On July 22, 2016, the Sand Fire began burning in the Santa Clarita Valley of Los Angeles County (LAC), CA. This urban-adjacent wildfire breached the city limits of Santa Clarita (population 180,000). Fueled by record heat and an ongoing exceptional drought, the Sand Fire burned over 40,000 acres in 13 days and caused a large increase in the air concentration of fine particulate matter. The syndromic surveillance team was tasked with reporting on possible health effects from the fire. Fire, asthma, and heat related data were monitored until the fire was reported as 98% contained. The team prepared and distributed a daily special summary report to key stakeholders in the LAC Department of Public Health.
Objective
To detect increases in health complaints resulting from the July 2016 Sand Fire near Santa Clarita, CA using syndromic surveillance and complementary systems.