firefighters

The Hill argues that ending the US forest roadless rule could help combat wildfires and improve wildlife access. Supporters say allowing road construction in protected national forests would give firefighters better access to blazes and let land managers thin overgrown forests. Critics have long warned that building roads in roadless areas raises fire risk, degrades habitat, and opens public lands to logging and development.

Iowa State University researchers are working on ways to reduce firefighters' elevated risk of cancer, which has been linked to exposure to toxic chemicals and smoke on the job. The Gazette reports on the effort, which comes as firefighting is increasingly recognised as a hazardous occupation with higher cancer rates than the general population.