Disproportionate exposure of socially vulnerable populations to wildfires

From 2000 through 2021, nearly half a million people in Oregon, Washington, and California lived within the perimeter of a wildfire. And from 2011 through 2021, the number of people experiencing high social vulnerability to hazardous events who were exposed to wildfire in those states more than tripled compared to the previous decade. As we will detail, the cause of that inequity varied among the three states. For example, in California, the majority of the people exposed to wildfire were living in urban areas, whereas those exposed in Oregon and Washington largely were rural residents. These data suggest that wildfire preparation and response may be most effective when it is tailored to the needs of individual communities with different risk factors.