The Increasing Strain on California Firefighters

Firefighters are working 24- to 36-hour shifts to put out several large fires across California, often with little rest between assignments. For many, the strain of this recent spate of blazes has been compounded with a wildfire season that has become year-round and more intense.

“There used to be a rhythm to this, and you could at least count on that rhythm,” said Brian Rice, who retired from fighting fires in 2011 and is now president of California Professional Firefighters, a statewide union.

Since 2012, there has not been a month without a wildfire, according to state emergency management officials. The intensity of the fires has appeared to increase as well; the fires in 2017 were among the most destructive in California’s history, leaving 46 people dead and causing nearly $12 billion in damage.

Mike Daw, executive director of the Firefighters Burn Institute, which works with injured firefighters through the UC Davis Burn Unit in Sacramento, said that firefighters often do not report injuries that might sideline them. Those injuries are often exacerbated over time, especially because mutual assistance programs in California mean that firefighters can end up battling fires all over the state.

“Firefighters are a unique culture,” he said. “They’re putting themselves in danger, and a lot of times they feel like they can endure more than a normal human being can.”

Michael Feyh, a captain with the Sacramento Fire Department, said that fatigue and sleep deprivation are significant problems for firefighters and can leave them particularly vulnerable in already dangerous situations.

And the emotional trauma after injuries or high-stakes events, he said, is often not discussed enough.

“It’s not just burns; it’s all the things that come with the trauma — what people see throughout their careers,” he said. “It’s hard to get guys to come forward and accept that they could be getting some help and get counseling.”

Feyh knows the risks firsthand. In 2010, he suffered second- and third-degree burns on 10 percent to 15 percent of his body, largely around his face, while responding to a report of a gas leak. The house exploded, sending him flying 20 feet and leading to the burns as well as orthopedic injuries that took about a year to heal.

“And it’s not just the individual, either; we go to work and our families always have in the back of their minds that something can happen,” Feyh said.

Ashley Iverson lost her husband, Cory, in December while he was fighting the Thomas Fire in Ventura County. Cory Iverson, a fire apparatus engineer with Cal Fire, had already worked a 24-hour shift but was helping put out spot fires when he became trapped in a gulch. The fire reached him before he could escape.

Thousands honored his sacrifice at a funeral in San Diego, his hometown, just days before Christmas. Ashley Iverson was four months pregnant at the time and today is caring for their two daughters. Sometimes she is overcome by pain, she said.

“How can I raise my kids without my best friend?” she said. “Why don’t they get to have him in their lives?”

Iverson hopes to turn her husband’s tragic death into something positive. She is laying the groundwork for a foundation in his name that will advocate expanding mental health awareness among fire responders and firefighters. She said she finds comfort in knowing that he had dedicated himself to helping people.

“After it happened, I took a breath. OK, the worst has happened. Now what? Where do we go from here?” Iverson said. “A lot of widows, their life is over. I feel like Cory has given me legs. I’m just so damn proud of him and everything he did.”