Outdoor workers adapt as wildfire smoke sparks health concerns

Heavy smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed parts of Monroe County Thursday, forcing some outdoor workers to adjust their routines while monitoring the air quality and their health. “Can't really take a day off when you work outside,” Chad Stevens said. “But if it gets worse, then obviously we'll definitely wrap it up and, you know, go home.” Stevens, a foreman with Brighton Landscape, said his crews continued working but were prepared to stop if conditions became unsafe. “Yesterday we did have a guy that did get sick. So as soon as he got sick, we ended the job,” Stevens said. “There were a couple of people that didn't show up today, probably because it was worse in their areas.” Stevens said Thursday’s conditions did not feel as severe as the wildfire smoke that impacted the region in 2023, though he noticed the smell in the air. “It kind of smells like someone's burning an old rocking chair,” Stevens said. “I'm like, what's going on here?” For technicians with Lon Lockwood Electric, the effects were more noticeable. “We were doing a lot of digging today, so it was, compared to normal days, just hard to breathe overall,” said lead technician William Rauber. Technicians said they adjusted their schedules by completing more outdoor work early in the day before moving inside when possible. “Our goal this morning was to do a majority of the work that we needed to do outside first thing, and then try to head indoors from there,” technician Gabriel Figueroa said. The crew also relied on safety measures, including masks, hydration breaks and regular check-ins from dispatchers. “Are you guys drinking water? Are you guys taking the necessary breaks? Wearing the protective gear that they were given?” dispatcher Sarah Lockwood said of the questions she asked workers throughout the day. Rauber said the work remains important, even during challenging conditions. “Without us, a lot of people wouldn't have a lot of things that they want, but also a lot of things that they need,” he said. READ MORE: https://13wham.com/news/local/outdoor... _______________ Stay up to date with our social media: 13 WHAM on Facebook:   / 13wham   13 WHAM on Twitter:   / 13wham   13WHAM on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/13whamtv/?h... 13WHAM on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@13wham?lang=en 13 WHAM Daily Local News Digest:    • 13WHAM Local News Digest   For more information, visit https://13wham.com/ Have a news tip? Send it directly to us: Email us: [email protected] Call the Newsroom: (585) 334-8700 WHAM is a NY based station and a ABC Television affiliate owned and operated by Deerfield Media, Inc and receives certain services from an affiliation of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today. #13WHAM #News #Rochester #NewYork