FAQs for Wildland Firefighters
What precautions should be implemented for protecting firefighters and other personnel at fire camps?
Fire camps can include thousands of personnel living together and working
collectively to respond to a wildfire, often in remote areas. In many ways,
fire camps are like small communities. For example, fire camps employ a number
of support personnel, some of whom may be considered at higher risk for
severe illness from COVID-19 (e.g., people 65 years and older, or
people with serious underlying medical conditions). Also, fire camps have many
people coming and going throughout the day. Therefore, extra precautions
should be taken. Note: Many of the recommendations in CDC’s COVID-19
Guidance for Shared or Congregate
Housing also apply to fire camps.
The following are protective measures that can be employed within the fire
camp to prevent COVID-19 transmission:

Screening of temperature and symptoms for everyone entering a fire camp and daily screening for those who remain at the camp
Encouraging personnel to maintain social distancing (6 feet or more) as much as feasible
Wearing cloth face coverings as a form of source control
Providing hand washing stations (soap and water) or hand sanitizers containing at least 60% alcohol throughout the camp, especially outside bathrooms, portable toilets, and dining facilities
Providing individual bottles of hand sanitizer for all personnel at the fire camp
Ensuring bathrooms, portable toilets, and handwash stations are well stocked with hygiene products (e.g., soap and water, hand sanitizer, paper towels)
Using disinfectants approved by the EPA for use against COVID-19external icon to clean showers, bathrooms, sinks, portable toilets, and handwash stations at least twice a day (in the morning and evening after heavy use) and commonly-touched surfaces in the dining facility before and after each meal. Make sure individuals doing the cleaning are trained on the proper application of the disinfectant and wear protective disposable gloves and other PPE as recommended by the disinfectant manufacturer
Instructing personnel to avoid placing toothbrushes (or other personal items) directly on sinks as that is a potential contamination pathway. Individual totes may be used to carry and keep personal items off sinks
Ensuring that food service personnel wear disposable gloves during preparation and serving of food and practice recommended hand hygiene
Staffing drink stations to limit the number of people touching the drink machines
Instructing personnel not to share personal items (e.g., cups, canteens, safety glasses, etc.) with others
Using ventilation systems, fans, or open windows to increase outdoor air circulation in enclosed spaces within the fire camp including command tents, dining facilities, and showers
Establishing housing in one area of the fire camp (or nearby community) that could be used for isolation, if necessary, and assigning someone on staff to make sure that anyone being isolated is provided with necessities. Note: it is likely people will get sick with illnesses other than COVID-19, but out of an abundance of caution, all illnesses should be treated as COVID-19 until medical staff determines otherwise
Ensuring medical staff in the fire camp are familiar with the CDC Guidance for Healthcare Professionals, which provides information on control measures, including PPE that should be worn, when caring for individuals with known or suspected COVID-19