The US Forest Service will begin providing wildfire crews with masks to protect against smoke, reversing a decades-long policy banning protective gear after The NY Times spotlighted severe health impacts from smoke exposure. For decades, federal wildland firefighters were not given masks, even as researchers and labor groups warned of the long-term risks, the Times found. The Forest Service said masks could cause firefighters to overheat. …The agency now recommends masks for light use, though still bans it for arduous work. …FireRescue1 readers respond: “The policy is preposterous. No one makes such excuses for structural firefighting, where the heat load is much, much greater.” …“Heat stress is a short-term condition that can be immediately remedied by mandatory rest and work cycle adjustment. Lung issues usually last forever. A better respirator that is slimmer, lighter and maintainable needs to be created and the forest service needs to use them.