Notes from the Field: Understanding Smoke Exposure in Communities and Fire Camps Affected by Wildfires – California and Oregon, 2020

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Personal Author:
  Navarro, Kathleen ; Vaidyanathan, Ambarish
• Description:
  During 2020, the United States has experienced unseasonably higher fire activity than in past years, resulting in >7.8 million burned acres; as of December, wildfires were still active in the western United States. A major public health concern associated with wildfires is exposure to air pollutants, such as fine inhalable particles in smoke, with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 2.5 microm (particulate matter [PM]2.5). Exposure to wildfire smoke can irritate the lungs, alter immune function, and increase susceptibility to respiratory infections. In addition, exacerbations of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, and possibly increased mortality are associated with smoke exposure. Characterizing smoke exposure levels for communities located near the fires and personnel involved in response efforts is a critical public health function during wildfire episodes. ... High smoke levels and other hazards present during wildfires reinforce the need for professionals such as air resource advisors, who are trained in smoke-health issues and related public health topics, to be included on wildfire incident teams. Observations made by CDC staff members, as well as other air resource advisors, on environmental and occupational risk factors and their public health consequences on nearby communities and fire camps can inform future wildfire response efforts. Coordination among public health and land management agencies at multiple levels before, during, and after wildfire incidents can help mitigate adverse health effects. CDC continues to collaborate with federal land management agencies, which manage and support wildfire incidents, to understand the adverse health impacts of smoke exposure on communities and wildland firefighters. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Community Health Services Environment Environmental Exposure Firefighters Fires Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Particulate Matter Public Health Respiratory System Safety Wildfires

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• Keywords:
  Airborne Particles Air Pollutants Community Based Community Health Employee Exposure Environmental Exposure Environmental Factors Environmental Health Monitoring Environmental Management Exposure Assessment Fire Fighters Fire Fighting Fire Hazards Health Effects Humans Inhalation Particle Aerodynamics Particle Diameter Particle Size Professional Workers Public Health Respiratory Irritants Smoke Inhalation Surveillance

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• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195 (print) ; 1545-861X (digital)
• Publisher:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (U.S.)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Oregon ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  3 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Lahm, Pete ; Wagner, Wendy
• Volume:
  69
• Issue:
  49
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20061610
• Citation:
  MMWR 2020 Dec; 69(49):1873-1875
• Email:
  rishv@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b82b42b78fdd8c51069f6542096cb7a230a43ed0ed93d7618792739a8e617092c2b9329d5228ba3c191d47d2c51e62799cb12baa9bc87720cc2f5e2a8d020c07
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/183208/cdc_183208_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 188.75 KB ]