Quantifying danger: New data on wildland firefighter injuries

Sylvia Kantor; Natalie A. Cooper; Erin J. Belval; Bradley Pietruszka; Alex Viktora

Treesearch

Quantifying danger: New data on wildland firefighter injuries

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Sylvia Kantor, Natalie A. Cooper, Erin J. Belval, Bradley Pietruszka, Alex Viktora

Year:

2026

Type:

Science Bulletins and Newsletters

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

Science You Can Use (in 5 Minutes), January 2026. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Download (PDF 4.11 MB)

Download (PDF 4.11 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/69981.pdf

Abstract

When wildland firefighters head into the field, they know the work is dangerous; but until now, agencies lacked detailed data on exactly which activities and hazards posed the greatest threats. A recent analysis of five years of serious firefighter injuries offers new insights.

Keywords

wildland firefighter, injuries, hazards, safety

Citation

Kantor, Sylvia; Cooper, Natalie; Belval, Erin; Pietruszka, Brad; Viktora, Alex. 2026. Quantifying danger: New data on wildland firefighter injuries. Science You Can Use (in 5 Minutes), January 2026. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.