Longitudinal Survey Response Before and After a Major Urban Wildfire

Research examining the individual impacts of wildfires has found that wildfires are associated with worse mental health, more physical illness, and increased financial strain. However, these results often rely on local surveys fielded after a wildfire occurs and there is little to no understanding of how post-wildfire differential non-response may bias these estimates of impact. If those individuals most impacted by the wildfire are unwilling or unable to respond to post-wildfire surveys, this would lead to underestimating wildfire impacts. If individuals who are less impacted are less willing to respond, wildfire impacts will be overestimated. We use monthly panel data from the Understanding America Study and its LABarometer subpanel to study differences in response rates among Los Angeles County residents before and after the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton wildfires. By matching survey respondents with geocoded data on wildfire exposure, we find some evidence that response rates declined in post-wildfire months among respondents residing in census tracts in closer proximity to the burn zone, under evacuation orders, or under evacuation warnings. However, these effects are of short and inconsistent duration.