Presented by Jamie Mangan at the 94th Annual Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC) Conference in Rancho Mirage, CA. 

Abstract:

In January 2025, the Eaton wildfire destroyed thousands of homes in the San Gabriel Valley. The San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District (SGVMVCD) responded with particular focus on the thousands of damaged, unmaintained swimming pools in the area. Existing surveillance sites and control practices allowed for effective response through a rapidly evolving emergency.  

Weekly surveillance of historical gravid trap sites was supplemented with additional gravid traps, BG Sentinels, and emergence traps in and around the affected area. The historical sites provided a baseline of expected Culex quinquefasciatus abundance and arboviral infection rate. While Cx. quinquefasciatus abundance remained within the expected range, other WNV vector species increased in abundance compared to historical data and to the rest of the District. Emergence traps and CO2-baited BG Sentinels reflected shifts in abundance and distribution of several Culex, Anopheles, and Aedes species typically associated with wetland habitats.  

The results of the SGVMVCD response to the Eaton Fire demonstrate how historical data can be adapted to respond to an emergency that is not the typical flood-related mosquito emergency. The ecological impacts of the Eaton Fire will last for years, elucidated by continued analysis of routine surveillance. 

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