‘You can taste the ash’: surviving in America’s wildfire smoke capital

Grants Pass, Oregon, a picturesque county nestled near the California border, is plagued by the highest rate of wildfire smoke deaths in the United States, according to a 2025 study published in Nature magazine. Ironically, the county's beauty lies in its lush, mountainous landscape, carved by the Rogue and Illinois rivers. However, its climate, once a primary draw, now poses a grave threat to residents' health and well-being.

Josephine County, home to Grants Pass, has claimed an estimated 17 lives per 100,000 people annually from 2006 to 2020 due to wildfire smoke, tying with Trinity County in California for the dubious honor of being the deadliest place for smoke-related deaths in the United States. Residents have borne witness to the harrowing consequences of this toxic haze, with ash coating their cars like snow and literally tasting the smoky air.

Cynthia Hewitt, a retiree and restaurant owner, has even resorted to using wet towels to block the smoke from infiltrating her home.

The relentless assault on the community's health has left an indelible mark on the lives of many. Randi Maldonado, a mother of two, tries to soothe her toddler's lungs by closing her bathroom door with the hot water running, mimicking a humidifier's effect. Her own mother, Kim Williams, recounts the tragic loss of her husband, who succumbed not long after leaving the windows open during a particularly severe smoke event.

The smoking conditions have become so dire that even hospitals struggle to keep the haze at bay. Local nurse Joann Reed recalls a summer when hospital staff had to stand outside exits, attempting to contain the smoke within the facility. Despite the community's resilience and tight-knit nature, the wildfire smoke has left an indelible mark on the lives of those who call Josephine County home.