Wildland firefighters need to choose insect repellents wisely, considering product flammability
With the growing concern for diseases that can be spread by insects such as the Zika and West Nile virus by mosquitos as well as Lymes disease by ticks, insect bites have become a growing safety concern for wildland firefighters, especially as we enter the warm summer months and growing populations of these insects does occur. A new twist in this safety issue is the safety of the wildland firefighter once insecticide is applied to their turn-outs/gear. A technical tip sheet provided by the US Forest Service provides some research information from the Missoula Technology and Development Center about the use of insecticides by wildland firefighters.
