Title: Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Exposures, Effects, and Interventions: A Collaborative Research-to-Action Partnership with Firefighters (2024-2029)
Funding: National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) R01ES035965
Principal Investigators: Jeff Burgess, MD, MS, MPH; Shawn Beitel, MS; Captain Jamie Gabriel; Jackie Goodrich, PhD; (Retired) Captain Jeff Hughes; Yiwen Liu, PhD; Heather Stapleton, PhD; Derek Urwin, PhD
Project Coordinator: Cynthia Porter, MS
Goal:
The goal is to collaboratively study exposures, toxic effects, and exposure-reduction interventions at WUI fires
Specific Aims
1. Evaluate firefighter exposures during WUI responses by measuring urinary PAH and other metabolites and chemicals deposited on silicone wristbands.
2. Measure toxic effects of WUI exposures.
3. Evaluate interventions to reduce WUI exposures.
Anticipated Impact
The proposed community-engaged research should provide a more complete measure of the WUI fire exposome and associated toxicity and identify interventions that significantly reduce chemical exposures. This research-to-action approach will both directly benefit firefighters and inform overall public health responses.
Study Updates
As of January 2026, over 700 firefighters have been enrolled in the study. Study sample collections are currently underway, and firefighters who have collected post-fire samples have received personalized results for urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites. Analysis of microRNAs, epigenetic markers of exposures, is currently underway.
WUI firefighters who responded to the LA urban conflagrations also had their serum proteins analyzed for changes after responding to the event.
Resources
Changes in Serum Proteins in Firefighters Responding to the 2025 Los Angeles Urban Conflagrations - https://journals.lww.com/joem/fulltext/2026/01000/changes_in_serum_proteins_in_firefighters.16.aspx