Following the series of fires that occurred in Los Angeles this year, research was conducted to estimate the fatal consequences of these tragedies on the local population. The result was a conclusion that the fatal impacts are much greater than previously reported, as are the public health consequences resulting from the long-term consequences of the fires.
Indirect deaths outnumber direct fatalities in Los Angeles area fires
Wildfires that devastated parts of the Los Angeles area in January indirectly led to hundreds of deaths in the ensuing weeks, far exceeding the official toll of 31 fatalities, according to a study released on Wednesday. The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, or JAMA, estimated 440 “excess deaths” were attributable to the fires from January 5 to February 1.
These figures make it clear that the indirect effects of wildfires are often underestimated, as the health consequences persist even after the fires are extinguished. The combination of air pollution and the overburdened health services creates a scenario that significantly increases the risk of deaths after the disaster.
Hidden impacts of fires: Increase of deaths
The additional deaths likely reflect a mix of factors, including increased exposure of people with heart and lung disease to poor air quality from smoke and toxins released by the fires, as well as healthcare delays and disruptions, the study said.
The study makes it clear that most of these additional deaths are related to prolonged exposure to air pollution caused by smoke from the fires, which particularly affects people with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, the impact on health systems and the postponement of essential treatments during the crisis further worsen the situation, resulting in mortality rates that are often not accounted for in official data.
New methodology to assess the deadly impact of fires
The findings “underscore the need to complement direct fatalities estimates with alternative methods to quantify the additional mortality burden of wildfires and of climate-related emergencies more broadly,” the researchers wrote.
The research was important in demonstrating the need to expand monitoring methods for the consequences of climate change, such as wildfires, which not only cause immediate deaths but also trigger a significant increase in indirect deaths.
Los Angeles devastation: structures lost and area burned
Two wind-driven wildfires that erupted during the first week of January on opposite sides of Los Angeles damaged or destroyed nearly 16,000 structures combined – laying waste to much of the seaside district of Pacific Palisades and the foothill community of Altadena. Together, the blazes scorched 59 square miles (152 sq km), an area larger than Paris.
The official tally of people who perished as a direct result of the fires stands at 31, after the most recent set of human remains were unearthed in Altadena in July, six months after the fires.
The high economic and social costs of California wildfires
Governor Gavin Newsom in February requested nearly $40 billion in wildfire aid from Congress. Some estimates put economic losses from the fires at more than $250 billion, making the conflagration one of the most costly natural disasters in U.S. history. The JAMA study acknowledged some limitations, saying the data may need to be revised upward in the future and the research did not reflect any fire-attributable deaths beyond Feb. 1.
Although these are still only initial estimates, it is already possible to conclude from them that the impacts resulting from disasters are considerably greater than previously recorded, and knowledge of this is extremely important. Therefore, reevaluating fire management policies becomes necessary not only in the immediate aftermath of the event, but also in the weeks following it, in order to prevent as many deaths as possible.
GCN.com/Reuters