A Deeper Look into Protecting Wildland Firefighter Safety and Health

  Wildland firefighters perform a hazardous job in dangerous conditions. Their daily tasks pose risk of burns and other heat-related injuries or illnesses; slips, trips, falls, strains, and sprains; and becoming trapped or injured by equipment or debris.1 In addition, exposures related to fighting fires—especially when it comes to smoke inhalation—have been classified as “carcinogenic,” or capable of causing cancer in humans.2 Wildland firefighters generally do not wear respirators or any other type of self-contained breathing apparatus because they are too hot and bulky for the conditions of the wildland fire environment.3 On February 14, 2024, the authors of this