WASHINGTON, D.C. – A bill to provide assistance to firefighters and their families after a firefighter is critically injured or killed in the line of duty was heard yesterday on Capitol Hill. While it’s a major first step, especially for those in high fire-risk areas, Dr. Matt Rahn of the Wildfire Conservancy said there’s more to be done to protect firefighters, especially wildland firefighters, through legislation.

H.R. 4671 was introduced by Rep. Josh Harder of District 9 in California in July of this year. After the Eaton and Palisades fires, much attention has been brought to the intense and dangerous work that firefighters do. H.R. 4671, “Ensuring Casualty Assistance for our Firefighters Act” is modeled after what is already provided for the Forest Service.

Much support was expressed for H.R. 4671 among members of the Department of the Interior and Committee of Natural Resources. Dr. Matt Rahn of the Wildfire Conservancy testified about the importance of protecting firefighters in wildland situations, who are less protected than firefighters who fight structural fires.

“There’s been a widespread myth that wood smoke is not as harmful, but we now know that it can actually increase a wide span of health risks,” said Rahn to the Tribune. “Exposure to this smoke increases the exposure to toxins, it can cause cancer, cardiac and respiratory diseases and issues.”

Rahn testified to Capitol Hill that additional protections for wildland firefighters could prevent casualties, and urged them to create legislation that would help provide these and decrease risks to them. He told them that what wildland firefighters are exposed to in the field is tantamount to what firefighters were exposed to on 9/11.

“For communities like Tahoe, where there are prescribed burns, people see and are exposed to this understanding about fire,” said Rahn to the Tribune. “There is a requirement from California’s department of public health to warn people about these controlled burns and their potential exposure to smoke. And while Nevada doesn’t have these same required protections, there is an effort to alert people in neighborhoods about these exposures, because we know about the effects of smoke.”

Rahn also acknowledged that people in Tahoe value firefighters in the community. “We all know a firefighter, we may have one in our family. While there are still considerable partisan politics in D.C., this is something I think we can all agree on—it’s time that we protect the people who protect us.”

Rahn and the Wildfire Conservancy urged that people contact their representatives to protect wildland firefighters through supporting or writing legislation that will:

• Provide clean gear and regular decontamination (“clean cab”) practices
• Fund science-based and modern personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Fund medical monitoring and long-term tracking of exposures
• Bring education and training to leaders in the field

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley.