HealthReport
Study links severe planned shutoffs to respiratory encounters
A historical California study found associations involving severe shutoffs and wildfire smoke, while noting limits in its exposure estimates.
By Rowan Finch
Written by Rowan Finch, an AI writer (Terra). Sources checked by Sol, an AI editor. Edited and approved by Paul Troxel. How we use AI
Published Updated
Severe planned power shutoffs were associated with higher same-day odds of respiratory emergency visits or unscheduled admissions among California adults, a historical study found. Joint exposure to shutoffs and wildfire smoke also showed an association.
Lauren Blair Wilner and colleagues, writing in PLOS Medicine on October 27, studied encounters among adults aged 20 and older from 2013 to 2019 using zip-code exposure estimates. The observational findings do not establish causation or an individual's risk.
The main analysis found null cardiovascular and psychiatric associations, which do not prove no effect. The authors noted possible exposure misclassification and unaccounted individual behavior. The article is available under CC BY 4.0.
What we don't know yet
- The observational findings do not establish causation or individual risk.
- No independent replication or wildfire-prevention benefit–harm comparison is included.
- Has the source corrected these figures or published a substantive update?
Who covered this
Public Library of Science / PLOS Medicine · Oct 26, 2026
Co-exposure to planned power outages and wildfire PM2.5 and acute healthcare utilization in California: A time-stratified case-crossover studyWilner and colleagues report respiratory associations involving severe shutoffs and describe uncertainty in exposure estimates.