Researchers in Canada have developed a new protective shirt geared to the needs of wildland firefighters.
- The prototype garment offers more protection than the current version commonly worn by workers who fight wildfires.
- The shirt has been designed by Elena Kosareva, who earned a PhD in textile and apparel science from the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences at the University of Alberta (U of A), Canada.
THE BACKDROP: A 24-year-old study conducted at the U of A on garments worn by wildland firefighters in the US Forest Service had shown that certain areas of the body needed more protection than was being provided.
- Since wildfires seem to be more frequent now, more people become involved in firefighting. Therefore, it’s crucial to provide better protection.
- The clothing wildland firefighters wear differs from the much thicker, heavier suits worn by structural firefighters.
- Largely tasked with felling trees, putting out hotspots and digging firebreaks, wildland firefighters stay suited up for hours-long shifts and often hike long distances while carrying their gear in backpacks.
- It’s very physically demanding work, so they can’t wear heavy bunker suits.
THE GARMENT: Currently, the upper half of the standard outfit consists of a thin cotton undershirt, which is then covered by the flame-resistant outer shirt.
- But because it’s not possible to maintain an evenly distributed air gap inside the clothing, there are always some areas of the body—the shoulders, front and back torso, neck and wrists—that are in direct contact with the garment fabrics, making these areas especially vulnerable to burns from the fire’s heat.
- Air acts as an efficient insulator against that thermal heat, so creating an air gap between the human body and the outer layer of the protective garment provides protection against the high temperatures these firefighters face.
- Kosareva designed her shirt, which is being patented, by adding to the yoke and sleeves, a recently developed three-dimensional ‘spacer’ fabric made of flame-resistant fibres.
- The fabric also contains relatively thick, compression-resistant yarn that connects the upper and bottom layers of the material and traps air, creating an artificial gap in the areas of the garment that are in direct contact with the skin.
- At the same time, the flame-resistant shirt also retains the lightweight, flexible and breathable qualities needed to help wildland firefighters do their job.
- In a flash-fire manikin test, the new prototype shirt reduced the total burn area to the body by about six per cent compared with the standard shirt.
- Lab tests showed that adding the 3D spacer fabric provided approximately three times more protection against thermal heat than the current garment used by wildland firefighters.
- When exposed to open flame, the fabric also withstood thermal energy for 14 seconds before second-degree burns occurred, compared with only five seconds with the standard shirt. Nor did the fabric decrease the breathability of the garment.
UP NEXT: Kosareva plans to focus more closely on improving the shirt design for comfort, including range of motion around the shoulder area. The fabric’s resiliency to compression could already provide more cushioning for wildfire fighters to carry their backpacks.
- Further research would include human wear trials, and it can ultimately be used to manufacture better protective gear for firefighters.
- The research received in-kind support from Winner Garment Industries Ltd, Milliken & Company, Lincoln Fabrics, Davey Textile Solutions and Heathcoat Fabrics.
