Abstract: The presentation addresses a study and an in-depth literature review aimed at identifying the most critical moments to minimize health impacts during a wildfire evacuation. To this end, twelve participants from a socio-health region affected by fires were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The analysis of these interviews highlighted pivotal moments that have significant, positive or negative, impacts on health. These four key moments, including the communication of evacuation orders, adapted transportation, accommodation during evacuations, and the recovery phase, are identified as requiring particular attention. The results of this exploratory study were compared with those from a thematic literature review covering the same topics. Thus, the presentation will offer a critical reflection on the challenges, health impacts, and potential solutions identified through the study and literature review.

Speaker: Dr. Stéphane Perron is a medical specialist in public health and preventive medicine, holding a master's degree in epidemiology from the Université de Montréal. From 2007 to 2018, he worked in the field of environmental health at the Montreal public health department. Since 2018, he has been a medical advisor at the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) in the areas of environmental health and occupational health. He also practices as a clinician in occupational and environmental medicine at the Montreal Hospital University Center (CHUM). Additionally, he is an adjunct professor in the department of social and preventive medicine at the faculty of Public Health at Université de Montréal.