Burn Pits

Burn Pit Service Periods and Locations

To be eligible for burn pit benefits under the PACT Act, you must have lived or worked in certain locations during certain dates. The PACT Act has expanded the date and location requirements to include the following:

Those eligible to collect financial compensation and VA health care benefits include former military members, family members, and caregivers who developed health conditions listed on the burn pit presumptive list.

Open-air burn pits were employed throughout the Gulf War to dispose of waste products, including food waste, medical waste, metal, aluminum, human waste, paint, munitions, chemicals, unexploded ordinance, lubricants, petroleum, Styrofoam, plastic, wood, and rubber. The chemicals and fumes released by these burn pits include particulate matter, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), dioxins, furans, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Those who worked and lived in the vicinity unavoidably inhaled the airborne particulate matter and toxic smoke emitted from these burn pits, leading to the development of various cancers, respiratory conditions, and skin conditions.

In August 2021, VA reported scientific evidence associating the development of respiratory conditions with inhalation of burn pit airborne particulates. In April 2022, VA officials found a “biological plausibility between airborne hazards and carcinogenesis of the respiratory tract,” add that “the unique circumstances of these rare cancers warrant a presumption of service connection.”

NOTE: This VA burn pit presumptive list does not include all eligible burn pit health conditions. If your health condition is not on the list and you were exposed to burn pit toxins, contact us online or call 888.878.9350 to learn whether you qualify for financial compensation.