An evaluation of human-centered impacts and social vulnerability in the case of the Camp Fire in Butte County, California

As of 2018, more than 11 million Californians (about 25%) lived in Wildland Urban Interface areas (WUI). The WUI is an area where homes intermix with flammable landscape (California Department of Housing and Community Development 2020). These areas are fire-prone and have experienced larger and faster-growing fires in recent years. One of the most catastrophic of these fires is the Camp Fire, which struck Butte County in Northern California in late 2018. Fire professionals have pushed to increase mitigation actions such as thinning forests and using pre-planned small-scale burns. However, it is difficult to know where the next fire disaster will occur. It is therefore important to identify the areas in which people may have the hardest time recovering and plan better for when the fire arrives. In this Professional Report, I use existing literature to investigate the comprehensive damage borne out of the Camp Fire. Understanding these numerous and often linked impacts in housing, water contamination, health care impacts and others can inform future iterations of mitigation plans. I utilize a social vulnerability index, which identifies various Census data variables that can hinder disaster response and recovery, to assess the intersections of areas of high fire risk and high social vulnerability in Butte County. This research is important because although many communities are exposed to wildfire risk, people considered more socially vulnerable suffer disparate impacts, which include a hindered ability to respond to and recover from these conflagrations (Cutter & Finch 2008). Some of the impacts that came up in the recovery process include meeting gaps in supply for medical care, schools and housing. I hope some of these less publicized impacts can be addressed in the mitigation plans of Butte County and other jurisdictions moving forward. I found that the General Plan was not nuanced enough and did not address many of the complex risks that came about during the tragic Camp Fire. Plans need to become more specific so that implementation measures can be effectively evaluated and modified to improve their effectiveness. Most Butte County census tracts are more socially vulnerable than the majority of census tracts in California. Mitigation actions should look at specific demographics for which Butte County residents are especially vulnerable. Specific SVI variables to be concerned about include high concentrations of elderly residents, people with disabilities and lack of access to quality housing and transportation options. Many of these demographic characteristics can be disrupted greatly by events such as wildfires or even the power shut-offs that come with high fire danger days.