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

Abstract:

When the 2024 Eaton Fire devastated communities in the San Gabriel Valley, it left behind more than burned homes and scarred hillsides—it created thousands of stagnant, fire-damaged swimming pools poised to produce millions of mosquitoes. The San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District (SGV Mosquito) led a first-of-its-kind, multi-agency mosquito control operation treating over 1,475 non-functional pools with support from multiple partners, including the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH), and industry partners. 

But behind this operational success was a parallel communications effort that proved equally vital. With no initial guidance for residents on pool draining or post-fire mosquito control, SGV Mosquito’s communications team responded with a rapid outreach and media relations campaign to build awareness and drive interagency action. Storytelling and consistent media engagement elevated the issue from a local concern to a public health priority. The resulting visibility helped open lines of communication between agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which became more receptive to addressing mosquito-prone pools as part of their debris cleanup operations. 

Media attention also attracted the support of the state’s San Gabriel Valley Legislative Caucus, which advocated for state-level budget allocations to sustain mosquito control efforts in the recovery area. Despite entering funding conversations late in the state’s budget cycle, SGV Mosquito’s clear public narrative and visible operational impact helped secure legislative champions and funding for long-term vector control operations. 

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