Frequent Questions About Wildland Fire Smoke for Community Leaders
The resources on this page are intended to help state and local governments, especially those new to experiencing smoke impacts, effectively respond to and recover from wildland fire smoke events.
On this page:
- What partners could be engaged in effective smoke preparedness and response?
- Who in my community may be at increased risk of experiencing health effects in response to smoke exposure?
- Where do I find air quality data to make decisions about local activities and events? When would an air sensor be useful?
- What resources are available for communicating with parents and school districts (including daycares, aftercare programs, sporting programs, camps, etc.)?
- What actions can be taken in public and commercial buildings, including schools, to protect indoor air quality during smoke events?
- How can we establish and maintain operation of a community cleaner air and cooling center(s)?
- What information is available for outdoor workers and their employers to reduce smoke exposure during a smoke event?
- What key messages can I share with community members about the impacts of smoke on health and recommended actions to protect public health?
1. What partners can be engaged in effective smoke preparedness and response?
The right partnerships will be unique to each community and may differ based on the type of smoke event (e.g., local land management agencies may not need to be involved if the smoke is coming from very far away). The Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network developed a Who Should Be Engaged Wheel to showcase possible partners in building a smoke-ready community. This graphic helps outline core partnerships that contribute to smoke readiness in communities.
Engaging a range of partners in a smoke coordination team and in development of a community smoke plan could ensure an effective community-wide response in the case of a wildland fire smoke event.
2. Who in my community may be at increased risk of experiencing health effects in response to smoke exposure?
Most healthy adults and children will recover quickly from short-term (i.e., daily) smoke exposure. However, some people may be at increased risk of both immediate and long-lasting health effects because of smoke exposure. These groups, also called "sensitive groups" should take more precautions when the air quality is in one of the unhealthy categories relative to people who are not in these groups, but everyone should take precautions when air quality trends into unhealthy and worse levels.
In people with chronic diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other lung diseases and cardiovascular diseases like heart failure and arrythmias, and related conditions (e.g., diabetes or obesity), smoke can trigger severe respiratory or cardiovascular events leading to trips to the emergency department, hospital stays, or even death.
Children up to 18 years of age are at greater risk of smoke-related health effects, because their lungs are still growing. Children are more likely to be exposed to smoke because they spend more time outdoors, engage in more vigorous activity, and inhale more air per pound of body weight compared to adults. Older adults are potentially at greater risk possibly because they are more likely to have undiagnosed heart or lung disease or diabetes. In addition, the body’s ability to respond to health challenges generally declines with age. Lastly, during pregnancy, changes occur in the body (such as increased breathing rates) that may increase the woman’s sensitivity to smoke exposure and affect her baby.
People with higher exposure may experience worsening of underlying health conditions, which could lead to increased risk of respiratory- or cardiovascular-related trips to the emergency department or hospital stays, and to death. People from some ethnic and racial minority groups and people with lower incomes may have less access to measures to reduce smoke exposure, while outdoor workers can be exposed to high concentrations of smoke for extended periods of time.
Learn more about when to be concerned about wildfire smoke, who is at risk and why, and how to protect your health with the At-Risk Groups of People factsheet.
3. Where do I find air quality data to make decisions about local activities and events? When would an air sensor be useful?
Understanding the air quality in your area can help you make informed decisions about when, where, and if to hold local activities and events. The U.S. Air Quality Index or AQI can assist in determining whether wildland fire smoke is impacting air quality in your area and when individuals should consider taking action to reduce exposure. Information on air quality and fire specifics is available on the Fire and Smoke Map on the AirNow.gov website and/or AirNow App. As smoke concentrations during a wildfire can change quickly, it’s important to check the AQI frequently for updates to current smoke levels and predictions in your community. Once you know your local air quality, you can use the Activity Guides on the AirNow website to help you make decisions on how to protect public health based on the AQI.
If your location is not well-covered on the Fire and Smoke Map, or you want to know more about local indoor or outdoor smoke exposures, you may consider purchasing air quality sensors. Air sensors are small, lower-cost devices that provide highly localized information about outdoor and indoor air quality. Learning how to use an air sensor can help you get the most useful information from your device(s). The Using Air Quality Sensors for Smoke factsheet and EPA’s Best Practices Guide for Improving Indoor Air Quality in Commercial/Public Buildings during Wildland Fire Smoke Events provide more information.
4. What resources are available for communicating with parents and school districts (including daycares, aftercare programs, sporting programs, camps, etc.)?
As children are a sensitive group for poor air quality, communities may want to have effective communication with the local school districts. Every community will have a different approach for what is most effective for communicating smoke risk and reduction strategies to school districts and parents. One resource example is the Montana Wildfire Smoke Response Toolkit for Schools (pdf) (7.9Mb) developed by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services which provides draft email templates that can be shared with school principals to then communicate with parents and teachers the importance of the health and safety of students and key actions that will be taken to maintain a healthy learning environment. The Children’s Health and Wildfires: A Resource for Families factsheet is another helpful source of information that can be distributed to parents through existing relationships and networks.
5. What actions can be taken in public and commercial buildings, including schools, to protect indoor air quality during smoke events?
Protecting indoor air quality in public and commercial buildings, including schools, during smoke events is crucial for the health and well-being of occupants and children and can help minimize disruptions to normal activities. Developing and documenting a building-specific smoke readiness plan before a smoke event is strongly recommended. Key elements of a smoke readiness plan include:
Ensure building systems are in good working order (i.e., doors and windows close properly, HVAC systems perform as expected) and supplies such as high-efficiency air filters are available.
Plan to keep smoke out of the building by closing doors and windows, restricting entrances (especially loading docks), air sealing exterior penetrations in the building, and adjusting mechanical ventilation systems.
Adjust HVAC systems and enhance filtration during a smoke event. Work with an HVAC professional to develop a plan to adjust mechanical ventilation to minimize smoke intrusion. Enhance filtration using high-efficiency (e.g., MERV 13 or higher) HVAC filters and portable air cleaners as appropriate. Test out the plan before smoke arrives.
Reduce indoor PM sources such as cooking, cleaning, air fresheners and printers.
Monitor indoor air quality, especially PM2.5, in a few representative spaces throughout the building, if possible. Plan how to analyze, use, and communicate about the data in advance.
Air out the building when air quality improves and clean indoor surfaces as needed.
When these strategies cannot be implemented across the building, plan to designate cleaner air spaces within the building where indoor air quality can be effectively improved during a smoke event. These spaces can be especially helpful for people at greater risk of smoke-related health impacts, such as children.
For more information on schools and public buildings see:
Establishing and maintaining community cleaner air and cooling centers is an important strategy for providing relief during smoke events, especially for those who cannot maintain cleaner, cooler indoor air at home. These steps can help you set up and operate these centers effectively:
Identify appropriate locations:
Choose locations such as community centers, libraries, schools, or churches that are centrally located, publicly accessible, and can comfortably accommodate enough people. Locations where people already spend time are preferable.
Ensure the facility has the heating, cooling, and ventilation capacity for the expected number of occupants. Prioritize spaces that can provide high-efficiency (i.e., MERV 13 or higher) air filtration in the existing HVAC system.
Equip the centers to provide cleaner air and cooling:
Working with an HVAC professional is strongly recommended.
Install high-efficiency air filters (i.e., MERV 13 or as high as the system can accommodate) and/or portable air cleaners to reduce indoor exposure to smoke. Keep extra filters on hand.
Adjust mechanical ventilation systems to reduce outdoor air intake to a minimum that is protective of human health and equipment while maintaining positive building pressure. Shutting off the outdoor air intake completely is not recommended.
Keep smoke out of the building by closing doors and windows, restricting building entrances, and air sealing exterior penetrations into the building. Reduce or eliminate indoor sources of pollution during smoke events.
If available, deploy low-cost PM2.5 sensors in a few representative spaces throughout the building to evaluate the effectiveness of protective measures.
Open the center to the public:
Staff the center and provide training on emergency procedures and health guidelines.
Inform the public about the availability and locations of the centers.
Return the center to normal operations when the emergency event is over.
Announce the end of cleaner air and cooling center-related services.
Air out the building and clean indoor surfaces as needed.
Return the HVAC system to normal operation.
For more information, the following resources may be helpful:
EPA’s Schools as Cleaner Air and Cooling Centers: Tips for Facility Managers, Principals, Teachers, and Parents and Caregivers is helpful guide for making schools safer during smoke events.
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services developed the Clean Air Center Resource Guide (pdf) (1,557 KB) to provide information about indoor air quality monitoring, public communication, data collection, and general troubleshooting at pilot clean air center sites.
7. What information is available for outdoor workers and their employers to reduce smoke exposure during a smoke event?
Some recommendations made to the public on how to reduce their exposures to wildland fire smoke hazards may not be relevant or practical for outdoor workers who must continue to work. Employers, if able, can take steps to protect workers from the negative health impacts of unhealthy air quality. Recommendations from the Wildfire Smoke Guide for Public Health Officials for limiting workers’ smoke exposure include:
Postponing or shortening time spent outdoors.
Performing only high priority tasks.
Relocating workers or rescheduling work tasks to smoke-free or less smoky areas or times of the day.
Reducing outdoor workers’ physical activity and exertion levels.
Encouraging and ensuring workers take frequent breaks inside cleaner air spaces such as enclosed structures or vehicles with recirculating air.
Encouraging and using portable air cleaners in indoor working areas to reduce overall smoke exposure.
In some cases, the use of NIOSH Approved® particulate respirators, like an N95® respirator, can be considered to protect workers who cannot implement the exposure reduction recommendations listed above when performing outdoor work. See the Wildfire Smoke Guide for Public Health Official (pdf) (7.1 MB) for additional information.
Some states have resources that may be useful for employers looking for further information:
California, Oregon, and Washington occupational standards for wildfire smoke
California (pdf) (440 KB) and the County of Los Angeles (pdf) (576 KB) labor code factsheets for employees about wildfire smoke and the workplace
Protection from Wildfire Smoke training video from California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA)
Wildfire Smoke Rules from Washington Department of Labor and Industries
Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center Wildfire Smoke Employer Training Checklists, available in English and Spanish
New York State Department of Labor’s (NYSDOL) guidance (pdf) (312 KB) on protecting outdoor workers from wildfire smoke hazards
Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards Protect Outdoor Workers Exposed to Wildfire Smoke Polluted Air Factsheet (pdf) (261 KB) on the use of the Air Quality Index (AQI) around protecting workforce health
8. What key messages can I share with community members about the impacts of smoke on health recommendations to protect public health?
During a smoke event, talking points and messaging around smoke and health should concentrate on protective actions such as staying indoors, reducing outdoor activity levels, filtering indoor air, and using respiratory protection. The following is an example of simple, plain language messaging for the public:
When smoke is in the air, take actions to protect your health:
Check your air quality and local conditions on the Fire and Smoke Map.
Reduce outdoor activity levels. Learn more in the Reduce Your Smoke Exposure factsheet.
Keep indoor air as clean as possible. Review recommendations in the Indoor Air Filtration resource.
Consider wearing a NIOSH Approved® N95® respirator if you need to be outside. Learn more in the Protect Your Lungs from Wildfire Smoke or Ash factsheet.
People at greater risk of health effects, including people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or heart disease, pregnant women, children, and older adults should take action to reduce exposure and monitor their symptoms.
Pay attention to signs of stress. Review the Coping With the Stress of Wildfire Smoke factsheet for more information.
Have a plan for your pets or large animals. See the Protect Your Pets from Wildfire Smoke and Protect Your Large Animals and Livestock from Wildfire Smoke for tips.