Wildfire Impacts on Elderly Populations
Veronica Roderick (she/her)
MPH Candidate 2024
OHSU-PSU School of Public Health
Seniors are regarded as the most at-risk population during wildfires because of their reduced mobility, declined cognition, and poor health conditions. These limitations make preparing for and responding to wildfires difficult, especially for those reliant on caregivers, which hinders timely evacuation. As it stands, adults 65 and older are 2 to 4 times more likely to die in a fire (U.S. Fire Administration, 2020). Social and environmental health determinants, such as built environment, economic vulnerability, and wildfire education, preparation, and communication, should be addressed to reduce the risk of mortality.
Senior Living Considerations
Elderly individuals living independently and in rural areas are especially at risk. Transportation may be limited, and for those living on fixed incomes, there may be additional concerns about leaving their home behind and affording another place to stay. Seniors with special health needs might also be hesitant to leave non-portable medical equipment behind (Bell, 2022). This reluctance to leave is a major concern, as every second counts in a wildfire evacuation. Older adults might not have the technology set up to get wildfire alerts when they are at risk, which further delays their opportunity to evacuate. Those who live alone are less likely to engage in preventive measures against fires. They are also less likely to receive prompt help in fire emergencies (Federal Emergency Management Association, 1999).
Long-term care facilities are comprised of people 65 and older, and over half of assisted living facilities have residents aged 85 and above (American Health Care Association & National Center for Assisted Living, n.d.). The number of residents far exceeds the number of staff members and most people living in care homes have needs that require a significant amount of assistance. With some residents completely reliant on caregivers, timely evacuations become more difficult (U.S. Fire Administration, 2001). On top of this, securing temporary housing for mass numbers of this population poses an additional concern for facilities and their residents.
Senior Living Wildfire Evacuations
Dementia can make evacuations even more challenging for care facilities (Chan, 2020).
A Science Friday story about nursing homes in the context of wildfire (Peterson, 2020).
IN THE FACE OF A WILDFIRE, CALIFORNIA'S NURSING HOMES ARE UNPREPARED
Wildfires Disproportionately Affect Poor Seniors
According to a study in California, rural areas with high rates of poverty and unemployment sustained three times more wildfires, which are also areas that have substantially more elderly residents. This is a major concern, as seniors are the most vulnerable to smoke-related health problems (Masri et al., 2021).
One in three seniors 65 and older are economically insecure (National Council on Aging, 2022), with 10 percent living below the federal poverty line (Creamer et al., 2022).
Among Black and Hispanic adults 65 and older, half have incomes below 200% of the federal poverty line and they have the highest risk of unemployment (National Council on Aging, 2022).
People living where wildlands meet urbanized areas are directly exposed to wildfires when they occur, and those who populate these areas typically have incomes that are below the federal poverty line, putting them at higher risk (University of Oregon, 2001).
Low income populations may be less able to afford protective measures like fire insurance (Beeson, 2022; Auer and Hexamer, 2022).
When wildfires reach low-income seniors, they suffer greater economic loss because the fire destroys primary financial assets, such as houses, vehicles, or livestock (University of Oregon, 2001). Additionally, with the number of wildfires increasing, insurance companies have canceled homeowners' insurance due to their high exposure risk (Beeson, 2022).
It's important to take these economic and racial disparities into consideration. Many seniors live on fixed incomes from Social Security or savings and might not have the means to prepare for or rebuild after a wildfire.
2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, CA
The events that took place demonstrate the importance of prioritizing timely communication and evacuation assistance for elders.
Fire in Paradise, CA
In 2018, the California's Camp fire destroyed the town of Paradise, which had 35 percent of residents 65 and older, over a quarter of the population (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.). It took four hours for the fire to burn its way through Paradise, a town that had an established wildfire evacuation plan. The fire spread so quickly that the evacuation plan couldn’t go into effect and residents were essentially on their own to evacuate (Frontline PBS, 2019).
Lessons from Paradise
85 people were killed in the fire, and 72 of them -- 85% killed were over the age of 60 (Skiba, 2019). Paradise is a devastating example of how at-risk seniors are in the wake of a wildfire. The rapid speed that the Camp fire spread left little time to alert residents of the encroaching fire and even less time for people to pack up and leave. Wildfires move quickly, and it's important to deliver urgent communication to senior populations who may be reluctant to evacuate and have difficulties with mobility.
Frontline Documentary: Fire in Paradise
Learn more about how 2018's Camp fire destroyed Paradise and devastated the community.
Senior Health Impacts
Psychological Stress
Stress from experiencing a wildfire increases vulnerability among people experiencing memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease (Farugia et al., 2021).
Physical Injury
Limited time and reduced mobility make the elderly more prone to injury during evacuation (FEMA, 1999).
Heart Attack & Stroke
Smoke inhalation causes an increase in heart attacks and 40% increase in the rate of strokes for seniors (Ryan, 2020).
Death Rates and Relative Risk of Dying in a Fire
According to the U.S. Fire Administration (2020), age impacts risk of dying in a fire.
65 and older
29.1 deaths per million population
2.5 times the risk of dying in a fire
Aged 65 to 74
25.0 deaths per million population
2.2 times the risk of dying in a fire
Aged 75 to 84
31.0 deaths per million population
2.7 times the risk of dying in a fire
85 and older
45.8 deaths per million population
4 times the risk of dying in a fire
Preparation Considerations for Seniors
Elderly individuals need to consider their specific needs when preparing for wildfire response (Home Instead, 2022):
Have mobility devices on hand
Keep glasses and hearing aids close by
Stock a few days worth of necessary medications
Remove obstructions in the path of evacuation
Install smoke alarms (for those hard of hearing, alarms with flashing lights and vibrating signals can be installed)
Set up internal and external sprinklers
Know how to get wildfire alerts
Have an escape route planned and practiced
Preparedness Resources
Make sure you know what plans facilities have in place if disaster strikes.
Questions to Ask a Loved One's Care Facility About Disaster Planning
(KQED, n.d.)
A guide for seniors to consider their individualized needs in the event of disaster and evacuation.
Disaster Preparedness For Seniors By Seniors
(American Red Cross, n.d.)
View this interactive map to find out how at risk you are to wildfires in your area.
(United States Department of Agriculture, n.d.)
Check out other related pages!
References
American Health Care Association & National Center for Assisted Living. (n.d.). Facts and Figures. https://www.ahcancal.org/Assisted-Living/Facts-and-Figures/Pages/default.aspx
American Red Cross. (n.d.). Disaster Preparedness For Seniors By Seniors. https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/atg/PDF_s/Preparedness___Disaster_Recovery/Disaster_Preparedness/Disaster_Preparedness_for_Srs-English.revised_7-09.pdf
Beeson, L. (2022, September 19). Wildfires disproportionately affect the poor. University of Georiga. https://news.uga.edu/wildfires-disproportionately-affect-poor/
Bell, S. A. (2022, September). Hurricane Ian: Older adults have many reasons for not evacuating – here’s why it’s important to check on aging neighbors. University of Michigan. https://ihpi.umich.edu/news/commentary-hurricane-ian-older-adults-have-many-reasons-not-evacuating-heres-why-its-important
Bonvissuto, K. (2022, January 13). ‘Nothing short of a miracle’--Senior living execs recount resident evacuations during Colorado wildfire. McKnights Senior Living. https://www.mcknightsseniorliving.com/home/news/nothing-short-of-a-miracle-senior-living-execs-recount-resident-evacuations-during-colorado-wildfire/
Chan, N. (2020, September 24). When a Long-Term Care Facility Evacuates In a Wildfire. Being Patient. https://www.beingpatient.com/long-term-care-evacuates-wildfire-dementia/
Creamer, J., Shrider, E., Burns, K., & Chen, F. (2022, September 13). Poverty in the United States: 2021. United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2022/demo/income-poverty/p60-277.html
Farugia, T., Cuni-Lopez, C., & White, A. (2021) Potential Impacts of Extreme Heat and Bushfires on Dementia. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 79 (3), 969-978. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-201388
Federal Emergency Managment Association. (1999, December). Fire Risks for the Older Adults. https://monroela.us/sites/default/files/elderly-fire-risks.pdf
Frontline PBS. (2019, October 29). Fire in Paradise | Frontline [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3OX1PR2SCM
Home Instead (2022, May 6).10 Tips to Keep Seniors Safe from Wildfires. https://www.homeinstead.com/care-resources/wellness-lifestyle/10-tips-keep-older-adults-safe-wildfires/
KQED. (n.d.) Questions to Ask a Loved One's Care Facility About Disaster Planning. https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/Questions-to-Ask-a-Care-Facility-About-Disaster-Planning-KQED.pdf
Masri, S., Scaduto, E., Jin, Y., & Wu, J. (2021). Disproportionate Impacts of Wildfires among Elderly and Low-Income Communities in California from 2000-2020. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(8), 3921. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18083921
National Council on Aging. (2022, July 15). Get the Facts on Economic Security for Seniors. https://ncoa.org/article/get-the-facts-on-economic-security-for-seniors
Older Adult Fire Death Risk. (2020). U.S. Fire Administration. https://www.usfa.fema.gov/statistics/deaths-injuries/older-adults.html
Ryan, D. (2020, October 15). Health Impacts of Wildfires. Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. https://woods.stanford.edu/stanford-wildfire-research/news/health-impacts-wildfire-smoke
Skiba, K. (2019, October 15). One Year Ago: California's Deadliest Wildfire Ravaged Town of Paradise. AARP. https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/history/info-2019/paradise-camp-fire-anniversary.html
United States Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Explore Risk. Wildfire Risk to Communities. https://wildfirerisk.org/explore
University of Oregon. (2001, December). Wildfire and Poverty. https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/2334/wild_pov.pdf;sequence=1
U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). QuickFacts Paradise town, California. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/paradisetowncalifornia
U.S. Fire Administration. (2001, January). Older Adults and Fire. https://nfa.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/statistics/v1i5-508.pdf