Wildland Firefighters

High temps and drought are fueling dozens of fires across the West, including more than a dozen that have burned over 100,000 acres. Several firefighters have also died in the last few months.

In other news, one of the firefighters killed while fighting the Widemouth 2 Fire was identified. And, Cedar City is asking residents not to use outdoor water because of a pump failure.

For the first time, the United States Forest Service recommended N95 respirators for federal wildland firefighting. However, there are barriers to fire crews actually adopting the practice.

Nathan Matthews, a 43-year-old from Nebraska, was hospitalized after a burnover on June 27 that killed three of his crewmates. He died from his injuries on Friday.

The publication covers how to handle relationships and childcare during the long summer months, and how to support firefighters reintegrating to family life when the season slows down.

On top of the dangers of fighting fires, research has connected wildland firefighting to serious diseases like lung cancer. Now, federal agencies are taking more steps to address those risks.

An advocacy group anonymously surveyed more than 800 wildland firefighters. Staffing woes and health worries were among the top issues.