The health impacts and economic value of wildland fire episodes in the U.S.: 2008-2012

Introduction: Wildland fires degrade air quality and adversely affect human health. A growing body of epidemiologyliterature reports increased rates of emergency departments, hospital admissions and premature deathsfrom wildfire smoke exposure.Objective: Our research aimed to characterize excess mortality and morbidity events, and the economic value ofthese impacts, from wildland fire smoke exposure in the U.S. over a multi-year period; to date no other burdenassessment has done this.Methods: We first completed a systematic review of the epidemiologic literature and then performed photochemicalair quality modeling for the years 2008 to 2012 in the continental U.S. Finally, we estimated the morbidity,mortality, and economic burden of wildland fires.Results: Our models suggest that areas including northern California, Oregon and Idaho in the West, and Florida,Louisiana and Georgia in the East were most affected bywildland fire events in the form of additional prematuredeaths and respiratory hospital admissions. We estimated the economic value of these cases due to short termexposures as being between $11 and $20B (2010$) per year, with a net present value of $63B (95% confidenceintervals $6–$170); we estimate the value of long-term exposures as being between $76 and $130B (2010$)per year, with a net present value of $450B (95% confidence intervals $42–$1200)