Hazardous Air Quality Is Taking A Toll On Californians Caught Near Wildfires
Emergency room doctors report waves of patients with breathing problems as smoke increases fine particulates in the air. Health officials also are monitoring the potential mental health toll wildfires can take on people directly exposed to the disaster.
AP:
In Some Los Angeles Neighborhoods, Air Filters Sell Out And People Mask Up Against The Smoke
Across Southern California, people are taking precautions as the air quality index — a measure that includes fine particles — reached hazardous levels for some neighborhoods, including Pasadena. Air purifiers in Home Depots around Central Los Angeles are sold out. Dr. Puneet Gupta, assistant medical director for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said emergency room doctors tell him people with breathing problems are coming in by ambulance, driving themselves and with family. (Pineda and Webber, 1/9)
The Washington Post:
What Wildfire Smoke Means For Your Health And How To Protect Yourself
The fires burning across Los Angeles County have sent billowing plumes of black smoke into the air, posing a major health threat even as quick-moving flames have blowtorched homes, schools and other buildings. That’s because wildfire smoke contains fine particulates, known as PM2.5, which are one-seventieth the width of a single human hair and can easily infiltrate the heart and lungs. While the fires are currently concentrated on the West Coast, the threat isn’t limited to that region. Residents nationwide need to be cautious because wildfire smoke can travel, said Susan Anenberg, chair of the environmental and occupational health department at George Washington University. (Ajasa, 1/9)
ABC News:
California Wildfires Can Take Mental Health Toll On Residents, Firefighters
Mental health experts say that most people are resilient and do not develop a mental health condition as a result of trauma from a natural disaster. However, those with more exposure to the event -- such as losing a home, losing a loved one or experiencing injury -- are at higher risk, the experts said. (Kekatos, 1/10)
The New York Times:
Los Angeles Wildfires Will Make A Serious Housing Shortage Worse
“One of the biggest challenges ahead will be getting people who lost their homes into permanent, long-term housing,” Victor M. Gordo, the mayor of Pasadena, said on Wednesday. Pasadena, which is battling the Eaton fire, has already lost hundreds of homes. ... “It’s very possible that this event is going to cause a big increase in homelessness, even though the people who got pushed out of their homes are people of means,” said Jonathan Zasloff, who lost his home in Pacific Palisades this week and teaches land use and urban policy at the University of California. (Kaye and Dougherty, 1/10)
The Hill:
All Of Los Angeles County Receives Evacuation Alert In Error
Los Angeles County officials accidentally sent an evacuation text to all residents in error on Thursday evening as wildfires continue to spread rapidly throughout the area. The city’s emergency management department retracted the statement on X and in text messages to residents. (Fields, 1/9)
In other news —
The 19th:
Women Firefighters With Reproductive Cancers Are Now Eligible For Federal Help
In 2006, Kareena Lynde was working in Shasta Lake, California, on a hotshot crew — a group of highly trained wildland firefighters — when she started to notice a sharp pain in her abdomen. At first she chalked up the discomfort, plus symptoms like bloating and nausea, to the nature of her work, with its long, arduous hours and unhealthy backcountry meals. (Kutz, 1/9)
The Colorado Sun:
Marshall Fire Smoke Was Health Hazard In Neighbors' Homes, CU Studies Say
Direct neighbors of houses burned in the Marshall fire suffered measurable increases in volatile organic compounds from toxic smoke in their homes, and hundreds more residents reported headaches and other health problems, according to companion University of Colorado studies published in late December. (Booth, 1/9)
