immediate environmental effects. I don't know how immediate the effect are but here is some information that may answer your question.
(1) Environmental Research Laboratory, University of Arizona, 2601 East Airport Drive, 85706 Tucson, AZ, USA
Received: 12 September 1991 Revised: 29 October 1991 Accepted: 31 October 1991
Abstract The plumes from the Kuwait oil field fires reduced hemispheric (total) solar radiation by 26-36% during January-June 1991 in Jubail (300 km SE of Kuwait City), Saudi Arabia. Residents feel noticeably cooler even though air temperatures have not been lowered significantly (up to June 1991). These observations support human comfort theories and demonstrate the importance of shade to comfort. The desirability of complete solar radiation measurements, including those of diffuse radiation, is indicated.
Key words Kuwait - Oil field fires - Human comfort - Environmental studies
http://www.springerlink.com/content/r546u7v684232027/
Burning Black Gold: How the Use of Oil Affects the Environment
While the transportation and drilling of oil cause problems themselves, the burning of the oil itself can create huge environmental problems. Individuals drive their cars and fly in their planes unaware of the pollutants they are putting into the environment. Such examples include the infiltration of ozone into breathed air, acid rain and global warning. How do these byproducts of burning oil affect you?
The Bad Ozone
Basically, there is "bad" ozone and "good" ozone. The ozone that is bad is that generated by exhaust emissions on especially hot and humid days. Good ozone is the protective layer that exists high up in the atmosphere. The exhaust from vehicle emissions and gas vapors create much NOx and VOC which are "ozone precursors." So what does this presence of ozone pollution mean to you and your family?
When you are exposed to ozone there are a number of health effects that may follow. These include congestion, chest pains and coughing, but those are some of the more mild symptoms. Your lung capacity could be temporarily or even permanently damaged and you may suffer from bronchitis, emphysema, asthma and heart disease. Many health professionals claim that even healthy individuals can suffer when exposed consistently to a high ozone area.
More Harmful Effects
Still, there is more negative fallout from the burning of fossil fuels such as oil. One such example is acid rain. As the name suggests, acid rain is a more acidic rain than normal. The burning of these fuels creates sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides in the air and when they merge with the moisture, acid rain is created. And what does this acid do? It penetrates the rivers, lakes and streams and can kill plants, fish and wildlife in the surrounding areas. Also, there is the structural damage that takes place as a result of the constant acid beating on buildings, statues and other structures. Concrete, brick and other building substances are literally eaten away.
Global warming is another concern in the issue surrounding the burning of oil. When oil and gasoline are burned, carbon dioxide is the resulting by product that is put into the air. Carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere, and the planet becomes hotter. The trapping of heat can create a huge change in climate, which can seriously affect wildlife and ecosystems around the world.
http://www.crudeoilbiz.com/oil-industry-burning.shtml
The byproducts of the petroleum burn caused pollution to the soil and air, and the oil fires have been linked with what was later called Gulf War Syndrome. (*Side note the fires did not cause Gulf War Syndrome. Gulf War Syndrome was caused by Squalene which is used by some manufactures of the Swine Flu Shot.) Whether this syndrome has been caused by the oil fires, by chemical attack, or other causes has not been determined, and the long term environmental effects of the fires have yet to be fully understood.
During Operation Desert Storm, Dr. S. Fred Singer debated Carl Sagan on the impact of the Kuwaiti petroleum fires on the ABC News program Nightline. Sagan said we know from the nuclear winter investigation that the smoke would loft into the upper atmosphere and that he believed the net effects would be very similar to the explosion of the Indonesian volcano Tambora in 1815, which resulted in the year 1816 being known as the Year Without a Summer, in massive agricultural failures, in very serious human suffering and, in some cases, starvation
In retrospect, it is now known that smoke from the Kuwait Oil Fires dominated the weather pattern throughout the Persian Gulf and surrounding region during 1991, and that lower atmospheric wind blew the smoke along the eastern half of the Arabian Peninsula, and cities like Dhahran, Riyadh and Bahrain experienced days with smoke filled skies and carbon fallout.[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuwaiti_oil_fires
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