Sponsor Clean Gear for 2,000 Firefighters This Year
Leading the Fight Against Preventable Firefighter Cancer
Because for firefighters, the danger doesn’t end when the fire does.
The Afterburn Foundation protects firefighters and their families by expanding access to advanced turnout gear decontamination that reduces toxic exposure after every fire.
Industry-Leading Co2 Decontamination
Advanced CO₂ cleaning designed to remove embedded fireground contaminants that traditional water washing leaves behind.
A New Standard for NorCal
Northern California's first and only facility and service model that makes this level of decontamination reachable for more departments—not just those with the easiest path to it.
Equity-First Access & Coverage
Volunteer, rural, and under-resourced crews are covered completely; larger departments may participate through subsidized access.
“They put themselves in harm’s way. The danger shouldn’t follow them home in their gear.”
Cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty death.
The reason is simple: the fire may be out, but the toxic exposure often isn’t—because what’s left behind can stay on gear and keep harming firefighters long after the call ends.
Standard cleaning leaves contaminants behind
Water-based washing does not fully remove embedded SVOCs and PAHs—known cancer-causing compounds.
PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Persist
Traditional cleaning redistributes PFAS compounds instead of eliminating them.
Modern fires create new toxic loads
Synthetic materials, heavy metals, and lithium-ion residues increase the contamination profile after today’s fires.
Exposure follows firefighters home
Residual toxins can off-gas and transfer through contact long after the scene is cleared.
The technology to remove more exists. Access to it—especially in Northern California—does not.
If Surface Cleaning Was Enough, Firefighter Cancer Rates Wouldn’t Be This High.
Water-based washing leaves behind toxins your crews continue absorbing after every call. There’s a better way to fully decontaminate turnout gear — and protect your firefighters long-term.
TRUE GEAR DECONTAMINATION
Liquid CO₂ cleaning finally solves the problem water washing was never designed to address: fully removing embedded carcinogens without compromising the integrity of your gear.
Complete Internal Penetration
Liquid CO₂ reaches deep into every layer of the gear’s composite system—removing toxic compounds trapped beyond the surface.
Targets Modern Fire Contaminants
Effectively extracts hydrocarbons, SVOCs, PAHs, PFAS chemicals, heavy metals, lithium-ion residues, and complex synthetic byproducts increasingly present in today’s fire environment.
Protects PPE Longevity & Performance
No water saturation. No mechanical abrasion. No harsh detergents. CO₂ cleaning preserves thermal barriers, moisture membranes, and shell integrity to maintain full NFPA 1851 compliance.
Closed-Loop Controlled Process
Every item is tracked through a documented chain of custody, fully contained and precisely controlled — eliminating cross-contamination and ensuring consistent, validated decontamination results every cycle.
Lab-Proven Effectiveness Across High-Risk Toxins
SVOC PAH REmoval
Heavy Metals Removal
EPA SVOC 16
PFAS Removal
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Arsenic
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Asbestos
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Benzene
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Benzo[a]pyrene
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1,3 Butadiene
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Cadmium
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Formaldehyde
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Silica
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Sulfuric acid
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TCDD
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Radioactivity
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Radionuclides
Be Among the First to Help Bring Liquid CO2 Cleaning to California
Your partnership helps build the future of firefighter cancer prevention.