Wildland firefighters face a huge pay cut without action by Congress – here's how physically demanding this lifesaving job is
- Written by Brent C. Ruby, Professor of exercise and work physiology, University of Montana

Radios crackle with chatter from a wildfire incident command post. Up the fireline, firefighters in yellow jerseys are swinging Pulaskis, axlike hand tools, to carve a fuel break into the land.
By 10 a.m., these...