PROJECT SUMMARY
Compound events due to climate change, combined with resource extraction and social
justice are exacerbating exiting vulnerabilities and creating new ones. The Telegraph-
Mescal fires in Gila County, Arizona in 2021 consumed 180,757 acres and 37% of the soil burn
severity was moderate to high. These fires occurred in a region with 13 different resource
extraction activities, including three copper mines. Shortly after the fires, the area had a record
monsoon season, with over 14 inches of rainfall. Most of the mine waste in the area are un-
rehabilitated, leaving them prone to mechanical dispersion, which may increase their mobility and
bioavailability. Areas that have been burned by wildfires are susceptible to flash flooding and the
Town of Miami and City of Globe were severely impacted. Fire events are able to alter the
physical, chemical, and biogeochemical properties of the soil and surface materials and release
and (re)mobilize metal(loid)s and radioactive materials, and produce polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs) that can impact public health. Over 3,000 metric tons of potentially
contaminated sediment accumulated on public roads and sidewalks in Miami and some residents
reported that 12 inches of sediment settled in their yards and in some cases, entered their homes.
The extent of toxic contamination of the soil and dust in the Miami/Globe areas after the
fire and flooding have not been assessed. It is critical to determine the extent of post-wildfire
debris flows and erosion from mine tailings and whether these geohazards are presenting
exposure pathways to metal(loid)s, radioactive materials, and PAHs in neighboring rural,
medically underserved, environmental justice (EJ) communities. To do this, we will: (1) survey
families to identify the impacted areas and determine individual- and community-level
vulnerabilities and resiliencies, (2) build human capacity through empowerment education and
community science, (3) characterize contaminants released during wildfires in soil and settled
dust, and (4) use an equity-centered community design approach to report all findings and provide
immediate intervention and prevention strategies. EJ communities refers to areas affected by
disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards and increased vulnerability to those hazards.
The compound event described has significantly impacted these rural communities that are
surrounded by active/legacy mines and smelter operations, further exacerbating the possible
exposure to contaminants, increasing their risk, and exploiting the structural inequalities and
environmental health disparities in these areas.
