Wildfires Exact a Heavy Toll on Firefighters, Who Face Immediate Danger and Long-Term Cancer Risks

Four firefighters lost their lives battling wildfires in July alone—double the number from 2025. At least 129 others suffered smoke inhalation during blazes in the Gironde, Landes, and Var regions. Behind these figures, unions are sounding the alarm over inadequate protective gear and a growing health crisis within the profession.

At a forward command post set up in a chalet in Saumos, Gironde, firefighters from a Breton reinforcement unit filed past a nurse who measured carbon monoxide levels in their blood with a fingertip monitor. Surviving the fire front is only part of the battle. "We attend more funerals than weddings, and it's less because of the flames than because of cancer," remarked one officer, his face smeared with black soot.

The French Directorate General for Civil Security (DGSC) has not yet compiled national injury figures, but across the three fire zones, 231 firefighters have already received medical attention, a count that includes minor ailments like blisters, cuts, and sprains. Jérôme Boulanger, a DGSC spokesperson, noted that every reinforcement column includes its own medical support, with at least an on-site nurse and sometimes more specialized personnel.

'A grossly underestimated toll'

Smoke inhalation remains one of the greatest threats, affecting at least 129 firefighters to varying degrees. Xavier Boy, president of the FA/SPP-PATS, the largest firefighters’ union, believes the real number is far higher. "This toll is grossly underestimated," he said. "You can be intoxicated without showing symptoms, and the guys aren't the type to complain." In Gironde, 15 firefighters were evacuated, and six severely affected required hyperbaric oxygen treatment. Norbert Berginiat, a medical colonel and vice president of France’s National Federation of Firefighters, stressed that while being trapped by flames is an obvious peril, smoke inhalation—particularly from carbon monoxide—poses an equally lethal risk.

On wildfire fronts, firefighters cannot wear full face masks and oxygen tanks, which are too heavy and offer insufficient autonomy. Most rely on thermal hoods that shield against heat but fail to filter smoke particles. "A study by CEREN showed that the standard hood was about as effective at stopping particles as a butterfly net is at catching electrons," said Sébastien Delavoux, CGT union representative for Departmental Fire and Rescue Services (SDIS).

The problem has been known for years. The Interior Ministry was alerted in 2017 and launched a plan to address smoke exposure risks, yet filtering hoods—designed to trap particles through saturation—only reached the market in 2025.

"Countries like Japan didn't hesitate to invest in these protections, but in France, even though we developed them, we are dragging our feet. Too few SDIS purchase them," Delavoux said. During a forest fire in Fontainebleau in early July, firefighters from the Essonne department were forced to share filtering hoods during shift changes due to shortages. Made in France, these hoods cost €80 apiece compared to €6 for a standard hood—a steep obstacle for budget-strapped fire services.

'A balance between protection and constraints'

The filtering hoods also bring increased breathing difficulty. "Some firefighters cannot tolerate them and end up taking them off," explained Berginiat. He said the evolving recommendation now leans toward FFP3 masks, which are less restrictive precisely because they fit less tightly—and therefore filter less. "It's a constant search for the right balance between protection and constraints." DGSC's Boulanger added that civil security does urge SDIS to purchase filtering hoods, saying, "we prefer something too restrictive rather than insufficiently protective." A potential alternative—new ventilated filtering masks—is currently undergoing tests at the University of Grenoble.

Delavoux also highlighted that not all French firefighters carry individual carbon monoxide detectors when responding to fires, unlike Polish crews who assisted during the 2022 Gironde blazes and would withdraw immediately when alarms sounded.

Exposure extends well beyond the hours spent in direct contact with flames. In Gironde, some firefighters spent days enveloped in the thick yellowish smoke that blanketed the region. Colonel Berginiat explained the unpredictability: combustion byproducts change depending on what materials burn, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and wind. "With forest fire smoke, we're always dealing with trial and error."

Beyond carbon monoxide, firefighters inhale a toxic cocktail of gases like benzene and nitrogen oxides, as well as fine and ultrafine particles carrying polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, heavy metals, and even pesticides used to promote pine growth. In 2022, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified occupational exposure as a firefighter as "carcinogenic to humans."

Protective suits offer some defense, but toxic compounds can also enter through the skin. During prolonged summer operations, often conducted in punishing heat, wearing heavy gear at all times is impractical, and dehydration becomes another threat. Away from the main fire front around Bordeaux, many firefighters chased down smoke plumes and hot spots in short-sleeved shirts, raising their burn risk.

The long-term health consequences—cancers, heart and lung diseases, neurological disorders—accumulate over repeated deployments. Annual medical checkups now include a battery of tests that track exposures over time, Berginiat noted. Since December 2025, bladder cancer and mesothelioma have been added to the list of recognized occupational illnesses, alongside nasopharyngeal carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. For other illnesses, firefighters must still prove a direct link between their disease and their work.

The psychological toll is also mounting, with support teams attempting to address post-traumatic stress that can surface months later, triggered by extreme fatigue and the sense of helplessness when retreating before an uncontainable fire. In villages near Bordeaux, the reception was mixed: some residents embraced firefighters as heroes, feeding and supporting them, while others, having lost their homes, met them with anger and accusations of abandonment.