Amid Wildfire Trauma, LA County Dispatches Mental Health Workers to Evacuees
A New Kind of Disaster Response
As Fernando Ramirez drove to work the day after the Eaton Fire erupted, smoke darkened the sky, ash and embers rained onto his windshield, and the air smelled of melting rubber and plastic. He pulled to the side of the road and cried at the sight of residents trying to save their homes. "I could see people standing on the roof, watering it, trying to protect it from the fire, and they just looked so hopeless," said Ramirez, a community outreach worker with the Pasadena Public Health Department.
A Growing Need for Mental Health Support
Local health departments, such as Ramirez’s, have become a key part of governments’ response to wildfires, floods, and other extreme weather events, which scientists say are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change. The emotional toll of fleeing and possibly losing a home can help cause or exacerbate mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation, and substance use, according to health and climate experts.
A Message of Support
Lisa Wong, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, said the county has improved its support for evacuees with each extreme weather event. "We’ve learned to better track people’s health needs and redirect those who may find massive evacuation settings uncomfortable to other shelters or interim housing," she said. In those first days, the biggest goal is often to reduce people’s anxiety by providing them with information. "We’ve learned that right when a crisis happens, people don’t necessarily want to talk about mental health," Wong said.
A Pathway to Recovery
The convention center in downtown Pasadena, which normally hosts home shows, comic cons, and trade shows, was transformed into an evacuation site with hundreds of cots. It was one of at least 13 shelters opened to serve more than 200,000 residents under evacuation orders. The January wildfires have burned an estimated 64 square miles – an area larger than the city of Paris – and destroyed at least 12,300 buildings since they started Jan. 7. AccuWeather estimates the region will likely face more than $250 billion in economic losses from the blazes, surpassing the estimates from the state’s record-breaking 2020 wildfire season.
A Concern for Low-Income Residents
Lisa Patel, executive director of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, is most concerned about low-income residents who are less likely to access mental health support. "There was a mental health crisis even before the pandemic," she said. "The pandemic made it worse. Now you lace in all of this climate change and these disasters into a health care system that isn’t set up to care for the people that already have mental health illness."
Early Research Suggests Brain Damage
Early research suggests exposure to large amounts of wildfire smoke can damage the brain and increase the risk of developing anxiety. "It’s a perfect storm of trauma and stress," said Patel, who is also a clinical associate professor of pediatrics at Stanford School of Medicine.
Finding Comfort in Community
Elaine Santiago, a 78-year-old widow, sat on a cot in a hallway as volunteers pulled wagons loaded with soup, sandwiches, bottled water, and other necessities. She drew comfort from being at the evacuation center, knowing that she wasn’t alone in the tragedy. "It sort of gives me a sense of peace at times," she said. "Maybe that’s weird. We’re all experiencing this together."
Conclusion
The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health has dispatched mental health workers to evacuateees to provide support and guidance during this difficult time. The department has also learned to better track people’s health needs and redirect those who may find massive evacuation settings uncomfortable to other shelters or interim housing.
FAQs
- How can I get help?
- Los Angeles County residents in need of support can call the county’s mental health helpline at 1-800-854-7771.
- The national Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 988, is also available for those who’d like to speak with someone confidentially, free of charge.
- What is the impact of wildfires on mental health?
- Wildfires can cause or exacerbate mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation, and substance use.
- How can I support loved ones affected by wildfires?
- Listen to their concerns, provide emotional support, and help them access resources and services.
