Editing Wildfire (section)

==== Residents ====
[[File:North Complex smoke in San Francisco - Bay Bridge and Financial District.jpg|thumb|Smoke from the [[2020 California wildfires]] settles over [[San Francisco]]]]
Residents in communities surrounding wildfires are exposed to lower concentrations of chemicals, but they are at a greater risk for indirect exposure through water or [[soil contamination]]. Exposure to residents is greatly dependent on individual susceptibility. Vulnerable persons such as children (ages 0–4), the elderly (ages 65 and older), smokers, and pregnant women are at an increased risk due to their already compromised body systems, even when the exposures are present at low chemical concentrations and for relatively short exposure periods.<ref name="oehha.ca.gov" /> They are also at risk for future wildfires and may move away to areas they consider less risky.<ref>{{cite news |title=Living under a time bomb |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2018/12/12/feature/living-under-a-time-bomb-california-communities-scramble-to-avoid-becoming-the-next-wildfire-tragedy/?noredirect=on&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1 |access-date=15 December 2018 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |language=en |archive-date=24 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124160550/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2018/12/12/feature/living-under-a-time-bomb-california-communities-scramble-to-avoid-becoming-the-next-wildfire-tragedy/?noredirect=on&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Wildfires affect large numbers of people in Western Canada and the United States. In California alone, more than 350,000 people live in towns and cities in "very high fire hazard severity zones".<ref name="rgj">{{cite news|page=1A |title=A real life gamble: California races to predict which town could be the next victim | author1=Ryan Sabalow |author2=Phillip Reese |author3=Dale Kasler |agency=The Sacramento Bee | publisher=Reno Gazette Journal |work=Destined to Burn}}</ref>

Direct risks to building residents in fire-prone areas can be moderated through design choices such as choosing fire-resistant vegetation, maintaining landscaping to avoid debris accumulation and to create firebreaks, and by selecting fire-retardant roofing materials. Potential compounding issues with poor air quality and heat during warmer months may be addressed with MERV 11 or higher outdoor air filtration in building ventilation systems, mechanical cooling, and a provision of a refuge area with additional air cleaning and cooling, if needed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Design Discussion Primer – Wildfires |url=https://www.bchousing.org/publications/MBAR-Wildfires.pdf |publisher=BC Housing |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=20 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221220155847/https://www.bchousing.org/publications/MBAR-Wildfires.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>