Episode 201:

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I’ve been thinking a lot about firefighters these days, what with the jaw-dropping video we see virtually every day of these monstrous wild fires scorching millions of acres of forests in California and Oregon. For the record, these fires are absolutely driven by climate change—so what we see today will be a feature every single year, with all the widespread devastation of communities and the loss of human lives and wildlife.

Recently, I was sheltering in my home like tens of thousands of other people because the fires in Oregon created air that was off the charts hazardous. I mean that not as hyperbole—the measurements were too high for your average air quality reading to capture.

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But, damn, if we, regular people just going about our business, can’t venture outside because the air is too dangerous, what do firefighters face? I don’t mean the obvious—the raging fires and flames. I’m talking about the long-term health effects of breathing in smoke and chemicals pouring out from fires that firefighters confront for hours on end with little shelter. Joining me to think about this is Darrell Roberts, a firefighter for 20 years in southern California where he serves as a battalion chief in Chula Vista as well as president of Local 2180 of the International Association of Fire Fighters

-- Jonathan Tasini

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