When it comes to occupational hazards, few jobs are as dangerous as fighting fires.
“I fell through a floor once,” said veteran firefighter Michael Butkus. “High rise fires, those are the worst, and you don't think you're going to get out of there.”
Butkus has been with the Chicago Fire Department for three decades. He spent 28 years in the field. He says when he was starting out wearing an oxygen mask wasn’t considered a priority. “I don't care how long you wear a mask for, how many bottles you go through, you're still going to get some of that stuff in your lungs,” said Butkus.
Even with better safety gear, today’s firefighters battle blazes in homes made of more synthetic and petroleum-based materials that are extremely carcinogenic.