Low-Income Californians Feel Twice The Burn From Wildfires
“People like Viviana and her family are hit disproportionately when wildfires ignite — because smoke adds another layer of toxic substances to the already dirty air, experts say. ‘Without a doubt, these communities are at higher risk’ when fires break out, said Emanuel Alcala, a postgraduate fellow with the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at California State University-Fresno. ‘Especially because you already have other environmental hazards: toxic waste sites, poor quality of water, and sometimes no air conditioning.’”