Fighting fire & emotion: A feelings study of BC's wildland firefighters

Abstract

As climate change intensifies wildfire seasons in British Columbia, wildland firefighters increasingly confront ecological destruction, occupational risk, and emotional strain. Despite growing research on the mental health impacts of climate change, the emotional experiences of wildland firefighters remain underexplored, particularly within the social and cultural contexts of wildfire work. This qualitative study examines how Initial Attack (IA) wildland firefighters in British Columbia experience, interpret, and manage emotions while working in a climate-altered landscape. Guided by the sociology of emotions, particularly Arlie Hochschild's concept of "feeling rules," the research investigates how occupational culture, social positionality, and gendered expectations shape emotional expression and regulation. Using an interpretive action research approach, the study will conduct semi-structured interviews with BC Wildfire Service firefighters and analyze the data through thematic analysis. By centering firefighters' lived experiences, the project seeks to illuminate how emotion-management operates within a masculinized occupational culture and to identify organizational changes that could better support collective well-being. The study contributes to sociological understandings of climate change, emotion, and work while offering practical insights for improving wildfire workplace cultures and support systems.Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)UndergraduateReviewe