Dr. Kari Nadeau was interviewed by ABC 7 reporter Kevin Ozebeck in a segment that aired on Monday, March 24, to discuss the findings of preliminary research into the health impacts of the LA wildfires to the firefighters who battled the flames.

Nadeau says her preliminary testing shows those firefighters had on average lead levels in their blood five times greater than a control group. Their mercury levels were three times greater. (The control group were firefighters who just fought a Northern California wildfire where mostly trees burned, not homes and cars.)

Urban wildfires pose a different risk than those that occur mostly in wild lands, due to the nature of the materials being burned.

However, the story emphasized that this should not be cause for alarm for most residents: “Southern California doctors say most of us did not inhale anywhere near the ash and airborne toxins a frontline firefighter would,” said Kevin Ozebeck.

The LA Fire HEALTH Study will continue to measure health exposures of firefighters, and monitor health impacts over the next ten years.

Dr. Nadeau recounted the memory of watching firefighters fight to save her home in Northern California a few years ago. Dr. Nadeau said, “They put themselves second.” And this study is aiming to make sure that we are putting their health first.

Watch the story here:

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