Last responders: COVID pushes end-of-life workers to the brink

Strained beyond their capacity by overwhelming demand, crematorium workers in California reflect on the pandemic’s physical and emotional toll.

Warning: Descriptions may disturb or offend some readers. Los Angeles County, California, United States — As Jason Roa opened the furnace door, a blast of hot air filled the small crematory at White Emerson Mortuary in Whittier. At times, he said, the furnace can reach over 1,093C (2,000F). It emitted a deep orange glow, and white-hot sparks danced across its bottom. Beads of sweat trickled down the 39-year-old’s forehead. “When I first started, the heat was really intense,” Roa told Al Jazeera. “Now, I barely notice it. It’s amazing what you can adapt to.”