Three new names were recently engraved on the Oregon fallen firefighters’ memorial wall in Salem.

One of them was Brian Wolgamatt.

Wolgamatt started his career as a Wildland Firefighter for the United States Forest Service in 2012. His life was often dictated by where the flames were burning; for work he lived in Gold Beach, Bly, Lakeview and Klamath Falls.

In 2022, he was diagnosed with cancer. He kept his cancer diagnosis relatively private, according to his GoFundMe, which also noted his cancer was believed to be linked to environmental toxins he was exposed to while fighting fires.

He was 42 when he died, leaving behind a wife and three children, including a 4-year-old.

He was one of three people, including Portland Fire & Rescue retired Captain Jim Bieker and Sutherline Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Merlino, whose names were memorialized this summer.

All of them died of cancer linked to firefighting.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek spoke at the ceremony.

“I’m proud to have supported the great work the firefighter community has done to ensure that firefighters who experience greater rates of cancer can access the benefits and support they deserve,” Kotek said in June. “But there’s more work to do, and I will continue to show up for all of you.”

The governor’s office said Kotek has helped steer additional funding to help with staffing issues and preparedness programs for firefighters. She also signed legislation into law that created the state’s first dedicated funding source to fight wildfires.

Last year, a series of New York Times articles documented a health crisis unfolding among wildfire crews. The articles pointed out that most wildland firefighters were not given anything to help ameliorate their exposure to smoke, which is considered to be toxic and linked to a range of cancers.

“Every day, wildland firefighters risk their lives to combat wildfire and keep us safe from longer and more extreme fire seasons,” a letter to the labor department signed by U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., stated in 2025.

The letter asked why masks were not provided to wildland firefighters, which has been a recommendation researchers have been making to the U.S. Forest Service since 1997.

More recently, after pressure prompted by the articles, the U.S. government reversed course and lifted a ban on wearing masks and will provide them.

“Each of the names on the wall represents a chair at a dinner table that’s now empty. A parent who won’t be there to watch their kids or grandkids grow up,” Kotek said. “A friend whose presence is deeply missed.”

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/07/08/oregon-fallen-wildland-firefighters-salem/