Understanding and addressing the health impacts of wildfires on Latines in California.

Abstract

Globally, and particularly in California, the scale, intensity, and frequency of wildfires are increasing as climate change worsens. The gravity of this issue was recently made clear in Los Angeles County, California, where 29 people were killed and over 16,000 structures were destroyed by a series of seven wildfires in January 2025. Researchers across scientific disciplines have responded to recent wildfire disasters in California and elsewhere to fill in key knowledge gaps relating to wildfire impacts on the environment and human health. However, there remains a lack of understanding regarding how these health impacts disproportionately affect marginalized communities, which is crucial for developing equitable health policies and interventions. California is an important setting to consider wildfire impacts on Latines, as community leaders and policymakers in the state have advocated for and implemented innovative climate justice policies, and much of the recent literature examining wildfire health impacts has leveraged California-based datasets. In this paper, we explore wildfire health equity issues among Latines in California, with particular attention to linguistically isolated people, outdoor workers, and immigrants. We explore socio-structural factors that drive disparities and propose a path forward to advance understanding and address underlying inequities.