Wildfires

As smoke from wildfires on the West Coast makes its way across the US, it’s becoming clear that our future will involve coexistence with fire.

As wildfires burn across the western United States—intensified by warmer, drier conditions caused by climate change—the forest workers who help prevent such fires are more critical than ever.

Right now, some 140,000 agricultural workers are picking apples, peaches and other crops at the peak of Washington’s harvest season, just as Gov. Jay Inslee has declared a state of emergency in response to wildfires burning across the state.

Editor's note: In January 2022, Anna Humphreys and colleagues, including DEOHS Assistant Professor Nicole Errett, published a paper in BMC Public Health on the impacts of rural wildfire smoke on mental health and well-being, and opportunities for adaptation.

Given the extraordinary challenges of this year’s pandemic, the students of the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) needed a superhero. Watch a student video honoring Nicole Errett

Kaitlyn Kelly MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health Hometown Carmel, CA Future plans Continue her work as a policy specialist for the Washington State Department of Health.

Alexa Yadama BS, Environmental Health Hometown Pullman, WA Future plans A career in environmental or public health, and eventually a master’s in public health. “ I really appreciate mixing public health with my science background and helping people with the knowledge I have.”

Washington is expected to face increasingly smoky summers. A few things you can do to prepare now:

  From flood-damaged Houston to fire-ravaged Paradise, CA, Nicole Errett’s research takes her into the heart of communities trying to recover after catastrophe strikes.

As wildfires spread across the Pacific Northwest last summer, the Seattle area briefly earned the dubious honor of being one of the most polluted cities on earth.

Two 2019 graduates of the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) won awards this month at a student research competition held by the Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs.

Amanda Durkin BS, Environmental Health Hometown Hingham, MA Future plans A career in occupational health and an eventual MBA degree. “One thing I will miss about the UW is the opportunity for constant learning and growth.” - Amanda Durkin

Annie Doubleday MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health Hometown Shoreline, WA Future plans Working on air pollution and climate change issues at the state or local level.

As Central Washington became choked with wildfire smoke last summer, Dr. Mark Larson grew so concerned about air quality measures in Kittitas County that he couldn’t sleep for 10 days.

[Reprinted with permission from the new 2018 edition of Northwest Public Health magazine.]  For the past two summers, the western part of the United States has experienced extraordinary wildfire seasons.

Mr Matthews-Trigg graduated from DEOHS in 2017 with a Master’s in Public health, and he has continued to work with DEOHS faculty Drs. Kris Ebi and Nicole Errett since then, including co-authoring a textbook chapter with Dr. Ebi, supporting the DEOHS wildfire symposium, and supporting the Global Heat Health Information Network.

Chris Zuidema is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences with expertise in exposure assessment, air pollution, and occupational health.

Joan A. Casey received her doctoral degree from the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2014. Dr. Casey is an environmental epidemiologist who focuses on environmental health, environmental justice, and sustainability.

Dr. Kasner is an Assistant Teaching Professor with a research focus on leveraging technology to prevent injury and illness among working populations.

Elizabeth Walker has led coalitions seeking change throughout her career as a public health professional. She has a strong commitment to health equity and environmental justice; strengthening health systems and capacity-building; forming and managing effective collaborations; and enabling community-based solutions.

Dr. Austin received her Doctor of Science in Environmental Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, with concentrations in Exposure Assessment and Biostatistics.

David Kalman is a professor in the Environmental Health program. He is a chemist by training, earning his doctorate from the University of Washington in 1978. He joined the faculty in that year and has held numerous positions including director of the Environmental Health Laboratory and director of one graduate degree program and (currently) director of undergraduate degree education.

Dr. Spector is a physician-scientist with a focus on the prevention and management of adverse health outcomes related to heat exposure in working populations. 

Dr. Christopher Simpson is Professor and Assistant Chair for Research and Faculty Engagement in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS).

Dr. Edmund Seto is Professor in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences. He received his PhD in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on the quantification of exposures and risk as they relate to environmental and occupational health.

Coralynn Sack joined the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and the Department of Medicine in 2018. She is a physician-scientist with clinical and research expertise in environmental and occupational lung disease. She received her MD from the University of Buffalo and MPH in epidemiology from the UW.

Dr. Kaufman is a physician-epidemiologist, board-certified in internal medicine and occupational medicine.

Dr. Catherine Karr is an environmental epidemiologist and pediatric environmental medicine specialist. She has a primary appointment in the UW Department of Pediatrics, a joint appointment in the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and an adjunct appointment in the Department of Epidemiology.

Dr. Hess is Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Global Health and Emergency Medicine at the University of Washington. He serves as the director of the UW Center for Health and the Global Environment (CHanGE). Dr. Hess has an MD and an MPH in global environmental health and is residency-trained and board-certified in emergency medicine.

Dr. Nicole Errett’s research focuses on the development, implementation and health impacts of policies and programs that aim to build resilience in the context of public health emergencies, disasters and climate change.