A state commission has opened an investigation into the Houston Fire Department’s safety standards after the firefighters’ union accused the department of failing to protect its members from carcinogens to which they are routinely exposed. Texas Commission on Fire Protection investigators will examine whether HFD complies with state laws requiring departments to clean protective clothing, called bunker gear, and maintain a standard operating procedure to do so. Six current and former Houston firefighters — four of whom are battling cancer — said the department’s gear cleaning procedures are inadequate and force members to repeatedly wear equipment that is contaminated.