Palisades Fire firefighters taking part in first-of-its-kind cancer study

(KTXL) — The Wildfire Conservancy is conducting a first-of-a-kind cancer study on firefighters battling the Palisades Fire. The goal is to track how the extreme conditions increase firefighters' risk of cancer.

The study comes after the International Agency for Research on Cancer officially classified firefighting as a carcinogenic profession.

The initiative is a collaboration with Cal Fire, the National Firefighter Cancer Cohort Study and the University of Arizona.

Dr. Matt Rahn, executive director of Wildfire Conservatory, describes the conditions of the Palisades Fire as a "toxic soup of air and ash."

“This is the equivalent of a 9/11 scale exposure incident and we need to start treating them like this,” he said.

The firefighters battling the Palisades blaze are being exposed to hazardous substances like carbon monoxide and heavy metals, which can lead to cancer, respiratory issues and neurological damage.

“This isn't a wildfire where just vegetation is burning,” Rahn continued. “This is, you know, thousands of homes, a contamination event.”

The 50 participating firefighters will have their blood drawn, provide a urine sample and share personal details. They’re also given silicone wristbands that absorb contaminants like ash, soot, and smoke that will be tested.

“We are making plans with Cal Fire and others in the study to do a post-exposure, post-fire blood sample,” Rahn said. “One of the things that we're able to look at is micro-RNA in the blood because it's a marker of how much DNA damage has been done.”

“A lot of these firefighters expect to, at some point, get cancer, and they know that what they're doing today is helping future firefighters,” he added.

Cancer has affected the Sacramento firefighting community.

“We've had a number of young firefighters with young families that have passed away from cancer, and it's absolutely devastating,” Parker Wilbourn, a spokesperson for Sacramento Metro Fire, said. “It's no longer the retired folks.”

“Here locally, we have a protocol to decontaminate after each incident but down south, when you're at base camp or you're deployed out, we don't have those resources available,” Wilbourn added.

The team will conduct the study at the Palisades Fire for as long as it remains active.

Researchers hope to turn their work into a multigenerational study and see an improvement in wildland firefighter protective gear, precautions, and interventions in the near future.

For those who are in Los Angeles, the doctor recommends wearing an N95 mask and switching it out every few days if you are close to the flames.

KTXL is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.

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