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NewsKPBS Public MediaSeptember 1, 2026San Diego

UC San Diego researchers report wildfire economic damage disproportionately affects low-income households

A new working paper from UC San Diego researchers finds that while wildfire victims are often wealthier than victims of other disasters, the long-term financial damage of fires falls most heavily on low-income households. The study highlights that monetary losses from wildfire events persist for years after the fires occur.

wildfireseconomic impactincome inequalitydisaster recoveryresearch
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Why It Matters

This research identifies a specific economic vulnerability for low-income residents in fire-prone areas, suggesting that wildfire recovery impacts are not distributed equally across income levels.

Key Facts

Each fact below is taken from the article. Click one to see the exact passage.

Who's Mentioned

organizationNational Bureau of Economic Research“The organization that released the working paper.”organizationUC San Diego“The university where the study was conducted.”personJudson Boomhower“Lead researcher who analyzed the long-term economic impacts of wildfire loss.”