Wildfire Preparedness Week and Populations that Could Experience Greater Adverse Effects from Smoke

In California, the first week of May is recognized as Wildfire Preparedness Week. It is a time when the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and partner agencies share proactive ways that people, communities, and businesses can protect themselves and their property from the threat of wildfires.

Wildfires can indeed cause extensive damage due to their flames, but many more people are impacted by the smoke, especially when it comes to certain groups. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published information about certain life stages and populations that may be at greater risk of experiencing health effects due to wildfire smoke exposure. The agency warns these at-risk populations should be particularly diligent about limiting exposure to wildfire smoke because evidence indicates that the risk of fine particle-related health effects varies throughout a lifetime.

EPA’s list of at-risk populations includes the following:

• People with asthma and other respiratory diseases - Air pollution, such as wildfire smoke, may not affect healthy people, but for people with chronic lung diseases, such as asthma and COPD, it can lead to breathing difficulties and trigger exacerbations of their disease.
  
  
• People with cardiovascular disease - Diseases of the circulatory system can put individuals at increased risk of cardiovascular-related events triggered by air pollutants.
  
  
• Children - All children, even those with no pre-existing illness or chronic conditions, are considered sensitive to air pollution, including wildfire smoke.
  
  
• Pregnant women - During pregnancy, physiologic changes, such as higher respiratory rates and increases in blood and plasma volumes, increase one’s vulnerability to environmental exposures. Additionally, during critical windows of human development, exposure to wildfire smoke may harm the developing fetus.
  
  
• Older adults - Older adults are at increased risk of health effects from short-term exposures to wildfire smoke because of their higher prevalence of pre-existing lung and heart diseases, and because important physiologic processes, including defense mechanisms, decline with age.
  
  
• Outdoor workers - Extended periods of time exposed to high concentrations of wildfire smoke could result in a range of health effects depending on the underlying health status of the worker.
  
  

“We breathe airborne particles every day, most of which are too small to see with the unaided eye. During a wildfire, concentrations of large inhalable and smaller respirable particles can reach extreme concentrations that darken our skies and impact our health,” said Derrick A. Denis, Senior Vice President for Clark Seif Clark. “Limiting exposure to airborne particles during wildfires is important to maintaining health, especially for vulnerable populations. Withdrawal from fire-affected areas until the smoke clears is often not an option. When sheltering in place, there are a variety of changes in behavior and modifications to buildings that can help reduce infiltration and exposure to wildfire particulates. At CSC, we regularly advise clients on various practical, economical, and effective options to minimize the impacts of wildfire smoke.”

To help in these situations, the industrial hygiene, building science, and indoor environmental quality professionals at CSC offer indoor and outdoor air testing services to identify and mitigate exposure risks to wildfire smoke and other airborne pollutants. CSC also provides employee training on the proper use of respirators and air monitoring instruments, building assessments to evaluate filtration and engineering controls, smoke residue and odor investigations, and more. They have even sponsored an educational video about wildfire smoke and populations that could experience greater risks that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/cAJtHCGXtRg

To learn more about this or other occupational, air quality, environmental, health, and safety testing, training, and consulting services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com, or call 800-807-1118.

About Clark Seif Clark, Inc. (CSC)
Since 1996, CSC has helped clients in both the public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational health, and environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers, and real estate professionals.

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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