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Valuing mortality impacts of smoke exposure from major southern California wildfires

Author

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  • Kochi, Ikuho
  • Champ, Patricia A.
  • Loomis, John B.
  • Donovan, Geoffrey H.

Abstract

While the mortality impacts of urban air pollution have been well addressed in the literature, very little is known about the mortality impacts and associated social cost from wildfire-smoke exposure (Kochi et al., 2010; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2004). In an attempt to address this knowledge gap, we estimate the social cost associated with excess mortality due to smoke exposure during the 2003 southern California wildfires. Accounting for confounding factors such as seasonality and fluctuation of daily mortality levels, we identify 133 excess cardiorespiratory-related deaths caused by wildfire-smoke exposure. The mean estimated total mortality-related cost associated with the 2003 southern California wildfire event is approximately one billion U.S. dollars. Accounting for mortality costs associated with wildfire-smoke exposure allows for a better understanding of the tradeoffs associated with fuel treatment programs and suppression costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Kochi, Ikuho & Champ, Patricia A. & Loomis, John B. & Donovan, Geoffrey H., 2012. "Valuing mortality impacts of smoke exposure from major southern California wildfires," Journal of Forest Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 61-75.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:foreco:v:18:y:2012:i:1:p:61-75
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfe.2011.10.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Seema Jayachandran, 2009. "Air Quality and Early-Life Mortality: Evidence from Indonesia’s Wildfires," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 44(4).
    2. Ikuho Kochi & Bryan Hubbell & Randall Kramer, 2006. "An Empirical Bayes Approach to Combining and Comparing Estimates of the Value of a Statistical Life for Environmental Policy Analysis," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 34(3), pages 385-406, July.
    3. Olivier Deschênes & Enrico Moretti, 2009. "Extreme Weather Events, Mortality, and Migration," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 91(4), pages 659-681, November.
    4. Narayan Sastry, 2002. "Forest fires, air pollution, and mortality in Southeast Asia," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 39(1), pages 1-23, February.
    5. Elizabeth Frankenberg & Douglas McKee & Duncan Thomas, 2005. "Health consequences of forest fires in Indonesia," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 42(1), pages 109-129, February.
    6. Alan Krupnick, 2007. "Mortality-risk Valuation and Age: Stated Preference Evidence," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 1(2), pages 261-282, Summer.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kochi, Ikuho & Champ, Patricia A. & Loomis, John B. & Donovan, Geoffrey H., 2016. "Valuing morbidity effects of wildfire smoke exposure from the 2007 Southern California wildfires," Journal of Forest Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 29-54.
    2. Benjamin A. Jones & Robert P. Berrens, 2021. "Prescribed Burns, Smoke Exposure, And Infant Health," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 39(2), pages 292-309, April.
    3. Moeltner, K. & Kim, M.-K. & Zhu, E. & Yang, W., 2013. "Wildfire smoke and health impacts: A closer look at fire attributes and their marginal effects," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 66(3), pages 476-496.
    4. Meier, Sarah & Elliott, Robert J.R. & Strobl, Eric, 2023. "The regional economic impact of wildfires: Evidence from Southern Europe," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    5. Jones & McDermott, 2015. "Linking environmental management to health outcomes: a case study of the emerald ash borer," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(17), pages 1409-1414, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    2003 southern California wildfires; Mortality impact; Social cost; Air pollution; Value of statistical life;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • Q51 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Valuation of Environmental Effects
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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