The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has proposed giving wildland firefighters 25% hazard pay when working on prescribed burns.
Firefighters have long received hazard pay when suppressing wildfires.
The new rule would provide them with the same level of compensation when working on planned ignitions.
“It's kind of rightening [sic] the wrong of the exposure to these carcinogens. Some of the most smoke I've ever ingested is on prescribed fire,” says Matthew Brossard, a National Business Representative for the National Federation of Federal Employees.
Brossard worked as a U.S. Forest Service firefighter for 22 years, mostly in Southern California.
“[Firefighters are] busier in the summer months and the fire season, and now we're burning more and more in the winter. So instead of having six to eight months of exposure, now firefighters are being exposed [to smoke] 12 months out of the year,” Brossard says.
Brossard adds that firefighters are required to carry the same protective equipment on prescribed burns as when they’re suppressing wildfires.
He says the new rules recognize growing scientific consensus on the health impacts of wood smoke.
A 2019 Forest Service study showed wildland firefighters have an increased risk of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease, and wood smoke is a significant factor.
The OMB is accepting public comments on the planned change through June 15.
