The Hidden Victims of America’s Wildfires

From the New York Times, I'm Rachel. Abrams and [music] this is the Daily. [music]. As wildfire seasons grow longer and. deadlier, states are increasingly. relying on private [music] companies to. provide thousands of firefighters to the. front lines. Today, my colleague Hannah Dryer. explains how lacks rules and regulatory. loopholes [music]. have left many of these firefighters.

sick, in debt, and on their own. It's [music] Tuesday, October 28th. Hannah, it feels like every year there. are more and more wildfires and you have. spent months investigating one specific. aspect of wildfires, which is the. wildfire fighting industry. So, I'd love. to start off with you telling us what. got you interested in that particular. angle. I first started thinking about.

this after the fires that tore through. Los Angeles in January. I saw that there. was all this footage, all these pictures. coming in of the people who were. fighting those fires. And I couldn't. help but notice that there were all of. these firefighters out there standing in. what looked like the most toxic black. smoke and none of them were wearing. masks. And it got me wondering why is. that? And what might be the consequences.

of working in that kind of environment. with no protection? And so I started. digging into the industry of people who. fight wildfires. And what I discovered. is that it's completely unlike any. industry. They are out there in these. really hazardous conditions and they. work without protection. And a lot of. them are getting very sick at young. ages. And when they develop things like. severe lung damage or cancer, things.

that are linked to this smoke exposure, they're often on their own. often they. don't even have basic health insurance. >> So basically they're vulnerable at. several different stages of this process. from starting work to actually getting. sick. >> Exactly. I mean what a lot of people. have told me is they feel like they put. their health on the line to protect. people and then when they get sick. themselves there's sort of no one there. protecting them. >> And this is not a small issue. There are. tens of thousands of people who do this. work almost year round now. And as. wildfire season grows longer and gets. more intense, this is something that is.

just going to become more and more. urgent. So to get my arms around this, I. talked to hundreds of firefighters. Many. of them were very sick, >> but there was one story that really. stood out to me. >> Hi, come on in. I'm Matt. I'm Joel's. dad. >> This is a young man named Joel Eisinger. >> So, can we go all the way back to your. childhood and start there? just a lot of. riding bicycles and a lot of races.

>> Joel was a shy kid who moved around a. lot. He didn't always have an easy time. making friends. He was really physical. He went on long hikes, long bike rides. He played lacrosse in high school and. his nickname was battering ram. But he. had a hard time focusing in school. Sometimes he didn't go to class. He sort. of barely managed to graduate. And once. he graduated, he wasn't sure what he was. going to do. >> Uh, got a job at Taco Bell. >> He was living in Oregon. He got a job at.

Taco Bell. And one night, >> I watched a movie called Only the Brave. >> I worked [music] this blaze near Big. Timber, Montana. >> He started watching this movie on TV. called Only the Brave. >> No matter what's going on, we can't go. back up there. Stay together. Everyone. here. >> It's a movie that's about this tragedy. that happened a few [music] years ago. where basically an entire crew of. wildland firefighters died burned by a. fire. >> Soup. I just want to thank you for. pulling me out earlier. >> It was definitely an ass pucker, wasn't. it?

>> No doubt, man. I thought I was dying. >> And it's this tragic movie, but his. reaction to it was to focus on the bond. between these crew members. >> This ain't the greatest job in the. world. I don't know what is. >> Got that right. >> So, in the movie, these guys are always. joking. They're really close. And that. really appealed to Joel. I mean, he's. working at like a fast food restaurant. during the day. And to him, this is. like, oh my god, it's a way to be. outside, have friends, and be doing what.

he's best at, which is this sort of like. physical work. So, the very next day, he. goes and applies to work for a company. called Pacific Oasis. >> And what's Pacific Oasis? Pacific Oasis. is one of hundreds of companies that now. offer private firefighting services to. the federal government. And these are. easier jobs to get than working directly. for the federal government doing. firefighting. >> Like less red tape. >> Yeah. Less paperwork to fill out, fewer. hoops to jump through. You can get hired.

on the spot. And so they attract a lot. of people like Joel who maybe were a. little a drift in life. So it's an. easier job to get than working for the. federal government. But there's a. trade-off, which is that there are a lot. fewer protections and fewer benefits. So. most people working for these companies. don't have health insurance, for. example. They have less training and. overall they're just sort of less. protected. >> Um, so at Taco Bell, I had a manager. He. brought up Pacific Oasis actually. So. like I had that in my head already.

[snorts] and uh he just told me all the. cool stories and I was like, "Oh, this. is sweet, man." You know, he's like, "I. don't hire anybody. I just want. >> So Joel walks in the door. He meets with. the president of the company. He's like, "This is uh you're exactly what we're. looking for.". >> And signs him up for training straight. away. >> on the spot. >> And he's almost immediately sent out to. a major fire. And he's still 18 at this. point. His father, Matt, remembers. driving him down to the Pacific Oasis. headquarters. >> So, I went down there with him and.

dropped him off at the fire like it was. a sporting event, you know what I mean? And I was incredibly worried about him, of course, as I I think most parents. would be. But. >> Matt was so worried that Joel was going. to go out in this really dangerous. situation. He knows his son is sort of. hard-headed, maybe sometimes push his. boundaries. And he knew he couldn't stop. Joel from signing up for this work. Joel. was determined, but he was really. worried. Understandably, >> right? So Steve saw me just nervously. pacing and waiting. and he Steve came up.

to me and he approached me and I was. staying out of. >> and Steve Dods who's the president of. Pacific Oasis comes over and talks to. Matt and reassures him. >> and he said, "Hey, we'll take good care. of him. He's going to be all right." And. anybody could say that, but I truly did. believe him. I I respected him at that. >> And then Joel gets in a truck and he. drives off to his very first fire. >> So, can you tell us about your first. fire? Uh it was like California coming. to the Oregon border. So we were there.

to like protect it coming into Oregon. >> This fire was called the Clamathon fire. Every fire has a name. >> So we were doing a lot of direct hand. line. So that's you're at the fire's. edge. You're digging down to like bare. mineral soil creating like a small fire. break that the fire stops. >> So fighting a wildfire is not like what. we sort of imagine when we think of. firefighting. There's not usually water. and hoses involved. It's more like. you're digging a containment line.

>> I would definitely think that any kind. of firefighting required water. So, this. is interesting. >> I mean, what it is is that wildfires are. too big to put out with water. They can. really only be trapped and contained. >> You're just trying to stop it from. spreading on the ground. Basically, small flames smoldering. And. >> but what that means for somebody like. Joel is that you're just working right. next to the fire in a way that's sort of. unbelievable. Joel's first night [music] was basically. trapesing around on a cliff's edge right.

next to the act of fire. >> The scariest part about that first fire. was uh they call it a freight train. You. start hearing the fire. You can't see. it, but you just start hearing trees. just torching and running. It sounds. like Yeah. train. >> He told me about how he was hearing. trees snapsh. >> So, he's crossing checkpoints. >> National Guard was there. Uh they shut. down all highways now. >> And he gets to drive around them to go. to this sort of offlimit space with his.

crew. >> Um I'm like I thought it was the coolest. thing ever, you know. >> And it's this wild unpredictable scene. >> It's pure chaos, dude. Flames start. ripping, wind changes. >> where he is right next to these flames, >> fire on both sides of us. It's like I. look up like a 200t wall of flames just. like 50 ft away from me and I'm just. like everybody's. >> and he's starting to get to know these. guys who are sort of teaching him how to. be out there and stay safe [music] but. also teasing him. >> My closest friends I met on that first. fire, you know, I've kept that circle.

>> for him. It was. >> everything he had hoped it might be to. to go out and fight a wildfire. It sounds like he found that Band of. Brothers element that he was really. drawn to. Absolutely. So after that, he. was pretty much hooked. He worked six. more fire seasons. He learned to work a. chainsaw. And that meant that he would. sort of be out in front of the rest of. the crew leading this group of guys deep. into the woods, cutting down trees, cutting down flaming branches.

>> It took me three about 3 years to be. able to walk through the woods without. falling over, if that makes sense. like. with a chainsaw with all the weight took. about 3 years. >> He would be hiking with a 50 lb pack. just you know him, his friends and. nature. >> You're you're removed from like everyday. life and I don't like everyday life. personally. So it's like I like that you. know. >> it's really physically demanding but it. was also for him really rewarding and. made him proud. He felt like it was.

finally something that he was just. naturally good at. >> Just freedom. Being on fires doesn't. feel like a job. It's like makebelieve. stuff that we do out there, you know? It's just fairy land [ __ ] So, it's. cool. >> But it also involved a lot of risk. He. fell down a burning hill once. He almost. cut into his foot with his chainsaw. He. got full body poison oak. >> And one of the most dangerous things. about the work was a natural byproduct.

of fires, which was breathing in smoke. and nobody out there wore masks. Why. wouldn't they wear masks? Masks weren't. provided when he started this work. And. they also weren't allowed. And this is a. longtime Forest Service policy. And what. the Forest Service says is that wearing. a mask could increase your risk of heat. stroke. The work is really taxing. It's. usually pretty hot out there. And the. concern is if you're out there with. something over your face, maybe you.

would start to overheat. Wildland. firefighters in other parts of the world. do wear masks and there has not been a. heat stroke issue there, but that's what. the Forest Service says. But there was. also this cultural element of not. wanting to seem weak. Firefighters sort. of see masks as like silly as a sign. that you're not going to be up to the. job. And breathing in smoke is seen as a. sign that you're willing to, you know, take sacrifices and focus on the work at. hand and you're not going to get too.

caught up in your own comfort. So. basically, even if they had been. provided with masks, what you're saying. is that they probably wouldn't have worn. them because of this culture. >> Yeah, there is this macho fireline. culture, but I also think it's worth. noting that at this point, firefighters. like Joel weren't told that there was. any reason to be concerned about smoke. So part of it maybe is that they thought. that the masks could make them look. weak, but they also maybe just had no. reason to think that there would be a. real benefit to wearing them. >> But the smoke exposure was really. intense. Pacific Oasis workers told me.

morning sounded like an emphyma clinic. in their fire camps. They were coughing. They had black stuff coming out their. noses. There's something called camp. cred that goes around these fire camps. where everyone will be coughing and. everyone will be sort of feeling sick. and people just think of it as like a. natural consequence of the work. For. Joel, it was sort of like being sore. It. was just something that he thought came. along with fighting fires. And for him,

it was proof that he was doing something. right and he was putting in the right. amount of effort. He was really focused. on trying to get his boss Steve's. attention and show Steve that he was. tough and he should be sent out on more. fires and maybe promoted. So, he was. working really hard. He was trying to. impress Steve. Show Steve that he would. make any sacrifice. And. >> he would cough up black stuff. >> Exactly. Go out for weeks and weeks. without complaining. and he was getting these positive. reviews. Steve seemed to be liking what.

he was doing. And eventually Steve. invited him to start training to be a. crew boss, which meant that he would. lead his own team of about 20 people. And that for Joel was one of the. proudest moments of his life. It was so. validating. >> Did you imagine spending your whole. career in fire? >> Oh, yeah. I already knew I was in. Yeah. I knew that's a job I wanted probably. when I was 19. I was probably going to. stick with that one. you know, I'm good. at it. I'm really good at it.

>> And he started to see this as probably. being his lifelong career. And that's why what happened next felt. like such a betrayal. [music]. We'll be right back. So Hannah, it sounds like Joel is. basically living his dream life. When do. things start taking a turn for the worst.

for him? >> Yeah. So looking back at it, uh I had a. lot of different signs. >> Everything started falling apart last. year. It was the 4th of July weekend. >> You know, I was extremely probably the. best shape I ever been in my life before. that. You know, [snorts]. I just did my crew boss class. >> He was fighting a fire in Northern. California staying in a hotel. >> I broke out in a rash. >> He had this strange rash that was sort. of creeping up his legs.

>> my body and it was so painful, dude. And. I didn't know what was going on. >> It really hurt. It looked like nothing. he'd ever seen before, but he didn't. want to complain. >> And we're staying in hotels, right? So. everybody was like, "Oh, you got bed. bugs." Everybody's like freaking out. >> And so he let it slide. Then his crew. moves deep into the forest and they. start camping there to get closer to the. fire line. >> And day nine or 10, my face started to. like droop. >> That's when his crew mates notice that. his face is drooping. Half of his mouth. is sort of just hanging open.

>> Every fire you go on, there's going to. be one thing that's always bugging you. You're going to have blisters, something, some fingernail messed up. You're going to have something. >> And again, he wants to be seen as this, you know, tough person who could be a. crew boss. And so he keeps going, working these 12-hour shifts until the. end of their deployment. That's when a. medic finally sees him and says, "You. need to get to the hospital. You might. have had a stroke." Were people worried. about him? Do we know during the period. that he's working with a a drooping. face?

>> You know, people noticed it, but nobody. was that worried. And I think that. partly goes back to this fire line. culture. I mean, firefighters say if you. get injured out on the fire line, you. just rub dirt in it and keep walking. Oh. my god. >> So, everybody is just very focused on. getting this fire under control and. keeping going sort of no matter what. happens. >> So, the medic tells him, "You need. urgent medical attention. Does he go to. a hospital? Does he heed that advice?". >> So, Joel opts not to take an ambulance. He instead is driven by Steve, the owner.

of the company. >> And in my opinion, I'm going to the. hospital, right? So, but. >> he thinks that Steve is going to take. him to the hospital. That's sort of the. protocol for a moment like that. >> Mhm. Instead, he was driven 90 minutes. back from the fire line. And then he's. surprised because Steve drops him off at. his dad's house. It's almost midnight at. this point. He looks drawn. He looks. weak. >> You could have asked me what color this. guy was and I probably didn't know. That's how just messed up I was. You. know, my body was just shutting down.

>> When I saw him in that state, I knew. this isn't. a cold. >> And his dad realized that something is. terribly wrong here. I drove to the. hospital thinking that he's going to die. at any moment. I knew it. >> And immediately takes him to the. emergency room. >> There's no going back from something. like that happening as a parent. >> So, at the hospital, doctors start. running tests and it takes a few days of. tests and Joel is getting weaker and. weaker. At this point, he can't even. really walk down the hallway. And.

eventually, they come back with an. answer that nobody expects. He is. diagnosed with acute myoid leukemia, which is an aggressive blood cancer that. is most often seen in people in their. 60s and 70s. Not somebody Joel's age. >> And how old was he at that point? >> He is diagnosed the day before he turns. 25. >> Wow. >> That moment it's still in jog for him. So feels fake, >> but it's not. You know, >> he needs immediate chemotherapy,

immediate blood transfusions. That rash that was creeping up his legs. turns out to have been his blood. basically just breaking down without. treatment. He could die within a matter. of weeks. And the truth is, even with. medical interventions, only about half. of patients with this kind of cancer. survive a year. But all Joel is thinking. about in these days is how quickly he. can get through treatment and get back. to fighting fires. >> So I was really excited, man, to go back.

with that crew. I was locked in with. that crew, but it was a good crew. They. got the most hours out of any of the. crews, you know. >> He's sort of not understanding how. serious the situation is, how in danger. he is of dying, and he's just focused on this life that. he thought was in front of him. It. sounds like he almost couldn't accept. the reality of what was actually. happening to his body. Yes. I mean, it's. so jarring for him, like he just can't. really process what's going on. But for.

his father, the reality was very clear. And he was thinking back to that first. day when he dropped off Joel and Steve. said that he would take care of his son. >> He got dropped off at my doorstep by the. same person not seven years prior had. told me, "Hey, we're going to take care. of him.". >> For his part, Steve says that he. understood that this was going to be a. long diagnostic process for Joel. it. wasn't going to be a quick thing and he. was trying to do Joel a favor by letting. him rest at home and then go into the.

hospital the next day. But Matt just. cannot get over that moment, that. nightmare moment of seeing your child. He felt like on death store and they're. being taken to your house instead of. taken to get medical care. >> They let him linger out there having. facial paralysis, drooling, and all this. stuff going on. He had no control over. his muscles, pain. He wasn't okay. >> And what happened to him really could. have happened at any private. firefighting company. No matter who he. worked for, he would probably have been.

out there without a mask in heavy smoke. and he might have ended up in this exact. situation at the hospital sick with. cancer. But I think that for Matt and eventually. for Joel, they got really fixated on. these specifics of where he got dropped. off, what time it was because they felt. like Joel was just sort of dumped, like. he had been a disposable worker all. along. And so they felt really mad. And. meanwhile, all of these medical bills. started to come in. >> I was paying that first hospital bill. I.

didn't have insurance. I was paying that. [ __ ] out of my pocket, right? He and. Matt felt like Pacific Oasis should be. held accountable since he had gotten. sick on their watch. And workers. compensation covers things like lost. wages and hospital bills when employees. get sick on the job. So Joel and Matt. decide they are going to file a workers. compensation claim. They go down to. Pacific Oasis and Steve pulls them into. a room. >> room and said there's no way you guys. can prove this is workrelated. And I. said what?

>> He basically said anything could have. caused this. trying our best. >> Our workers compensation policy is not. going to pay for this. >> I'm not trying to prove anything. I'm. just trying to say that this happened to. him on a fire. Let's get him covered. right now until we can figure this out. [clears throat] You know what I mean? >> But they filed the claim anyway. And. ultimately, the workers comp insurer. denies their claim. >> So, I was just using money out of out of. pocket basically. >> Oh, yeah. >> Out of pocket. >> And why couldn't they prove this link?

It's almost impossible to prove that any. individual cancer case comes from. wildfire smoke. And that sort of shields. the whole firefighting industry from. responsibility. People who work at the Forest Service. have told me that this is one reason. that firefighters historically have not. been provided with masks because if you. give somebody a mask, it's essentially. acknowledging that smoke is risky and. could cause some sort of long-term.

illness. We're not going to give you a. mask that could protect you because that. would be an admission that you are in. danger doing this work. So therefore, we. were going to leave you unprotected. This is what whistleblowers have been. telling me that there's just sort of. been this culture of denial around how. dangerous smoke is because what do you. do once you acknowledge that you have to. really change how fires are fought? >> The government might start to have to. provide more staffing so that people. could take breaks from smoke. Then they. might have to start covering this whole. range of health conditions. Okay. So the.

employers don't acknowledge a link. between the work and the illness here. But is there a link between the work and. the type of cancer that Joel got? Like. what do we know about that for sure? So. until the 1980s, people thought that. wildfire smoke was basically benign like. a campfire. But since then, there's been. a lot of research that has shown pretty. definitively that wildfire smoke is. linked to cardiovascular issues, lung.

issues, and at least 12 kinds of. cancers. So, responding to this growing. body of research, in 2022, Congress. actually forced the Forest Service to. start offering workers compensation. benefits for a list of more than a dozen. cancers that are most strongly. associated with smoke exposure. But. that's not how it works for this large. group of other firefighters working on. contract for the Forest Service, but. working for private companies. So.

basically, if you work directly for the. federal government fighting fires, you. will get coverage. But if you work for a. private company that works for the. Forest Service, you will not get. coverage. Exactly. So if you've had, you. know, Joel's career and then you develop. leukemia and you're working for the. Forest Service, you now don't have to. prove where your cancer came from. It's. just assumed that it came from your work. on fires because there's such a strong. link. But for Joel, he would have to. prove where his cancer came from, which.

is almost impossible. >> So basically, for somebody like Joel, he. is completely on his own, it sounds. like, to cover the cost of his. treatment. >> Yes. And as you can imagine, it was. extremely expensive. The family spent. basically everything they had trying to. pay for this. And how was Joel doing. through all of this? Was the treatment. working? The chemotherapy starts to fight back. the cancer, but it takes a tremendous. physical toll on Joel. He could barely. move. He was in pain all the time. He.

would crawl up to his attic bedroom on. hands and knees. By the winter though, he started to get better. His cancer. went into remission and he started. recovering a little bit of strength. He. went out with his father to try to go on. a hike like he used to do with him. And. at first he could only take these sort. of stuttering steps, but little by. little he was able to recover a little. bit of of who he had been. It sounds.

like he beat the odds. I mean, he went into remission. His. doctors were very careful to explain. that the cancer could come back at any. time, and it often does. And if it did. come back, chemotherapy wouldn't be. enough. He would have to have a bone. marrow transplant. But after Joel got. the sign off from his doctors in the. spring, he sort of went back to that. place of aimlessness that he had been in. after graduating high school. He didn't.

quite know what to do. He felt a drift. and his mind started drifting back to. fighting fires. He started sort of. fantasizing about, well, like what if I. went back there? He wanted to go back to. the line. >> He wanted to go back to the line. It's. where his friends are. It's a way to. start making money to pay off his debts. >> And Joel is very hung up on that last. fire that he fought and how he got sick. and he wasn't able to to keep going. He.

really sees that as a defeat. And in a. lot of ways, he says he wants to redeem. himself by getting back out on the fire. line. >> Sure, I'm motivated. I can go do fire, but can I do a 14-day run? I don't know. [snorts]. >> Probably try till I die again. You know, that's one of those things. >> Some pretty tough. >> He actually went and asked Steve for his. job back and Steve told him, "Are you. crazy? You're think that firefighting. gave you this cancer. You're going to go. back. Isn't that tempting fate?" So. Steve wouldn't hire him. He couldn't get.

a job locally. So he bought a ticket to. go to Alaska where there are a lot more. federal wildland firefighting jobs. >> Wow. And Matt desperately wants Joel to. do any kind of work besides. firefighting. But he also knows that if. he pushes too hard, he could alienate. Joel. So he's walking this really fine. line. >> Even though everybody's telling me I'm. insane, but I don't care what anybody. thinks. Like at the end of the day, it's. just all all I know.

>> His kind of cancer is very aggressive. It doesn't have a great prognosis. In. his mind, he is likely still to die from. this cancer. >> If I got if I got a year left in my. life, I'm going to do the last year. doing some [ __ ] I'd enjoy, right? >> I mean, the damage is already done, right? >> No. >> Yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, it's too late to. turn back. I mean, [ __ ]. >> He feels like everything he's doing now. is just sort of borrowed time. And if he. ends up dying in his 20s, he wants to.

just keep going and keep being that. strong firefighter. It really strikes [music] me that there. will always be a Joel. There will always. be people who need this kind [music] of. work, who want to do this kind of work, and an industry that needs [music]. Joles, right? It's true. There are tens. of thousands of wildland firefighters. And as wildfire season grows longer and.

the fires grow more intense, the. government is increasingly turning to. [music]. firefighters like Joel and people get. into this work young. They really want. to do it. [music] And when they get. sick, the industry just sort of moves on. and there's always going to be another. young person to come and replace them. >> [music]. >> Hannah, thank you so much. Thank you,

[music] Rachel. [music]. Not long after Hannah published the. first story in this investigative. series, Congress held oversight hearings. citing her reporting [music] and. pressured the agency to make changes. and soon after it did, reversing its. decadesl long ban on masks [music] and. announcing it will provide masks to all. of its firefighters and encourage them. to use them. No plans have been.

announced to [music] extend worker. compensation coverage to contract. firefighters. [music]. We'll be right back. Here's. what else you need to know. Today, Prime. [music] Minister Andrew Holes of Jamaica. ordered mandatory evacuations and issued. dire safety warnings as Hurricane. Melissa, with winds of 175 mph, and.

enough [music] moisture to drop nearly 3. ft of rain, churned toward his country. and its 2.8 million people on Monday. Dangerous winds, catastrophic [music]. flooding, and a storm surge as high as. 13 ft were expected in Jamaica as soon. as Monday night, long before the [music]. hurricane's expected landfall on Tuesday. morning. Today's [music] episode was produced by. Nina Feldman, Jess Chung, and Diana Wyn. It was edited by Devon Taylor, contains.

music by Marian Lozano and Alicia. Bitube, [music] and was engineered by. Alyssa Moxley. >> [music]. >> That's it for the Daily. I'm Rachel. Abrams. See you tomorrow.