Between 2001 and 2012, at least 905,000 fires have caused 75
million acres of land to burn. The wildland firefighters who respond to these
events are often exposed to a variety of safety hazards, such as electrocution
from power lines and strikes by falling objects, as well as many health
hazards, including respiratory illnesses and contact with hazardous materials.
Most often, these firefighters are volunteers.
NIOSH has issued a fact sheet providing recommendations for wildland firefighters and their supervisors. Additionally,
the fact sheet links to several other online resources to protect those who work
to combat wildfires.