Study finds alarming potential for long-term health impacts among wildfire survivors

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A new University of Hawaii study is shining a spotlight on the potential for long-term health concerns among Maui wildfire survivors.

Nearly 700 participants from West Maui and Upcountry took part in the study.

Researchers say nearly half of them went seven months without a medical check-up following the fires and some of the findings caught them off guard.

For example, around 74% of participants face a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease. Up to 60% may suffer from poor respiratory health and 8–20% may have compromised kidney function.

“So many people right now that have come to our study that they didn’t know that they had these issues,” said Ruben Juarez, a UH professor of health economics.

Study participant Nikima Glatt lived in Lahaina at the time of the fires.

“I worked in the burn zone during re-entry,” said Glatt.

Maui Wildfires Disaster

“I was a runner. I was a skater. I used to exercise a lot and now it’s difficult for me to do normal things that I used to do.”

The survey was conducted between January and February and was funded by the Hawaii Community Foundation and Kaiser Permanente.

The study also looked at mental health, finding:

• More than 50% had a notable increase in depression;
• 34% had suicidal thoughts;
• and 30% had moderate or severe anxiety.

At the time of the study, just 10% of participants have settled into new permanent residences and almost 50% had lost their jobs due to fires. Meanwhile, 13% didn’t have health insurance.

UH is hoping to expand the survey to 2,000 participants, but the medical tests are costly and researchers are waiting for state funding.Each person also gets $100 for participating.

The full report can be found here.