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As Washington-area residents prepared for Independence Day celebrations on July 4, a Fairfax-based pulmonologist urged people with asthma, emphysema, and other lung conditions to take precautions against fireworks smoke.
Dr. Bobby Mahajan, chief of interventional pulmonology for Inova Health System, said smoke and particulate matter from fireworks can trigger serious breathing difficulties in vulnerable patients. The warning comes as the planned Freedom 250 display prepared to launch 850,000 shells from staging areas on and near the National Mall—a significant increase from the National Park Service’s 7,000 fireworks at the 2025 National Mall event.
“These patients typically, although they are typically active and functional, they can easily be set off by different kinds of irritants,” Mahajan said.
Mahajan noted that neighborhood fireworks in the days before July Fourth can expose susceptible residents to smoke buildup before the main holiday displays occur, potentially triggering respiratory symptoms before the holiday arrives. He said the smoke risk extends beyond the evening itself.
“As long as you can still see that kind of smoggy layer that you know exists over the D.C. area afterward, again, keep your mask available and keep your medications and rescue medications ready, just in case,” he advised, recommending that vulnerable patients maintain precautions for one or two days after July Fourth if visible haze remained over the region.
Mahajan distinguished between risks for different populations. While healthy people might experience minor, short-lived irritation from fireworks smoke, those with underlying lung disease face more serious consequences. “Someone who is healthy usually is not an issue, might be a little bit irritation, but that’s pretty short-lived for them. It’s more so those individuals who have underlying lung disease that we worry about,” he said.
He said extreme heat posed a broader risk to National Mall spectators than smoke, but smoke remained the principal concern for people with underlying respiratory conditions. Mahajan recommended that susceptible residents avoid exposure when possible and keep masks, regular medications, and rescue medications available during the holiday period.
Clear weather, according to Mahajan, would extend the smoke’s presence. “In a perfect world, it’s nice and bright and sunny until the fireworks are completed and that night it storms down,” he said, noting that rain after the fireworks could make the smoky aftermath more tolerable, though such timing is uncommon.