Social, Economic and Psychological Effects of Wildfires on Older Adults in Low-Density Territories: A Critical Narrative Review

Wildfires can disrupt social relationships, material resources, healthcare access and psychological well-being among older adults, particularly where geographical isolation intersects with limited service provision. This critical narrative review examines social, economic and psychological consequences of wildfires in low-density territories, distinguishing evidence directly involving older adults from mixed-age, professional proxy and cross-hazard research. The literature was identified through purposive searches of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar between April and July 2026, supplemented by reference-list examination and citation tracking. A separate descriptive geographical analysis combined EFFIS mapped burnt-area intensity during 2016–2023 with population ageing and population-density indicators for 2023 across selected southern European NUTS-3 regions. Empirical studies involving older adults describe disruption to healthcare, daily routines and social relationships, perceived psychological impacts and mutual assistance; research in remote Indigenous communities identifies culturally and geographically specific evacuation experiences. Housing reconstruction can remain incomplete for several years, although older-rural household financial recovery remains insufficiently quantified. Of 310 regions with complete geographical indicators, 19 met all three selected conditions. This co-occurrence is descriptive rather than a validated vulnerability index. The synthesis identifies priorities for longitudinal, participatory and place-sensitive research and evaluation of age-sensitive preparedness and recovery measures.