AUTHOR=Williamson Rebecca , Banwell Cathy , Calear Alison L. , LaBond Christine , Leach Liana S. , Olsen Anna , Walsh Erin I. , Zulfiqar Tehzeeb , Sutherland Stewart , Phillips Christine 

TITLE=Bushfire Smoke in Our Eyes: Community Perceptions and Responses to an Intense Smoke Event in Canberra, Australia

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.793312

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.793312

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=The 2019-20 bushfires that raged in eastern Australia were an overwhelming natural disaster leading to lives lost and upended, and communities destroyed. For almost a month, Canberra, Australia’s capital city, was obscured by smoke from surrounding fires which threatened the outer suburbs. While smoke itself is experientially different from other natural disasters, it nevertheless poses a significant public health threat. We responded rapidly by conducting semi-structured interviews with a range of Canberra residents potentially vulnerable due to their personal or social circumstances to the effects of the smoke. Three major themes emerged from the interviews -  narratives around disruption to daily life, physical and psychological effects, and changing social connectedness. This study explores the ambiguous but impactful nature of a bushfire smoke event, and we identify four simple key messages that we believe to be critically relevant to policy making in preparation for similar smoke events in the future.