State of the Science on Wildland Firefighter Health and Wellbeing

Southern Rockies FIre Science Network, Southwest Fire Science Consortium, and Montrose Translational Health Lab

February 11, 1pm ET

What does 40 years of research tell us about wildland firefighter health—and where are the gaps? This webinar will highlight findings from the Wildland Firefighter Health Scoping Review, which analyzed more than 250 studies published between 1985–2025. The review shows that while some groups—like Interagency Hotshot Crews—are frequently studied, others, including support personnel, receive far less attention. Research on cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic disease risks is growing, but long-term health studies remain scarce. Although many strategies have been proposed to reduce health risks, few have been formally evaluated. This webinar will also introduce the Wildland Firefighters’ Science Needs Assessment, a new effort to identify priority research areas and strengthen collaboration between practitioners and researchers to better support firefighter health and wellbeing. Speaker: Arielle Milkman, Postdoctoral Fellow, Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences - Colorado State University