Long-Term Health Impacts of Wildfire Exposure: A Retrospective Study Exploring Hospitalization Dynamics Following the 2016 Wave of Fires in Israel

Abstract

Background: Climate-related events, including wildfires, which adversely affect human health, are gaining the growing attention of public-health officials and researchers. Israel has experienced several disastrous fires, including the wave of fires in November 2016 that led to the evacuation of 75,000 people. The fires lasted six days (22–27 November) with no loss of life or significant immediate health impacts. The objective of this study is to explore the long-term hospitalization dynamics in a population exposed to this large-scale fire, including the effects of underlying morbidity and socio-economic status (SES). Methods: This is a retrospective crossover study, conducted in 2020, analyzing the electronic medical records of residents from areas exposed to a wildfire in northern Israel. The study spans from one year before exposure to two years after it (22 November 2015–27 November 2018). The hospitalization days during the study period were analyzed using the Poisson regression model. The rate of hospitalization days along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were plotted. Results: The study included 106,595 participants. The median age was 37 (IQR = 17–56), with a mean socio-economic ranking of 6.47 out of 10 (SD = 2.01). Analysis revealed that people with underlying morbidity were at greater risk of experiencing long-term effects following fires, which was manifested in higher hospitalization rates that remained elevated for two years post-exposure. This was also evident among individuals of low socio-economic status without these background illnesses. Conclusions: Healthcare services should prepare for increased hospitalization rates during the two years following wildfires for populations with underlying morbidity and those of low socio-economic status. Implementing preventive-medicine approaches may increase the resiliency of communities in the face of extreme climate-related events and prevent future health burdens. Additional research should focus on the specific mechanisms underpinning the long-term effects of wildfire exposure.

Wake-up call for HPPP – health promotion, prevention, and preparedness

“…We see an unprecedented number of natural disasters with more displaced persons, and outbreaks of diseases associated with unsafe water and sanitation, such as diarrheal diseases which are the second leading cause of death in children under five worldwide ( 10 ). As climate change intensifies, wildfires are also on the surge, with a global increase in extreme fires of up to 14 percent by 2030 and 30 percent by the end of 2050 ( 11 ), causing increased pollution in large cities with preexisting major pollution issues and long-term adverse health consequences, especially among vulnerable populations ( 12 ).…”

Economic losses and cross border effects caused by Pantanal catastrophic wildfires

“…Numerous studies have focused on evaluating the economic costs and impacts of res in various areas, including hydrology, environment, tourism, and health, with primary emphasis on the Australian, Mediterranean, and North American regions (Reid et al 2016; Wang et al 2018;Wagenbrenner et al 2021;Cohen et al 2022; Otrachshenko and Nunes 2022, among others). For instance, in the western United States, the 2018 California res resulted in direct and indirect losses amounting to a mean value of US$148.5 billion, with US$88.6 billion attributed to indirect losses in various industry sectors, half of which occurred beyond the regional scale.…”

Economic Losses and Cross Border Effects Caused by Pantanal Catastrophic Wildfires

“…Numerous studies have focused on evaluating the economic costs and impacts of fires in various areas, including hydrology, environment, tourism, and health, with primary emphasis on the Australian, Mediterranean, and North American regions (Reid et al, 2016;Wang et al, 2018;Wagenbrenner et al, 2021;Cohen et al, 2022;Otrachshenko and Nunes, 2022, among others). For instance, in the western United States, the 2018 California fires resulted in direct and indirect losses amounting to a mean value of US$148.5 billion, with US$88.6 billion attributed to indirect losses in various industry sectors, half of which occurred beyond the regional scale.…”