There has been a growing concern about the health effects of chemicals and burning by-products to firefighters when fighting wildfires. Every year there are more wildfires with new records set in California and Colorado. According to a 2020 paper in the National Library of Medicine, in 2018 at one time approximately 30,000 personnel including wildland firefighters were mobilized across the United States to suppress wildland fires.
Firefighters face numerous chemical hazards, including exposure to carbon monoxide, benzene sulfur dioxide, hydrogen cyanide, aldehydes, hydrogen chloride, dichlorofluromethane, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and particulates. They can also be exposed to PFAS (forever chemicals) from firefighting foams and protective equipment. Besides air contaminants in smoke, wildland firefighters may also be exposed to crystalline silica from soil and ash.
There have been studies on the acute effects of exposures to firefighters that include decreased lung capacity, respiratory irritation, and inflammation. Long term effects have been less studied but lung cancer and cardiovascular disease are expected outcomes.
OSHA has not published regulations or guidelines for fighting wildfires. However, Cal/OSHA has an emergency regulation (section 5141.1) to protect employees exposed to wildfire smoke. The regulation requires the following:
- Identification of harmful exposures
- Communication
- Training and instruction
- Control of harmful exposures
- Specific particulate sampling requirements if an employer opts to monitor employee exposure with a direct reading instrument.
Cal/OSHA also has several publications for firefighters including “Worker Safety and Health in Wildfire Regions” and a Wildfire Smoke Video.
For wildland firefighters, there is no easy way to reduce exposure to smoke, since it is part of the wildfire environment. Possible controls are being researched. Firefighters typically do not wear respiratory protection out in the open as opposed to those who would almost always wear an SCBA in an interior fire. Use of personal protective equipment such as respiratory protection may need to be required in addition other controls.
Because of the increased number and intensity of wildfires, there has been more concern about protecting firefighters. It is important for all fire personnel to understand the hazards of smoke and chemicals and develop ways to mitigate exposure.
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