The federal government has known for years that wildfire fighters, who spend weeks at a time in poisonous smoke, can develop deadly cancers from the exposure.
Now, they will be eligible for a payment of nearly $450,000 and college tuition for their family if they die or become debilitated from a smoke-related cancer, under a law signed by President Trump on Thursday.
The measure is part of a bipartisan push in Congress to overhaul how the government protects and compensates firefighters who work in toxic wildfire smoke — with multiple bills pending that would enforce the use of masks, expand benefits and recognize smoke exposure as a major occupational hazard.
Worsening fire seasons have meant that firefighters spend more time in dense smoke, and many are developing serious diseases at young ages.
“The reality is that they are being exposed to stuff that puts them at greater risk to save us,” said Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota, who sponsored the bill alongside Senator Kevin Cramer, Republican of North Dakota.
The legislation, which passed as part of a larger military spending bill, requires that some 20 smoke-related cancers be automatically treated as line-of-duty injuries or deaths. The aid includes a one-time tax-free payment of $448,575 and four years of financial support for the firefighter’s children or spouse to pursue higher education. Families who have lost loved ones within the last six years will be eligible to file for benefits retroactively.
Over the summer, The New York Times tagged along with the Oregon-based wildfire crew of Casey Budlong, who was diagnosed at 40 with brain cancer and died in 2024, leaving behind an 8-year-old son. On Thursday, his widow, Katy, said the benefits could alleviate the financial stress of suddenly becoming a single parent, helping her to pay for things like roof repairs and save for their son’s college education.
“It would literally be life-changing,” she said. “It would mean we could focus on making happy memories and doing things together that Casey would have loved, and not have to worry about if we’re going to be OK.”
She said she hoped the change would encourage the government to take smoke exposure more seriously.
“His job killed him in a way we never anticipated happening,” she said. “Part of me is really angry about it. When it comes to the government, I think the only thing they listen to is money.”
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The law passed after a series of articles in The Times detailed how firefighters had been banned from wearing masks on the fire line, despite decades of research and internal government reports showing they were at greater risk for cancer and other illnesses. The bill’s backers said in interviews that the Times coverage helped propel it and other legislative efforts forward.
The new law covers firefighters who work for public agencies. A different bill, sponsored by Representative Bruce Westerman, Republican of Arkansas, could extend benefits to private contractors who fall ill after working for wildfire companies the government hires to round out its ranks. That legislation passed the House and is awaiting a vote in the Senate.
Other bills focus on compensating wildfire crews for the dangers they face and improving safety. A House bill introduced in September by Representative Celeste Maloy, Republican of Utah, would grant wildland firefighters hazard pay for prescribed burns — planned fires that are meant to prevent larger ones. That work is currently paid less than fighting active wildfires, despite comparable smoke exposure.
And in November, Senators Adam Schiff, Democrat of California, and John Curtis, Republican of Utah, introduced a bill that would require the Forest Service to create an enforceable mask mandate. The agency recently said it would begin to modernize its mask rules in the spring.
Lawmakers say additional legislation is forthcoming. Representative Maxine Dexter, Democrat of Oregon, is drafting another bill focused on respiratory protection, while Senator Alex Padilla, Democrat of California, is pushing for air-quality standards at the camps where wildland firefighters sleep.
Responding to The Times’s reporting, a House committee opened an inquiry into smoke exposure and held a forum in September that brought new attention to the issue, including previously undisclosed statistics from the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs.
In November, an advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention convened a two-day summit on respiratory protection for wildland firefighters, including testimony from the Forest Service.
States have pursued their own reforms. In October, California added a death benefit for prisoners working in wildfires, and this month, Nevada enacted a law that adds protections for all firefighters who develop lung diseases.
Supporters say that the new federal law will make an immediate difference, but that the next step is to ensure fewer firefighters get sick in the first place.
“This is a tremendous piece of legislation that will help the families of our fallen firefighters who died of job-related cancer,” said Edward Kelly, general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, the nation’s largest firefighter union. But the ultimate goal, he said, is to “get them home at the end of a tour and ultimately have them live a long and healthy life.”
Hannah Dreier is a reporter for The Times who covers laws and policies by telling the stories of the people they affect. She can be reached at hannah.dreier@nytimes.com.
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