Murphy Woodhouse

Earlier this month, Jesse Hamner stood in front of torching pines – pulsing heat and sending thick, twisting smoke skyward.

Low morale, staffing woes and health worries are among the top issues shared by hundreds of federal wildland firefighters who responded to a recent

Low morale, staffing woes and health worries are among the top issues shared by hundreds of federal wildland firefighters who responded.

Following the burnover deaths of three wildland firefighters near the Utah-Colorado border last weekend, a top federal fire official has strong words of warning ahead of Independence Day – the single

Firefighters will now be able to use N95 masks on the fireline – building on a more limited, voluntary rollout of masking that started last fall . There will also be expanded access to showers, time for routine gear cleaning and so-called “clean air recovery periods” that can limit other risks.

On top of the dangers of fighting fires, research has connected wildland firefighting to serious diseases like lung cancer. Now, federal agencies are taking more steps to address those risks.

This year's already strong El Niño is strengthening , a trend with potentially significant implications for the intense – and now tragic – fire season.

This year's already strong El Niño is strengthening, a trend with potentially significant implications for the intense – and now tragic – fire season.

Wildland firefighters face extreme conditions. For those who identify as LGBTQ, there are challenges beyond the fireline.

Its many sections cover common fireline terminology, handling relationships and childcare during the long summer months and how to support firefighters reintegrating to family life once the season slows down.