CNN
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SAN DIEGO — The scenes from the California wildfires are horrifying enough, with windblown walls of flames destroying homes and building in their path, but health experts say the smoke can be even more dangerous.

Plumes of smoke can be seen from NASA satellites and are so thick that they looks like rain on Doppler weather radar.

But the real concerns are the particles and gases in the smoke. When a fire burns it generates carbon dioxide, water vapor, carbon monoxide particulate matter and other chemicals.

Full Story: Tiny particles can cause mucous build-up in lungs