Researchers from Keck School of Medicine of USC are embarking on a rapid-response epidemiological study to investigate the immediate and long-term health impacts of wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires. The goal is to build an evidence base detailing the multiple health risks people face during WUI fires and to determine how to minimize exposure during the cleanup phase.

There are several major concerns in the aftermath of such firestorms. One is the high level of smoke exposure and byproducts that people inhaled during the fire event itself. Next is the mental health outcomes and financial stress experienced by those impacted by the fires. And third is the cleanup and rebuilding process.

This effort has been funded by the Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center; Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC CTSI); and the Hastings Foundation.

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