As Saskatchewan experiences one of its worst wildfire seasons on record, smoke continues to prompt air quality alerts for the public. …however, less than five per cent of personnel working the wildfires in Saskatchewan are wearing masks, and despite the health risks, that’s not likely to change any time soon. “Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) personnel have access to N95 masks if they wish to wear them on the fire line, but most choose to wear bandannas,” the SPSA wrote in an email to paNOW. Structural firefighters within urban centres are required to wear self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) to protect them from smoke inhalation and exposure to harmful airborne contaminants, but in Saskatchewan, using facial protection is voluntary for wildland firefighters, and there is no provincial protocol to use them. …N95 masks can help reduce exposure to fine particles, but don’t filter out harmful gases. Bandannas offer little to no protection.