The Los Angeles wildfires have destroyed thousands of homes and stores, and left entire communities in ash and rubble. And while lives have already been lost, experts are now discussing the long-term health impact for those who lived or worked in the area.

"The general practitioners, the anesthesiologists, the entire medical community needs to be educated in occupational medicine and the lessons that we've learned in occupational medicine in dealing with massive exposure," said Peter J. Papadakos, MD, a professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine, and the director of critical care medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, in New York.  

"I think that when I look at this that it’s one of the largest environmental and health catastrophes that has befallen our country─if not the world─in terms of the amount of people that may have been contaminated, and those who may become contaminated once they go back to where their homes were."