Human Health Impacts of Forest Fires

The relationships between human health and forest fires are variable and complex.  While fires can enhance the health of fire-adapted ecosystems, research on the human health impacts of smoke from forest fires is somewhat equivocal.  For many people, fires have very little or no health impact.  Other people experience adverse health effects, especially those who have higher degrees of exposure, residents of wildland-urban interfaces, and outdoor enthusiasts.  Similarly, forest fires adversely effect the health of more vulnerable groups including the elderly, children, women, minorities, the poor, and people with pre-existing cardiopulmonary and psychiatric disorders.  Threats to human health can be more or less severe depending on local meteorology and fire behavior. 

The entries in this section of the encyclopedia review wildland forest fire research and other disciplines including pulmonary medicine, epidemiology, public health, clinical and animal toxicology, sociology, and anthropology to assess the human health impacts of forest fires. Within this encylcopedia are summaries of our current state of knowledge about the following:

• Human Health and Air Quality identifies the physiological impacts caused by the constituents of smoke from forest fires including cardiopulmonary conditions, carcinogenesis, premature death, and other adverse health effects including suppressed immunity, physical and cognitive impairments, and direct injuries.
• Human Health and Water Quality defines human health consequences of changes in water resources.
• Psychosocial Conditions and Fire is divided into a section discussing psychosocial issues and individuals and psychosocial issues and communities.
• Occupational Exposures discusses the particular hazards faced by fire workers as an occupational group.
• Visibility impairment describes the problems caused when biomass smoke occurs along roadways and in scenic vistas.
• Health Care Measures details available means for minimizing the health consequences of forest fires.