The U.S. Forest Service announced earlier this week that wildfire fighters can now voluntarily mask up against smoke, reversing a decades-long policy banning the use of respirators to reduce exposure to toxins and carcinogens.
According to new guidance the agency posted on Monday, the Forest Service will provide N95 respirators in the standard set of equipment for workers on a fireline – acknowledging that the masks can “provide some level of protection against exposure to particulates in smoke.” Prior to that, the agency had approved only bandanas for facial covering.
The move comes after The New York Times spotlighted the acute health impacts of prolonged wildfire smoke exposure among firefighters – many of whom, the Times found, are “developing cancer or lung disease at young ages,” while some are dying.
A 2023 Cascade PBS investigation outlined concerns from Washington wildland firefighters about increased exposure to toxins as more wildfires burned through residential structures. The investigation detailed the challenges of adapting respirators for the demands of the fireline and found that Washington had lagged behind California on efforts to implement new protections.
While Washington officials had introduced rules in 2023 to broadly protect outdoor workers from smoke exposure, wildland firefighters remained exempt from those protections.
The Forest Service has still not approved N95 usage for what it calls “arduous work” – its reason being that no respirators are yet available that both filter out all inhalation hazards and follow regulations posed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
N95s are not recommended for use in confined spaces; in situations where workers are at risk of heat stress; or in the presence of oil mist or open flames. According to an internal memo obtained by The New York Times, the Forest Service is exploring the possibility of a mandatory mask program and expanding mask usage for arduous work.
