Wearing the proper personal protective equipment, or PPE for wildland firefighters, is essential when you’re facing risks like intense radiant heat and burns in the field. Typically including specialty flame-resistant (FR) shirts and pants or coveralls, standard wildland firefighter clothing must be tested in controlled laboratory settings to replicate the hazardous field conditions during a wildland fire. A battery of standardized tests ensures wildland firefighter clothing is able to withstand these conditions and provides a high level of protection for wildland firefighters.
What Is Personal Protective Equipment for Wildland Firefighters?We’ll take a detailed look at PPE for wildland firefighters with a complete wildland firefighting clothing user guide. First, it's important to consider the potential dangers that come with the territory of wildland firefighting to fully understand the utility and function of the required wildland firefighting PPE. What are the safety hazards of a wildland firefighter? Hazards you might face include:
- Fire entrapment
- Radiant heat
- Lightning strikes
- Ash pits
- Falling/rolling timber, rock, and logs
- Wildlife
- Moving vehicles and helicopters
Watching wind direction and speed, being mindful of moving vehicles and helicopters, staying alert of dangers like ash pits and lightning strikes, and maintaining the minimum safe separation distance from wildfires all contribute to keeping you safe on the job. But the most important factor in wildland firefighting safety is wearing the proper PPE.
What gear do wildland firefighters wear? Wildland firefighters wear protective clothing that minimizes the severity of burn injuries resulting from wildfire exposure: flame-resistant coveralls, trousers, and shirts. Additional gear includes hard hats, eye and hearing protection, leather gloves, leather boots, and headlamps. Protective garments for wildland firefighters are different from fire-entry clothing, flash fire-rated clothing, proximity suits, and structural firefighter protective apparel.
Wildland firefighting PPE must meet strict certification and testing standards (including CGSB-155.22:2014 and NFPA 1977:2022) with characteristics like yellow color for visibility, self-extinguishing FR material, thermal insulation, heat-resistant hardware, and adjustable closures. Certified compliant clothing is third-party tested and bears a certification mark issued by the Underwriters Laboratory (UL). All MWG Apparel fabric, trim, thread, labels, seams, and finished garments are third-party tested and display the UL certification mark.
Wildland Firefighter PPE TipsProper fit, layered protection, and maintenance will ensure you’re attaining the highest level of wildland firefighting protection.
Proper FitProper fit assures your PPE can offer adequate protection from burns and heat. The Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) notes the importance of proper fit: “...the fit of a garment can have a direct influence on how much thermal protection it can provide.” Garments that are too tight or loose can restrict movement and don’t protect from radiant heat or heat stress as effectively. The latest ISO 8559-1:2017 fit standards require sizing to have a loose fit with “controlled fullness” (tighter at the ankles, waist, and wrists) and meet the following minimum ease requirements:
- Chest/bust girth: 15 cm
- Coverall waist girth: 10 cm
- Pant waist girth: 3 cm
Ensure maximum protection by donning FR undergarments and base layers first (only cotton, silk, wool, aramid, or FR materials), such as MWG Flexsafe. Don the bottoms first, then the top. Confirm that the bottom edge of the shirt adequately overlaps the top edge of the trousers.
Care & MaintenanceProper cleaning extends the lifespan, prevents damage, and maximizes the performance of each garment. Turn garments inside out before laundering in hot (maximum 140°F/60°C) water with a warm (maximum 90°F/32°C) rinse cycle. Do not use chlorine bleach, harsh detergents, fabric softeners, or starch. Tumble dry thoroughly on the permanent press setting. Only iron on the medium (maximum 325°F/163°C) setting.
Store your PPE in a location that’s cool and dry. Always inspect your garments before donning to look for damage of any kind, including rips, missing buttons, broken stitches, and stains. Do not wear garments that are damaged in any way.
Achieve the highest standard of safety by choosing a brand that manufactures certified compliant PPE for wildland firefighters and meets or exceeds the standards set in CGSB 155.22 and NFPA 1977, like MWG Apparel. We proudly stand behind our wildland firefighter clothing with an extended warranty for the lifespan of the garment and guarantee the garment against any defects.
Find top-of-the-line wildland firefighter protective clothing at MWG Apparel. Our range features premium gear designed to endure harsh conditions while being fitted for comfort. Browse our collection of men's and women's clothing for wildland firefighting.