Aged care provider Bupa has also donated $10,000 to the Tumut RFS brigade.

The masks and a generator departed Wagga's RFS office for Tumbarumba on Thursday afternoon ahead of worsening bushfire weather conditions in the South West Slopes on Friday.

Jenny Geppert, an RFS volunteer with Courabyra and Faithful brigades, said she had seen the need for masks while helping to fight the Dunns Road Bushfire.

"I noticed many [volunteers] were breathless and complained about not being able to breathe in the thick smoke, especially that created by the pine tree plantations in the Tumbarumba area," she said.

"On asking what would be of use, time again, I was given the answer: full face respiratory masks."

Mrs Geppert put out the call on social media with the aim to source at least two 3M 6800 Full Face Respirators for each brigade in the region.

The 3M masks cost more than $350 each and can protect the wearer against smoke and organic particles.

"Luckily, one of my old horse riding friends, Lucy Purcell, saw the call out on social media and linked me up with her relatives," Mrs Geppert said.

"Ruth Dossor, nee Purcell, was a born and bred Wondalga girl, her family have been in the region since the 1840s and she was keen to help out her hometown community on the ground.

"Ruth, who now lives in Sydney, has so very kindly donated in excess of $21,000 to distribute 2 full face masks to each of the 28 Riverina Highlands RFS brigades."

Ruth's daughter, Jacqueline Dossor, also donated about $3000 to purchase eight additional masks.

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Mr Gepper said she intended to distribute the masks from Gocup in the north to Bringenbrong in the south.

"My next goal is to have two masks per fire truck so the crews can have them on hand when they go out," she said.

Bupa has announced a bushfire relief package after its Tumut aged care home was evacuated last week as a precaution during the Dunns Road fire.

The home's 80 residents were taken by coach with staff members to Canberra.

Bupa is also providing up to 20 days paid community service leave for employees who are involved in the firefighting and disaster relief effort and will match employee donations to bushfire relief.