UA launches study into cancer risks of wildland firefighters
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A firefighter works the burnout for the Rafael Fire on June 27, 2021.
As climate change affects the planet, those in the Southwest are even more susceptible to its impacts — including becoming increasingly drier.
That reality is extending the length of our wildfire seasons — which used to include a few months of severe danger but are becoming nearly year-round. That means more wildland firefighters who are subject to conditions that could adversely affect their health.
Jeffrey Burgess is a professor in the Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. He's leading an effort looking into cancer risks among wildland firefighters.
The Show spoke with him to learn about his findings thus far.
