Experts unveil research on how to better protect health of firefighters in wake of L.A. fires

CBS News

25-02-2025

SACRAMENTO — Research is just beginning on the impacts that the Palisades and Eaton wildfires in Southern California had on the health of first responders. Those blazes are in the spotlight as wildfire scientists gather in Sacramento this week.
From a standing ovation at the Grammys to shoutouts at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, crews who fought the wildfires are riding a wave of public support.
"I'm glad they recognized the magnitude of this incident," said Matt Rahn, executive director of the Wildfire Conservancy.
Rahn said the Los Angeles blazes show just how dangerous these types of urban infernos can be for fire crews.
"The toxic, hazardous, and carcinogenic compounds that they were exposed to for days if not weeks is devastating," he said.
Now, safety experts are meeting in Sacramento this week to unveil research that can help make the career a little less risky.
"We found in some of our testing that, in many cases, firefighters have very high sustained peak heart rates and core body temperatures," said Kelcey Stricker, health and safety director of the Wildfire Conservancy.
Their study shows that something as simple as drinking ice water can make a big difference.
"We no longer have runaway core temperature if you can get firefighters ice water periodically throughout the day," Rahn said.
Other ideas include using softer sounds and lighting when waking fire crews in the middle of the night for an emergency call.
"They're going from 0 to 60. Their heart rate, their adrenaline, everything starts pumping," Rahn said. "There's a lot of good research that shows it can really be beneficial."
Public awareness could also help sway lawmakers into passing new laws that regulate where homes in wildfire-prone areas can be built.
"The devastation we're seeing is going to occur again in California," Rahn said. "We need to take that seriously. We need to protect our communities and make good decisions on planning and land use and rebuilding."
The Wildfire Conservancy is also recruiting fire crews for a study on the long-term impacts of fighting the L.A. fires, similar to research done on crews that responded to the 9/11 attacks.