毛伊岛火灾三年后居民健康问题持续

, THE DEADLIEST U.S. WILDFIRES IN MORE THAN A CENTURY DEVASTATED THE HAWAIIAN ISLAND OF MAUI. NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS THE TOLL OF THE DISASTER MAY BE FAR GREATER THAN THE LIVES LOST AND PROPERTY BURNED. STEPHANIE SY REPORTS ON A LANDMARK STUDY AIMING TO TRACK HOW THE WILDFIRES HAVE CONTINUED TO AFFECT SURVIVORS' HEALTH, LONG AFTER THE FLAMES ARE GONE. STEPHANIE: FOUR DAYS A WEEK, THIS LAHAINA FOOD BANK OPENS ITS DOORS TO SURVIVORS OF THE MAUI WILDFIRES.

THE HOUSES IN FRONT OF US ARE BURNING ALREADY. STEPHANIE: FOR MANY, LIKE MARIO ACOSTA, THE MEMORIES OF AUGUST 7, 2023 ARE STILL FRESH.

CAN I TAKE A RIDE WITH YOU? I'M SORRY. TAKE A RIDE. STEPHANIE: A VIDEO TAKEN BY A STRANDED STRANGER HE AND HIS WIFE PICKED UP, AS THEY WERE TRYING TO ESCAPE THE INFERNO, CAPTURED THAT HARROWING DAY. MARIO: WHEN WE SAW THE FIRE BESIDE US, WHERE WE WERE WAITING FOR THE TRAFFIC TO MOVE ON, MY WIFE WANTS TO JUMP TO THE OCEAN, I TOLD HER NO. AND THEN THE TRAFFIC SUDDENLY MOVED AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO GET AWAY A LITTLE BIT FROM THE BURNING BUILDINGS BESIDE US.

STEPHANIE: THE ACOSTAS HAVE LIVED IN LAHAINA FOR OVER A DECADE WORKING IN HOTELS -- THE HOME THEY WERE RENTING FOR ABOUT $1000 A MONTH BURNED DOWN AND THEY CAN NOW ONLY AFFORD A SINGLE ROOM, WITHOUT A KITCHEN. WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR BIGGEST STRUGGLES SINCE THE FIRE? MARIO: ALL THE EXPENSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT BECAUSE IT WENT UP, ALL THE PRICES WENT UP ALSO. STEPHANIE: HOW ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AT THIS POINT?

MARIO: IT'S REALLY HARD BECAUSE IT'S REALLY, WAS TERRIFYING. STEPHANIE: THE MEMORIES OF THE FEROCIOUS WILDFIRE ARE STILL RAW FOR SO MANY SURVIVORS, AND MANY ARE STILL STRUGGLING, STRUGGLING WITH THINGS THAT WERE HARD BEFORE THE WILDFIRES, NAMELY THE COST OF LIVING ON THIS BEAUTIFUL ISLAND, WHICH HAS ONLY ESCALATED IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.

PEOPLE IN THE LOWER INCOME BRACKETS ARE DEFINITELY THE ONES WHO WE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW THAT ARE THE MOST AFFECTED. STEPHANIE: THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII'S RUBEN JUAREZ AND ALIKA MAUNAKEA ARE CONDUCTING A STUDY ON THE LASTING IMPACT OF THE DISASTER ON SURVIVORS' PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. THE WILDFIRE EXPOSURE STUDY, KNOWN AS "MAUI WES," IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST DIVERSE STUDIES OF ITS KIND IN THE COUNTRY'S HISTORY.

IT SHOWS RECOVERY HAS BEEN UNEVEN.

IT IS HOUSING SECURITY, FOOD AND INCOME SECURITY, SOCIAL SUPPORTS, AND ACCESS TO CARE. THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE THESE FOUR TRAITS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER OFF THAN THOSE WHO DON'T. STEPHANIE: BEGINNING SIX MONTHS AFTER THE FIRES, THEY STARTED HEALTH SCREENINGS FOR MORE THAN 2000 PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS AND LONG AND CARDIOVASCULAR TESTS.

I COUGH EVERY DAY AND I'M NOT A COFFER AND IT DEPENDS ON WHAT KIND OF DAY IT IS. I DON'T EVEN WANT TO BE OUT HERE, BUT I AM BREATHING IT IN. STEPHANIE: INITIALLY, MORE THAN 40% OF SURVIVORS REPORTED EXPERIENCING RESPIRATORY ISSUES ONE IN FIVE ADULTS HAVE IT. THEY ARE ALSO TESTED FOR HEAVY METALS LIKE ARSENIC AND LEAD WHICH CAN BE RELEAS