Yukon firefighter urges territory to expand cancer coverage for wildland firefighters

A Yukon wildland firefighter is urging the territory to extend presumptive cancer coverage for those in his industry.

Currently, 19 types of cancer are covered for full-time, and part-time, volunteer firefighters under Yukon's Workers' Safety and Compensation Act — but wildland firefighters are not included.

Alex MacPhail, a wildland firefighter based in Mayo, Yukon, said both wildland and municipal firefighters are exposed to toxic carcinogens for long periods of time throughout their careers. 

He also notes that most seasons, wildland firefighters can spend up to 16 hours a day battling fires. Multiply that over a five, 10, or 20-year career and it only makes sense to provide equal cancer coverage across the Yukon's fire service, he says.

"You're out there in the woods on the fire line and obviously exposed to burning material pretty much at all times through the course of your job," said MacPhail.

"That's not good for your health. We know it's not good for your cardiovascular health. It's not good for your lung health. We're not sure exactly where it lands on the cancer issue, but what we are sure is that we're being exposed continuously to carcinogenic compounds."

The territorial government said it wants more information on the link between wildland firefighting in the Yukon and cancer.

In the Legislative Assembly last month, Minister of Community Services Richard Mostyn said Yukon wildland firefighters typically aren't fighting "urban interface fires" or structure fires involving synthetic materials like wildland firefighters do in other jurisdictions. He said that means they are exposed to different hazards.

MacPhail agrees with Mostyn, but argues that in a large wildfire spanning thousands of hectares, it's hard to determine what is actually burning, and that structures could very well be there in the mix.

"There is no guarantee that the only things that are burning out there are brush," MacPhail said. "And you can't really know that until you're actually on the fire, and in the fire grounds."

CBC News requested an interview with Mostyn but was told he was unavailable to comment at that time.

Opposition leaders have weighed in, however. 

Yukon NDP Leader Kate White put forward a motion in the Legislative Assembly last year to amend the Workers' Safety and Compensation Act to include wildland firefighters when it comes to presumptive cancer coverage.

"The amendment itself is actually really easy," White said. "Right now there's a line within the legislation that singles out and excludes wildland firefighters, so you essentially get rid of that."

White said there are many other jurisdictions across Canada and the world that have extended presumptive cancer coverage to wildland firefighters. She said it's time the territory follows suit.

Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon also put forward a motion similar to White's last month, to amend the act.

"The unions have made the case. The wildland firefighters have made their case, and many others have made that case. So I think that it's time this change be made," Dixon said.