Depression, suicides, overdoses: broad impacts of US wildfires revealed in study

Fallout goes beyond deaths and injuries, including lung damage and deaths caused by healthcare disruptions

New research looking at the aftermath of some of the deadliest wildfires to have struck the US in recent years has shed light on the devastating effects the disasters have on human health, with impacts that extend far beyond the official death toll and injury counts.

Three studies published this week examine the long-term fallout from the Maui and Los Angeles wildfires, including depression, suicide and overdose deaths, lung damage, and deaths caused by healthcare disruptions.