For decades, federal firefighters have trudged and parachuted into wildfires with only “a bandana and a prayer,” as the saying goes, to protect them from inhaling dangerous toxins. Meanwhile, studies increasingly connect smoke inhalation to lung cancer and premature death.
A new bipartisan Senate bill would direct the U.S. Forest Service and the Interior Department to develop and implement mandatory respiratory protection for wildland firefighters and supporting staff.
Under the Healthy Lungs for Heroes Act, co-authored by Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and John Curtis, R-Utah., firefighters would be required to wear approved respirators or masks when smoke exposure surpasses limits set in consultation with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
“Firefighters are heroes, and it’s critical that we do everything possible to ensure they’re protected from the health risks associated with wildfires,” Schiff said in an emailed statement. “I’m going to push for Congress to pass this commonsense proposal.”
Former and current federal firefighters say they welcome the proposed changes but worry that without carefully curated gear tailored to their specific needs, the wrong respirator or mask could make an already strenuous job more difficult.
Many municipal firefighters already use a self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA, which includes a full mask and compressed air tank that is worn like a backpack. But federal firefighters carry heavy packs and tools deep into wilderness areas — making the idea of adding an oxygen tank unthinkable.
“Anything extra makes our work so difficult,” said Lalo Romo, a fire engine captain and union steward with the National Federal of Federal Employees.
“You’re limited to the amount of time those things last without having any real exertion,” he said, referring to the tanks, which he added might last only minutes. “The harder you breathe, the faster you’re gonna take that air.”
Romo said he supports the bill but worries about its implementation and would not endorse the use of SCBAs, for instance, after seeing them in action.
In 2006, when Romo worked on a Hotshot crew — elite firefighters with specialized training — he battled a fire in Morongo Valley alongside municipal firefighters who wore the respirators. They attempted to hike up a hill with the Hotshots but covered about 200 feet of elevation gain before showing signs of heat exhaustion, Romo said. They were forced to turn around while the Hotshots, who wore no respiratory protection, plodded deeper into the fire, he said.
“If something is developed correctly that prevents us from inhaling whatever is out there, I’m all for it,” he said. “But we have to be able to breathe.”
In an emailed statement Friday, the Forest Service said it is working with the Labor and Interior departments to test new equipment and create “respiratory protection policies that meet both regulatory needs and operational realities for firefighters.”
“Our firefighters deserve comprehensive respiratory protection that is both safe and practical,” the statement read in part.
Federal wildland firefighters frequently work in grueling and dangerous conditions requiring upward of 16-hour shifts carrying 80 or more pounds of gear. Depending on the crew, some parachute into rugged territory that can’t be accessed by foot or vehicle, or hike miles into wilderness covered in flames, smoke and ash.
Research has shown that no amount of exposure to wildfire smoke is safe. Firefighters with repeated acute exposure have a decreased life expectancy of about 10 years compared to the average adult, according to a 2020 report by Stanford University.
“There’s finally light being shed on this,” said Steve Gutierrez, a union representative with NFFE. “If it has to be a baby step, who knows, maybe this can start a wave of new safety items that might come down the pipe.”
Even fires tucked deep inside a forest could expose first responders to elevated levels of carbon monoxide, aldehydes and crystalline silica, a mineral found in sand and rocks, the Forest Service warned in a 2013 report. Some compounds in wildfire smoke are confirmed carcinogens like benzene and formaldehyde.
In the short term, exposure can cause headaches, fatigue, nausea and respiratory distress, while long-term exposure can lead to cardiovascular disease and death.
It’s a risk wildland firefighters say is worth taking to protect the 193 million acres of public land managed by the Forest Service. But creating stronger safety measures is paramount to ensuring new generations of firefighters.
In September, new guidelines were issued allowing the voluntary use of N95 masks for the first time in the department’s history. Only respirators approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health are allowed, and they cannot be worn “during the arduous work performed by wildland firefighters on the fireline,” according to guidelines posted by the National Interagency Fire Center.
“While N95 respirators can filter out particles encountered on the fireline, they cannot protect against gases, vapors, or very small solid particles from fumes or smoke that may also be present,” the guidelines read. “Currently, there are no respirators available that filter all the inhalation hazards in the wildland fire environment and would follow OSHA regulations for use during arduous work on the fireline.”
Retired federal firefighter Riva Duncan said she can still remember when administrators scoffed at a request for a washing machine and dryer to decontaminate fire gear.
“People don’t think about what they can’t see,” said Duncan, adding that home mitigation crews usually wear protective gear when cleaning fire or smoke-damaged homes.
“That should tip us all off," she said.
It’s become common practice for municipal and state departments, like the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, to remove, wash and switch out specialty jackets, pants and other gear worn by firefighters after shifts.
Municipal fire departments practice what’s colloquially known as the “clean cab” concept, which calls for keeping the inside of fire engines free of contamination by storing protective clothing and tools on the outside of the vehicle.
But in the Forest Service, it’s not always possible to swap out gear in the heat of the moment. Firefighters often sleep in the field and might go a day or two before changing.
“There’s so much more we could be doing,” said Gutierrez, the union representative. “But it would require a whole culture shift.”
