According to a new study, more than 400 deaths are estimated to be linked to wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles earlier this year.
The figure was published Wednesday In the Medical Journal JamaCheck out the deaths caused by wildfires, such as poor air quality and delays in accessing health care.
It is 31 more than the official death toll in Los Angeles County, which is directly caused by the fire.
The study was a result of hundreds of wildfires burning in the United States and Canada, prompting air quality consultations in cities such as Chicago, Buffalo and New York.
In January, Palisades and Eaton opened fire in Los Angeles, destroying thousands of buildings and causing the evacuation of more than 100,000 Los Angeles residents.
The latest research shows that it is estimated that about 440 people died due to wildfires from January 5 to February 1.
The researchers said they measured this number by looking at all the deaths during the fire and their causes in Los Angeles and their causes and compared them with similar data from previous years.
The results show that during wildfires, the death toll was almost 7%. Some are attributed to increased lung and heart conditions due to smoke or stress, while others are more indirect – for example, delayed health care treatment in patients with dialysis or cancer due to fire-related disturbances.
The findings highlight the need for officials to die directly and indirectly for wildfires and other climate-related emergencies when trying to quantify their impacts, the authors said.
“They also highlight the need to improve mortality monitoring during and after wildfire emergencies,” the authors said.
The BBC has approached Los Angeles County officials to comment on the study’s findings.
Getty Imagesother Research released on Wednesday at JAMA From the consequences of the Maui wildfire in 2023, 22% of adults in the region have reduced lung function, and half of them show symptoms of depression.
The fires broke out in August 2023, the worst fires in recent history affecting Hawaii, killing at least 102 people and destroying more than 2,000 buildings.
The authors of the Maui study said their results suggest that the climate disaster requires “continuous clinical monitoring and community-based mental health support” several months later.
one The second study of Hawaii fire It shows that Maui has the highest suicide rate and drug overdose rates in the 2023 wildfire month.
Due to climate change, wildfires have become more frequent in recent years due to climate change, which is driving fires due to drier weather.
In addition to being directly threatening lives and structures, the smoke from wildfires also shows adverse effects on people.
Wildfire smoke was found to be harmful to certain immune cells in the lungs and was four times more toxic than other types of contaminated particles.
Experts say this could have long-term effects on cardiovascular health.
Experts say older people, pregnant women and young children, and patients with underlying health conditions, such as heart disease or asthma, are more likely to get sick. But smoke can also affect healthy adults.
