Extreme Heat Means More Wildfires. It’s Taking a Toll on Firefighters.

1 comment

1. Hi everybody —

   This year is on pace to be the hottest on record, creating not just drier conditions that fuel fires, but also a blistering environment for the people who fight them.

   “We used to have a fire season and now it’s a fire year,” said George Broyles, a retired wildland firefighter and health researcher, who works with the Wildfire Conservancy, a nonprofit focused on firefighter health and safety.

   Beyond the short-term risks, the concern with extreme heat is that it contributes to more wildfires as part of “whiplash” weather, where seasons go from very wet to extremely hot conditions.

   As wildland firefighters face longer seasons, they may also face additional health risks down the line. The majority of research on firefighting and health focuses on structural firefighters, who battle building fires. Much less is known about the impacts of wildland firefighting.

   You can read the [full story for free here](https://www.nytimes.com/card/2024/09/18/us/wildfires-extreme-heat-firefighters?unlocked_article_code=1.Lk4.uS04.zb4LqMvyVaSq&smid=re-nytimes), even without a subscription to The New York Times.