wildfire smoke is needed. • Examined morbidity related to increased PM_2.5 during a 2017 N. California wildfire • Poisson regression assessed county exposures and daily EDVs and hospitalizations • Higher PM_2.5 more strongly linked to respiratory than cardiovascular morbidities • Fire PM_2.5 showed greater associations with asthma than non-fire PM_2.5. Recent increases in wildfire frequency and severity necessitate better understanding of health effects of wildfire smoke to protect affected populations.