NFIC says firefighters consume more than 4k calories per day to battle wildfires

BOISE, ID – As firefighters work countless hours to contain massive wildfires, maintaining a consistent diet is critical.

“Firefighting is very physically demanding, and it does require about 4,000 to 6,000 thousand calories per day,” Carri Bilbao, public affairs specialist with BLM and National Fire Information Center said. “Lots of carbohydrates for that quick energy and they usually need about 40 grams per hour.”

Bilbao says crews have to eat much more than the typical three meals a day. Caterers follow a national standard and provide meats, beans and other carbohydrates based on each firefighters’ weight.

“We’ll kind of look at proportioning out what types of food and balancing out carbohydrates, protein, and fat cause that is also important.” said Bilbao.

Officials recommend people donate to their local fire department or Red Cross if they’re wishing to do so, but call ahead prior.