Forest Service Plans to Expand N95 Access to Wildland Firefighters

The U.S. Forest Service’s strategy to reduce hazardous exposures for federal wildland firefighters during the 2026 fire year includes expanding access to N95 respirators, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on June 26. Firefighters who have received formal training on the safe use of N95s in wildland fire environments may now use the respirators during their work. The Forest Service also plans to include decontamination procedures such as showering, gear cleaning, and clean-air recovery in daily operations, while USDA collaborates with the Department of the Interior to develop an OSHA-compliant respiratory protection program. 

No existing respirator meets OSHA’s standards for wildland firefighting, USDA acknowledged in a press release about the initiative. However, the Forest Service’s efforts to improve N95 access comprise “practical protections that can reduce risk now,” USDA stated. 

“Improving respiratory safety and expanding decontamination practices are practical, common-sense measures that will make a real difference on the ground,” said Sarah Fisher, deputy chief of fire and aviation management for the Forest Service. 

These actions are among the measures intended to mitigate hazards for wildland firefighters outlined in a memorandum issued in April by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. More information about expanding respiratory protections for Forest Service firefighters is available in USDA’s press release.  

Related: Read “From Fire Season to Fire Year: Protecting Wildland Firefighters in Extreme Environments” in the April 2024 issue of The Synergist and “Reflections on Wildland Firefighting: Protective Clothing, Equipment, Hazards, and Procedures,” which appeared in the January 2023 Synergist.