Forest Service PFAS firefighter gear: Safety shift after toxic chemical exposure
The U.S. Forest Service has officially stopped issuing wildland firefighter pants treated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS or forever chemicals. This decision comes immediately after a ProPublica report revealed that the agency had been aware of the chemicals in its gear for years without notifying the firefighters on the ground.
The agency has now cleared its national caches of the contaminated stock and updated its procurement requirements to ensure that all future fabrics and treatments are entirely PFAS-free.
The chemicals were originally used by suppliers like TenCate to make Kevlar-blend fabrics resistant to water and gasoline. While municipal fire departments have spent years moving away from PFAS due to linked health risks like cancer, wildland agencies have been much slower to act. Following the public disclosure, Forest Service officials instructed staff to discontinue the use of older garments and seek replacements. The National Fire Protection Association is also expected to update its safety standards to reflect these new restrictions on wildland gear.
Experts emphasize that while smoke inhalation remains a primary concern for wildland crews, the exposure to PFAS through protective clothing adds an unnecessary layer of risk. Research into the long-term effects of these chemicals on firefighters is still ongoing, but the recent shift in policy marks a critical step toward better occupational protection.
For many in the field, the move is seen as a long-overdue response to the known dangers of persistent environmental toxins in their daily work environment.