US government urged to declare wildfire smoke and extreme heat major disasters

Fourteen attorneys general petition federal emergency officials as millions in US under excessive heat advisories

Fourteen state attorneys general are urging the federal government to declare extreme heat and wildfire smoke major disasters. The petition comes as millions of people in the south and north-east face excessive heat advisories, and large swaths of the western US and Canada battle ongoing wildfires.

The likelihood of high-severity extreme heat and wildfire smoke events is increasing due in part to climate change," wrote the Arizona attorney general, Kris Mayes, in a letter submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday. We urge Fema to update its regulations to prepare for this hotter, smokier future."