U.S. Will Pay $450,000 to Wildfire Fighters With Cancer NYT | Top Stories Hannah Dreier 19 December 2025 at 18:03 They will be eligible for a one-time payment as well as college tuition for their children. The effort is part of a legislative push to address the dangers of working in toxic smoke. © Loren Elliott for The New York TimesMembers of a wildfire crew last August in San Luis Obispo County, Calif.