Federal wildland firefighters can now wear respirators on the fire line for the first time, ending decades in which the agency responsible for their safety did not permit the most basic form of respiratory protection.
The United States Forest Service, together with the Department of the Interior, announced that federal wildland firefighters are authorized to use N95 respirators on the fire line after formal training on safe use in the wildland fire environment. The change was announced in late June for the 2026 fire year and is reaching crews as the season peaks.
