Cal Fire faces a mental health crisis. As wildfires intensify, thousands of overworked California firefighters carry a heavy load of trauma, pain and grief.
About 10% of Cal Fire’s workforce quit the agency last year. “We are at critical mass, guaranteed,” one Cal Fire captain said. Workers’ comp cases for PTSD are routinely denied, and many crews are fatigued from working weeks at a time with no time off.
Cal Fire faces a mental health crisis. As wildfires intensify, thousands of overworked California firefighters carry a heavy load of trauma, pain and grief.