1. SURVEILLANCE FOR WILDFIRE DISASTER
ISDS Community of Practice
11/28/2017
SURVEILLANCE FOR WILDFIRE DISASTER
Jeffrey Johnson, MPH
Senior Epidemiologist
Epidemiology & Immunization Services Branch
Public Health Services

2. FIRES – SAN DIEGO COUNTY

3. Wildfire Evacuation

4. FACTORS FOR WILDFIRE IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Little rain during year
Hot dry summers – low humidity
“Santa Ana” winds (high desert winds blowing east to west)
Extensive backcountry canyons, hills and mountains
Large population urban to rural intersect

5. 2003 2007 2014 Significant fires in san diego county 370,000 acres
2,500 homes
15 deaths
2003
10/25/03 – 11/3/03
2007
970,973 acres
1,500 homes
14 deaths
10/20/07 – 11/09/07
2014
29,381 acres
55 homes
1 death
5/5/14 – 5/22/14

6. 2003 Wildfire
2007 Wildfire

7. Presentation at the 2012 ISDS Conference
Look it up 

8. Wildfire Surveillance Areas of Focus
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Situational awareness right away & real time
Determine population health impact trends
Monitor initial impact on regional health care system
Descriptive analysis
FOLLOWING DISASTER
Look for obvious residual health impacts
Monitoring disaster recovery population health dynamics
Information for preliminary reports, etc
LONG TERM
Participate in long term impact assessments, studies and grants
Review surveillance methodology and prepare for next wildfire

9. WILDFIRE SURVEILLANCE
Data Sources:
Indicators:
Emergency department visits
Pre-hospital transports
911 calls
Medical Examiner
Death Certificates
Other
Total visits/encounters
Respiratory (several categories)
Cardiac
Asthma
Burns
Other

10. 2003 FIRES
Fire start
Fire end

11. 2007 FIRES
Emergency Department Syndromic Surveillance
Fire Period

12. San Diego Wild Fires, 2007

13. Summary thoughts
Wildfires will continue to occur sporadically in San Diego County
Wildfires behave differently in different U.S. regions
Prevention efforts should target those at greatest risk during wildfires
Additional research is needed to determine long-term effects of effects of wildfires on human health
Electronic health information may bolster surveillance capabilities and findings

14. Thank You