Going From the Lab Into the Fire to Study Cancer Risk in Wildland Firefighters

Cancer researchers at the Sylvester Firefighter Cancer Initiative (SFCI), part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, took a rare step to better understand the cancer risks wildland firefighters face: They became wildland firefighters themselves. The firsthand experience is shaping a new study of smoke, heat, heavy gear and environmental exposures as Wildland Firefighter Week of Remembrance, June 30-July 6, brings national attention to the dangers of the job.

Working alongside Florida Forest Service cadets, SFCI researchers experienced real-world conditions that cannot be fully captured in a lab. The training is now informing the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center-led WISER study, which will collect environmental and biological samples from wildland firefighters during prescribed burns to better understand cancer risk and help develop practical ways to reduce it.

“This was a unique and important experience for the Sylvester Firefighter Cancer Initiative because it supported our research team in fully engaging in Florida wildland firefighter training and completing the certification process alongside forestry service trainees,” Alberto J. Caban-Martinez, D.O., Ph.D., M.P.H., co-deputy director of SFCI, said.

Wildland firefighting is a profession deeply rooted in science and requires expertise in fire behavior, meteorology, ecology and environmental dynamics. For SFCI researchers, immersion in this environment provided a new lens on exposure risks and operational realities that cannot be fully captured in controlled settings.

“It gave us a much deeper appreciation for the scientific, physical and operational complexity of wildland firefighting, and it will make us better researchers as we design studies that are grounded in the real-world conditions these firefighters face. Experiences like this strengthen our ability to conduct meaningful, worker-centered research that can ultimately inform cancer prevention and health protection in the fire service,” Caban-Martinez said.

The experience is directly informing the design of the WISER study, a next-generation research effort focused on understanding cancer risk in wildland firefighters through environmental monitoring, biological sampling and epigenetic analysis. The study is constructed to generate insights that could inform future occupational safety practices and prevention strategies for high-risk populations.

“Through this training, we wanted to better understand how we can tailor our data collection and sampling to the wildland firefighters’ experience,” said Madeleine Sayer, research support specialist.

Building on insights from previous studies, which identified environmental, physical and mental health concerns among firefighters, WISER aims to deepen understanding of occupational exposures and translate findings into actionable prevention strategies with potential relevance beyond the fire service.

By moving beyond observation to participation, researchers gained firsthand insight into the challenges firefighters face, including extreme heat, heavy equipment, unpredictable conditions and time constraints. These insights are reshaping how studies are structured and how recommendations are developed.

“I learned so much,” said senior research associate Chelsea Kavanaugh. “I had a basic understanding of the role of a wildland firefighter, but going through this training, I now know there is so much more to the job than most people realize, not only the scope of the work, but also the knowledge it requires, and the level of risk involved. It’s not just fire behavior and suppression tactics. They also have to know weather, ecology, heavy equipment operation and so many other things to do their jobs well and keep themselves and others safe.”

For Kavanaugh, the practical challenges quickly became clear. Many of the recommended best practices are effective, but carrying them out in real-world conditions requires additional time, effort and coordination. That shift in perspective deepened the team’s understanding of what they are asking firefighters to do and prompted them to think more critically about how to make those recommendations more realistic and achievable in the field, she explained.

The immersive approach is already generating new research questions and strengthening collaboration between scientists and the fire service.

For Emilie Brown, M.P.H., a senior research associate and UM alumna, it opened the door to new lines of inquiry that likely wouldn’t have been identified otherwise. “It really opened the space for new conversations. Not only between us as researchers, but between the firefighters, as they figure out how to pull researchers into their world,” she said.

As the WISER study moves into its next phase, SFCI researchers will begin collecting environmental samples, including soil, water and air, alongside biological data from firefighters during prescribed burns. These efforts are designed to produce a more comprehensive understanding of exposure pathways and cancer risk.

Wildland firefighters represent a critical yet historically understudied population in cancer research. Through forthcoming studies like WISER, Sylvester researchers are working to close that gap, combining scientific innovation with field-based insights to advance prevention and improve health protections, which may help inform policy.

By embedding research within real-world environments, SFCI is helping shape more effective prevention strategies not only for firefighters but also for other high-risk populations exposed to similar hazards.

Read more about Sylvester’s efforts to advance cancer research through big data on the InventUM blog and follow @SylvesterCancer on X for the latest news on its research and care.