Wildfires driven by climate change contribute to as many as thousands of annual deaths and billions of dollars in economic costs from wildfire smoke in the United States, according to a new study.

Smoke from wildfires intensified by climate change caused an estimated 15,000 deaths and $160 billion in damages in the U.S. over a 15-year span, according to new research.Dorany Pineda reports for The Associated Press.

Smoke from wildfires worsened by climate change has killed an estimated 15,000 people in the US over 20 years—and that's saying nothing about the economic costs. A new study published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment attempts to quantify just how much climate change is contributing to wildfire smoke deaths and associated economic costs