Woodsmoke contains wood ash. Wood ash contains lye. Ergo, would the amount of lye in the smoke burn my eyes, or is it just the particulate matter? I am experiencing a long-lasting burn right now.
There are a host of different chemical irritants in wood smoke.
Some of these chemicals, such as acrolein, are potent lachrymators. Inorganic hydroxides are probably not volatile enough to be a major eye irritant in smoke.