Animals might help us better understand the long-term health effects of wildfires

Photo by Justin Sullivan / Getty Images After raging fires subside, their impact on peoples’ health will linger. During and immediately after wildfires, increased hospital visits document the direct toll of smoke and flames — from burns to trouble breathing. But the more insidious ways the fires affect people months or even years ahead has been more difficult to follow.Animals who’ve survived previous blazes can help us better understand those long-term effects, scientists say