The 2021 Marshall Fire destroyed over 1000 homes and damaged hundreds more in Boulder County. Approaching the five year anniversary of the state’s most destructive wildfire, this session will share lessons from our community-engaged research and facilitate an audience discussion about how public health scientists, practitioners, and policy-makers can support community health post-disaster.
The Marshall Fire Resilience Working Group engages scientists, community, and decision-makers to collect and share information about the Marshall Fire impacts and recovery process. The Working Group’s household survey collected information from residents at 6, 12, and 24 months post-fire, covering topics including rebuilding/relocation, insurance, public policy participation, and health symptoms. Working closely with a Community Advisory Board of affected residents, our research team is expanding on survey findings through focus groups to further explore the experiences of groups that may have faced barriers to recovery, including renters, mobile home owners, Spanish-language speakers, and residents with smoke and ash damage. Drawing on these data sources, we will share insights into the disasters’ impacts.
During the first 30 minutes of the session, we will provide background on the Marshall Fire and our community-engaged research results, and share key findings relevant to public health research and practice. During the remaining 30 minutes, we will engage the audience in small group discussions about implications for key sectors anticipating or responding to this type of wildland-urban interface (WUI) fire, including researchers, industrial hygienists, insurers, public health agencies, and decision-makers, among others. Discussion prompts may include:
1. How can researchers build relationships with key partners before a disaster occurs to facilitate authentically community-engaged post-disaster research?
2. What are local agencies currently doing/not doing to address the needs of key groups, such as renters and non-English speakers?
3. How can key sectors, like housing, be integrated into disaster preparedness and response?
