Health
4 Devastating Effects of Wildfires on Communities
Whether a wildfire burns for days or months, it can be extremely destructive. Learn about how wildfires affect communities and the challenges of rebuilding.
Wildfires are a growing threat worldwide and can have long-lasting consequences on infrastructure, healthcare, and people’s well-being. Learn more about four devastating effects of wildfires on communities to understand the challenges people face after this disaster.
Property Loss
One of the most immediate consequences of wildfires is the destruction of homes, businesses, and infrastructure. Fires can leave communities in disarray, with residents facing the intimidating task of rebuilding.
Entire neighborhoods can be reduced to ashes, leaving people without homes or possessions. The destruction places a massive financial burden on individuals and the community, and it exacts an immeasurable emotional toll.
Utility Disruptions
Another devastating effect of wildfires on communities is the disruption of utility services. People can lose access to electricity, gas, and potable water for extended periods.
Power lines and transformers may be damaged or destroyed. Replacing aging utility poles is one wildfire risk mitigation strategy utilities should implement to minimize outages. New materials with better durability and heat resistance can reduce the burden of working to recover power.
Healthcare Challenges
Wildfires can overwhelm local and surrounding healthcare systems. Hospitals and other medical facilities may become damaged or need to evacuate, making it difficult to provide reliable care.
Fires can also disrupt access to prescription medications and medical supplies. Furthermore, hospital and clinic admission rates for smoke inhalation and other health effects increase, creating more complications when allocating limited resources.
Mental Health Impacts
Witnessing or experiencing a wildfire can cause long-lasting psychological effects on individuals and communities. People can have difficulty sleeping, depression-like symptoms, anxiety, and worry before, during, and after fires.
If you are experiencing disaster-related distress and you reside in the US, you can call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH) at 1-800-985-5990. Crisis counselors will listen and provide counseling, referrals, information on distress, and coping tips.
Property loss, utility disruptions, healthcare complications, and mental health impacts are some of the ways wildfires impact communities. Mitigation efforts and rapid response strategies can help limit the negative effects of wildfire events.
