Wildfires, dementia, and disruptions: New challenges

The increasing incidence of wildfires has an impact on all kinds of activities, and according to research presented for the first time at the just-concluded Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, wildfires are also having an impact on the health of our brains.

As I write this, there are nearly 50 large wildfires burning across the Western United States, including the Park Fire north of Sacramento, which in just one week has grown to become the fifth largest fire in California history. Experts say record high temperatures across much of the West have led to “classic fire conditions.” New York Times“Climate change is causing heat waves in the region to become more intense and last longer.”

ConveningIn a recent piece about the impact of climate change on events, Associate Editor Barbara Palmer spoke with event sustainability expert Shawna McKinley, who provided an in-depth analysis of Canadian events disrupted by extreme weather in 2023. Last year’s Canadian fire season was the most destructive on record—nearly 46 million acres burned, compared to a typical year when 6 million acres are lost. So it’s no surprise that 52 of the 72 events impacted by extreme weather in McKinley’s study were attributed to fire or smoke from wildfires.

We’re in the middle of wildfire season, so wildfires dominate the headlines, but one story in the news lately isn’t about their impact on property, the economy, or even the tragic loss of life. Its impact is much more far-reaching and event-related. According to a 10-year study of more than 1.2 million Southern Californians, wildfire smoke may be particularly harmful to brain health.

What does this have to do with events? The findings were first presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, held July 28-August 1 in Philadelphia and online—another example of how conferences share groundbreaking research not only with attendees, but with the rest of the world.

Exposure to wildfire smoke increases the risk of dementia more than exposure to other forms of air pollution, the study suggests. Researchers say particles from wildfires are produced at higher temperatures, contain higher concentrations of toxic chemicals and are smaller in diameter than particles from other sources.

“With wildfire rates increasing around the world, exposure to this type of air pollution is a growing threat to brain health,” said Claire Sexton, senior director of scientific programs and outreach at the Alzheimer’s Association. “These findings underscore the importance of developing policies to prevent wildfires and researching better ways to address them.”

To reduce the risk, people should install air filtration systems in their homes, stay indoors when air quality is unhealthy, and wear N95 masks outdoors when the air quality index reaches 100, the researchers said.

In light of the findings presented at the Alzheimer’s conference, event organizers have an even greater burden to consider when weighing whether to cancel or proceed with an event where wildfire smoke is a concern — the long-term and short-term health of attendees. Conveningthe rise in smoke-related disruptions complicates decision-making for event organizers. “If there were a travel ban, events would obviously be canceled,” McKinley said. But in the absence of a travel ban, organizers McKinley interviewed understandably expressed greater anxiety about needing to make decisions to cancel events when there are air quality warnings or alerts. “It puts a lot of pressure on organizers to make high-risk decisions,” McKinley said, which are happening more and more frequently.

Michelle Russell is convened.