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Disproportionate Impacts of Wildfires among Elderly and Low-Income Communities in California from 2000–2020

Author

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  • Shahir Masri

    (Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA)

  • Erica Scaduto

    (Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA)

  • Yufang Jin

    (Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA)

  • Jun Wu

    (Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA)

Abstract

Wildfires can be detrimental to urban and rural communities, causing impacts in the form of psychological stress, direct physical injury, and smoke-related morbidity and mortality. This study examined the area burned by wildfires over the entire state of California from the years 2000 to 2020 in order to quantify and identify whether burned area and fire frequency differed across Census tracts according to socioeconomic indicators over time. Wildfire data were obtained from the California Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP) and National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), while demographic data were obtained from the American Community Survey. Results showed a doubling in the number of Census tracts that experienced major wildfires and a near doubling in the number of people residing in wildfire-impacted Census tracts, mostly due to an over 23,000 acre/year increase in the area burned by wildfires over the last two decades. Census tracts with a higher fire frequency and burned area had lower proportions of minority groups on average. However, when considering Native American populations, a greater proportion resided in highly impacted Census tracts. Such Census tracts also had higher proportions of older residents. In general, high-impact Census tracts tended to have higher proportions of low-income residents and lower proportions of high-income residents, as well as lower median household incomes and home values. These findings are important to policymakers and state agencies as it relates to environmental justice and the allocation of resources before, during, and after wildfires in the state of California.

Suggested Citation

  • Shahir Masri & Erica Scaduto & Yufang Jin & Jun Wu, 2021. "Disproportionate Impacts of Wildfires among Elderly and Low-Income Communities in California from 2000–2020," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:8:p:3921-:d:532449
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mark D. O. Adams & Susan Charnley, 2020. "The Environmental Justice Implications of Managing Hazardous Fuels on Federal Forest Lands," Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 110(6), pages 1907-1935, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lawrence A. Palinkas & Jessenia De Leon & Kexin Yu & Erika Salinas & Cecilia Fernandez & Jill Johnston & Md Mostafijur Rahman & Sam J. Silva & Michael Hurlburt & Rob S. McConnell & Erika Garcia, 2023. "Adaptation Resources and Responses to Wildfire Smoke and Other Forms of Air Pollution in Low-Income Urban Settings: A Mixed-Methods Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(7), pages 1-16, April.
    2. Meldrum, James R. & Champ, Patricia A. & Brenkert-Smith, Hannah & Barth, Christopher M. & McConnell, Abby E. & Wagner, Carolyn & Donovan, Colleen, 2024. "Rethinking cost-share programs in consideration of economic equity: A case study of wildfire risk mitigation assistance for private landowners," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    3. Ankita Mohapatra & Timothy Trinh, 2022. "Early Wildfire Detection Technologies in Practice—A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-21, September.
    4. Shahir Masri & Erica Anne Shenoi & Dana Rose Garfin & Jun Wu, 2023. "Assessing Perception of Wildfires and Related Impacts among Adult Residents of Southern California," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-15, January.
    5. Giuseppina Spano & Mario Elia & Onofrio Cappelluti & Giuseppe Colangelo & Vincenzo Giannico & Marina D’Este & Raffaele Lafortezza & Giovanni Sanesi, 2021. "Is Experience the Best Teacher? Knowledge, Perceptions, and Awareness of Wildfire Risk," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-12, August.

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