Wildland firefighters face increasing health issues, but struggle to get workplace benefits

Most of Jasper’s firefighters, a small, mostly-volunteer crew in the Rocky Mountain community, had never battled a fire like the one that destroyed one-third of their Alberta town last summer.

The 30-person brigade helped fend off flames, protecting critical infrastructure and homes, even as some of their own residences began to burn to the ground. In the days and weeks that followed, as the damage laid bare a difficult road to recovery, other wounds began to emerge.