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5d ago

Studies Reveal Hundreds of Undercounted Deaths After LA and Maui Wildfires

New JAMA research reveals that smoke exposure combined with healthcare interruptions likely drove hundreds of excess wildfire deaths, exposing gaps in disaster mortality surveillance.

The uncleared lot where a 19th victim of the Eaton Fire was found on July 24, 2025, in Altadena, Calif., bringing the official death toll to 31 more than six months after unprecedented wildfires swept through broad swaths of Los Angeles.
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FILE - Damage from wildfires is seen in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 11, 2023 . (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
People stand on the stump of a tree lost to the Eaton Fire during a memorial service honoring the 19 people who perished during the fire, on July 7, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. The memorial service was held at the edge of the property where Evelyn McClendon, 59, lived before losing her life in the fire.

Overview

  • A JAMA study estimates 440 excess deaths in Los Angeles County from January 5 to February 1, 2025, compared with the official count of 31 direct fatalities.
  • Researchers link the additional deaths to poor air quality exacerbating heart and lung conditions and to disruptions in access to medical care during the fires.
  • A JAMA Network Open cohort study finds that one in five adults exposed to the August 2023 Maui wildfires sustained lasting lung damage and that close to half reported symptoms of depression.
  • Analysis of National Center for Health Statistics data shows suicide and overdose rates in Hawaii rose 46 percent statewide and 97 percent on Maui during the month of the 2023 blazes.
  • Authors call for enhanced real-time mortality tracking and sustained mental and respiratory health support to fully address the long-term toll of climate-driven disasters.