A Community-Based Assessment of Attitudes, Health Impacts and Protective Actions During the 24-Day Hangar Fire in Tustin, California

TL;DR

A survey of residents near a 24-day hangar fire in California found widespread health and mental impacts, with concerns about pollution and dissatisfaction with government response.

Contribution

This study provides community-driven insights into health impacts and protective actions during a prolonged fire event.

Findings

Anxiety, fatigue, headaches, and stress were the most reported mental health impacts.

Skin and eye irritation were reported by over 60% of respondents.

Low-income residents spent more on health-protective actions compared to high-income residents.

Abstract

Fire events can impact physical and mental health through smoke exposure, evacuation, property loss, and/or other environmental stressors. In this study, we developed community-driven, cross-sectional online surveys to assess public attitudes, health impacts, and protective actions of residents affected by the Tustin hangar fire that burned for 24 days in southern California. Results showed the most frequently reported fire-related exposure concerns (93%) to be asbestos and general air pollution and the most commonly reported mental health impacts to be anxiety (41%), physical fatigue (37%), headaches (33%), and stress (26%). Nose/sinus irritation was the most commonly reported (26.0%) respiratory symptom, while skin- and eye-related conditions were reported by 63.0% and 72.2% of the survey population, respectively. The most commonly reported health-protective actions taken by residents included staying indoors and/or closing doors and windows (67%), followed by wearing face masks (37%) and the indoor use of air purifiers (35%). A higher proportion of low-income residents had to spend money on remediation or other health-protective actions compared to high-income residents. Participants overwhelmingly reported disapproval of their city’s and/or government’s response to the fire disaster. Findings from this study underscore the potential impacts of major pollution events on neighboring communities and offer critical insights to better position government agencies to respond during future disasters while effectively communicating with the public and addressing community needs.

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