After the Eaton fire roared through Pasadena, firefighter Captain David Marquez inhaled his first dose of glutathione on the edge of the Rose Bowl stadium. He said the treatment lifted his chronic cough and headaches, giving his crew a sense of relief amid the smoke‑filled haze.
The wildfire—California’s second‑worst fire—killed 19 people and destroyed 9,000 homes. The smoke from the blaze released a cocktail of carcinogenic chemicals that can linger in firefighters’ lungs and gear for months.
Glutathione is a naturally produced antioxidant that specialists say can help detoxify “heavy metals” and other toxins in the body. Volunteer clinics across the country have begun offering the supplement to crews after the Tubbs Fire in 2017, and it has since spread to Spokane, Washington and other hotspots.
However, the IAFF—representing more than 360,000 firefighters—has issued a warning. It cites two recent recalls of contaminated glutathione supplies and points out that studies of other vitamins have sometimes increased cancer risk.
Assistant President for Health & Safety Sean DeCrane matters: "We don’t know if glutathione is effective; we don’t know if it’s a placebo; we don’t know the long‑term effects." He also notes reports of firefighters feeling worse after treatment, blaming the release of trapped metals.
Medical researcher Dr. Coralynn Sack, an occupational pulmonologist, adds that the answer may lie in proven measures—
e.g. proper respiratory protection—rather than unverified supplements. “We have hard data on masks and decontamination; the data on glutathione is entirely anecdotal.”
Meanwhile, the Integrated Health Action Network (IHAN) of naturopaths, which has supplied glutathione to crews, says they are gathering preliminary data to push for formal studies. Co‑founder Jen Riegle insists the firm will not present its findings as clinical trials, stressing the need for rigorous research.
Firefighter Greg Fonts, a West Sacramento captain, argues that while new protocols are emerging, “culture has changed dramatically” and younger crews are more eager to engage in preventive health—yet he also acknowledges the aspirational nature of glutathione supplementation.
The debate raises a fundamental question: Are firefighters turning to glutathione as a stopgap while systemic protections lag behind, or is the antioxidant a future cornerstone of inhalational safety science? Only peer‑reviewed studies can answer that query. For now, many crews feel the benefit, but the unions remain cautious and demand more research.
