wildfires - Page 1

Coal Ash, Wildfire Ash, Urban Fire Ash: What Makes Each Type Uniquely Dangerous

January 20, 2026

Every region, from urban localities to rural areas with coal-burning plants, can experience wildfire ash variants, which have different dangers associated with their composition.

Think beyond heat to other summer-related safety hazards

Robin Marth, CSP

July 26, 2024

During the summer months, many workplaces find themselves dealing not only with heat, but destructive tornadoes, voracious hurricanes, and suffocating wildfire smoke.

Commit to C.A.R.E. addresses air quality impacts of wildfire smoke

July 6, 2023

The tools offered on Commit to C.A.R.E. are free of cost. Home and business owners in particular may benefit from the assistance of these resources in improving air quality within buildings where they live, work, and do business.

Wildfire smoke shows need for urgent action on worker protections, says National COSH

June 8, 2023

The wildfire smoke spreading across the United States and Canada shows the need for urgent action to protect workers from the ongoing effects of climate change.

Wildfire clean-up crews face multiple health risks

Hazards include toxic inhalation, harmful pollutants, heat exposure

Evelyn Long

November 8, 2022

Here is a discussion of the short and long-term health risks wildfire clean-up crews face and how local and federal governments are working to make their jobs safer.

From NIOSH

Task and environment affect carbon monoxide exposure among wildland firefighters

March 9, 2020

In the United States, the number of acres burned each year from wildland fires has grown, increasing work-related risks to wildland firefighters. One invisible risk is carbon monoxide (CO), produced from the burning of fuels, such as in fires or from gasoline-powered engines. In a recent study led by Scott Henn, NIOSH industrial hygienist, he describes conditions that increase this risk.

3 U.S. firefighters die in Australian plane crash

January 23, 2020

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is calling the deaths of three American firefighters in New South Wales “a terrible tragedy.” The three, who were in Australia helping fight that country’s ongoing wildfires, were in a C-130 Hercules firefighting aircraft carrying a load of retardant when the plane went down in New South Wales, according to news reports.

Weekly news round-up

January 18, 2020

Safety success at one manufacturing facility, a city sued after a construction incident and a closer look at the impact of industrial exoskeletons on workers were among the top stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

First responders get life-saving sensor readings, video surveillance

Squishy Robots to the rescue

Dave Johnson

June 3, 2019

It’s a bird, it’s a plane… no, it’s a Squishy Robot, dropped from a helicopter or a drone to transmit crucial environmental data to emergency responders at disaster scenes.

A NIOSH Science Blog post

Using 3 data sources to create a single wildland fire fighter on-duty death surveillance system

February 21, 2017

Wildland fire fighters are required to pass an “arduous duty” physical fitness test annually to help ensure that they are prepared for the physical nature of the job. Unlike structural fire fighting, wildland fire fighting often requires long work shifts that may last up to 14 continuous days, and often takes place in environments that are challenging with regard to temperature and terrain.