Firefighters Wore Gear Containing “Forever Chemicals.” The Forest Service Knew and Stayed Silent for Years.

By Abe Streep | ProPublica | February 11, 2026

Read the full article by Abe Streep (ProPublica).

“Officials at the U.S. Forest Service knew gear worn by wildland firefighters contained potentially dangerous ‘forever chemicals’ years before the agency publicly acknowledged the issue, according to internal correspondence obtained by ProPublica.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, have been linked to negative health impacts, including certain cancers and delayed development in children. For years, PFAS chemicals were commonly used to treat the heavy gear worn by municipal firefighters to help it repel water and oil.

Federal agencies have said little about whether the compounds were also found in the lighter heat-resistant clothing worn by wildland firefighters. In February 2024, when ProPublica was reporting on the dangers of wildland firefighting — including the risk of cancer — the news organization asked both the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior if federal wildland firefighting gear contained PFAS. Both agencies gave nearly identical answers, writing that they did not have ‘specific measured concentration data showing that PFAS is contained in protective clothing and gear.'"

This content provided by the PFAS Project.