California's wildfires 'cause pollution and damaging emissions'

This year's Californian forest fires have had a more detrimental impact on the atmosphere than those of last year, according to experts.

Though 2007's fires resulted in more deaths and structural devastation, more acres have burned this year, releasing large volumes of atmosphere-damaging greenhouse gases, said the National Centre for Atmospheric Research.

A spokesperson for the centre said that as a result, people in California have been exposed to "very unhealthy levels of air pollution" and that these gases remain in the atmosphere "for years", the San Francisco chronicle reported.

"These fires are spewing out greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide at a rate of 50 tonnes per acre," said California forest and wildfire expert Tom Bonnicksen.

He added that the fires are unquestionably contributing to climate change.

Meanwhile, fire fighters in the region claimed yesterday that the blazes are set to ease if there is a continuance of the currently calm winds.