JOHN: THIS WEEKEND, CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS DECLARED THAT THE LAST OF THE DEADLY FIRES THAT SCORCHED MORE 59 SQUARE MILES AND DESTROYED 16,000 STRUCTURES WERE FULLY CONTAINED, AND NOW RECOVERY AND REBUILDING GETS UNDERWAY.

CLEANUP CREWS ARE WORKING TO CLEAR DEBRIS, CONTAIN TOXINS, AND EVALUATE DAMAGE -- WHILE RESIDENTS GRAPPLE WITH THE LINGERING MENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF THIS LIFE-ALTERING EVENT.

ALI ROGIN HAS MORE ON THIS ONGOING TOLL.

REPORTER: REBECCA'S HOME OF 20 YEARS BURNED TO THE GROUND SEVERAL WEEKS AGO.

SHE AND HER SISTER DONNED HAZMAT SUITS AND PICKED THROUGH THE RUBBLE.

BREXIT WAS AN OVERWHELMING SITUATION SEEING THE DEVASTATION.

I HAD SEEN A PICTURE OF THE HOUSE, BUT NOTHING COULD GIVE ME ANY FOREWARNING OF WHAT I WOULD FEEL WHEN I GOT HERE AND IT OVERTOOK ME.

>> LOOK AT THIS BEAUTIFUL HOME.

REPORTER: ACTOR AND PRODUCER STEVE GUTENBERG CAPTURED THE DESTRUCTION AFTER THE FIRE TORE THROUGH HIS PACIFIC PALISADES NEIGHBORHOOD.

>> I WAS CONSCIOUS OF MY MENTAL STATE AND MENTAL HEALTH.

I HAVE SEEN TRAGEDY, PEOPLE SCARED, PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS.

MOTHERS AND FATHERS TRYING TO FIND THEIR KIDS.

PEOPLE HAVING ANXIETY ATTACKS, PANIC ATTACKS.

REPORTER: ONE STUDY FOUND UP TO 16% OF ADULTS MIGHT SUFFER POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER FOR UP TO SIX MONTH AFTER WILDFIRE, MAJOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY.

PBS NEWS SPOKE WITH AMERICANS WHO HAVE LIVED THROUGH PAST WILDFIRES ABOUT HOW THEY CONTINUE TO BE AFFECTED.

>> IT DOES TAKE A TOLL ON YOU, MENTAL HEALTH WISE BECAUSE IT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU JUST TURN OFF.

REPORTER: TODD IS A VETERAN WILD FIGHTER -- WILDFIRE FIGHTER IN MONTANA.

>> I WAS HOLDING ONTO AND NOT NECESSARILY EXPRESSING DISSATISFACTION WITH THE SITUATION OR HOW I WAS TRAUMATIZED BY SEEING SOMEBODY'S FAMILY ALBUM WITH BURNING PICTURES BLOWING DOWN THE STREET.

REPORTER: IT IS NOT JUST FIRST RESPONDERS AND THOSE WHO LOST THEIR HOMES THAT SUFFER.

MITCH STONE, EVACUATED DURING THE MASSIVE 2017 THOMAS FIRE -- >> EVERYONE STILL TALKS ABOUT IT AS IF IT WAS A RECENT EVENTS.

IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE IT IS AS LONG AGO AS IT WAS, BECAUSE IT STAYS VERY PRESENT IN YOUR MIND.

REPORTER: HIS HOME SURVIVED, BUT THE EXPERIENCE STAYED WITH HIM.

>> EVERY TIME THE WIND BLOWS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU SEE FIRES BURNING IN OTHER AREAS, YOU ARE IMMEDIATELY PUT INTO A DIFFERENT STATE OF MIND.

REPORTER: FOR MORE ON HOW PEOPLE CAN BE AFFECTED FOR YEARS BY THE TRAUMA OF A DISASTER WE TURN TO DR. SHERI WEISER, A PROFESSIONAL OR -- PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE AT UC SAN FRANCISCO.

WELCOME.

THESE L.A.

RESIDENTS, MANY OF THEM, ARE MOVING FROM SURVIVAL MODE TO RECOVERY MODE.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?

DR. WEISER: SO MANY CHALLENGES.

SOME HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES, SOME ARE EVACUATED AND MANY HOMES ARE AT RISK.

FOR OTHERS NOT DIRECTLY AFFECTED, BUT EMOTIONALLY, BY ECO ANXIETY AND FEELINGS LIKE, LOS ANGELES WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.

THE IMPACTS ON PEOPLE'S PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH IS MAYBE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHAT GROUP PEOPLE FALL INTO.

I THINK WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE DISPLACED, THERE'S ALSO A MENTAL HEALTH BURDEN OF EVACUATION AND THE UNCERTAINTY THAT COMES WITH NOT KNOWING WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO LIVE, HOW YOU'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH YOUR INSURANCE, HOW - - WHERE YOU WILL RESETTLE.

ARE YOU GOING BACK HOME, IS YOUR HOME SAFE?

THERE ARE A LOT OF STRESSORS.

ALI: RESEARCH SHOWS THAT TRAUMA OF A DISASTER LIKE THIS CAN LAST FOR YEARS.

WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO TO COPE WITH SOME OF THOSE LONG TERM EFFECTS?

DR. WEISER: FIRST OF ALL, TO EMPHASIZE WHAT THOSE LONG TERM EFFECTS ARE, YOU MENTIONED PTSD.

PEOPLE ALSO CAN DEVELOP NEW ONSET OF DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY DISORDERS.

FOR PEOPLE WITH PREEXISTING MENTAL ILLNESS YOU CAN SEE EXACERBATION OF THOSE.

PEOPLE CAN DEVELOP SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND IDEATIONS AND PEOPLE WILL SOMETIMES INCREASE THEIR SUBSTANCE USE AND WORSEN SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF MENTAL HEALTH CONSEQUENCES.

THEN TO PROTECT THEMSELVES, I THINK IT'S REALLY ABOUT IMPLEMENTING PROACTIVE STRATEGIES TO MITIGATE THOSE RISKS.

FIRST OFF, OF COURSE, PEOPLE NEED TO GO TO A SAFE PLACE.

THEY NEED TO MEET THEIR BASIC NEEDS.

ONCE THAT IS TAKEN CARE OF IT IS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY IMPACTED, TO LIMIT THEIR EXPOSURE TO THE MEDIA, PARTICULARLY VERY VIVID IMAGES OF WILDFIRES CAN BE VERY TRIGGERING.

SOCIAL SUPPORT, I CAN'T EVEN OVERSTATE HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS.

PEOPLE TEND TO WANT TO ISOLATE THEMSELVES, BUT REACHING OUT TO FRIENDS, FAMILY, NEIGHBORS FOR SUPPORT IS SO IMPORTANT.

FINALLY, MAINTAINING YOUR HEALTHY BEHAVIORS LIKE GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP, EXERCISE, ENGAGING IN MINDFULNESS AND BREATHING EXERCISES CAN BE VERY HELPFUL AND MAKING MAKING SURE YOU HAVE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT.

ALI: WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT LIVE IN A DISASTER PRONE AREA BUT ARE THINKING ABOUT THESE THINGS, ARE WATCHING THEM ON TV, ARE WORRIED ABOUT THIS SORT OF THING HAPPENING WHERE THEY LIVE.

DR. WEISER: SO CERTAINLY THERE IS TREMENDOUS ECO ANXIETY THAT PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING ALL OVER CALIFORNIA AND REALLY ACROSS THE U.S. ABOUT THE DEVASTATION THAT THEY'RE WITNESSING IN LOS ANGELES.

OUR CENTER IS GETTING MANY EMAILS AND INQUIRIES ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

ABOUT HALF OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE WORLD EXPERIENCE ECO ANXIETY AND SOMETIMES ECO ANXIETY ENOUGH TO DISRUPT THEIR DAILY LIVES.

I THINK THAT AS A SOCIETY, WE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE TO TAKE MEASURES TO ADDRESS ECO ANXIETY WHICH CAN HAVE MENTAL HEALTH IMPACTS, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT DIRECTLY IMPACTED.

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, WE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS THIS IN AN INNOVATIVE WAY THROUGH A CLASS PROVIDING PEOPLE WITH TOOLS TO ADDRESS THEIR ECO ANXIETY AND HELP TO CONVERT THEIR ECO ANXIETY INTO ACTIVISM BY GETTING ENGAGED IN COMMUNITY EFFORTS, WHICH HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE A REALLY HELPFUL STRATEGY FOR MITIGATING THE SYMPTOMS OF ECO ANXIETY.

ALI: SHERI WEISER WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH DR. WEISER: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.