Prepare for Wildfire Smoke
If you live in an area that frequently experiences wildfire smoke, take steps now to prepare for smoky conditions. Reducing exposure is important for everyone’s health, and is especially important for the health of children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with heart or lung disease, as well as people that may experience greater exposures (e.g., outdoor workers).
Before Wildfire Smoke Arrives
Know how to check your air quality. Bookmark your state, local, or Tribal air quality agency’s website or the Fire and Smoke Map for air quality forecasts and current air quality and fire conditions. On AirNow.gov, you can sign up to get email air quality notifications. In addition, some communities have visual range programs that allow you to assess smoke conditions based on how far you can see.
Talk with your health care provider to know what to do when it is smoky outside, especially if you are in an at-risk group. People at greater risk of experiencing health effects from smoke include people with heart or lung disease, children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with greater exposures. If you have heart or lung disease, develop a plan with your provider to manage your disease. See the At-Risk Groups of People Wildfire Guide fact sheet for more information.
Buy a portable air cleaner(s) (sometimes sold as an “air purifier”) and replacement filters before there is a smoke event. Make sure the portable air cleaner is powerful enough for the room size and produces little or no ozone, which is a harmful air pollutant (see the California Air Resource Board’s list of certified air cleaners). You can also make a do-it-yourself (DIY) air cleaner using a box fan and one or more high-efficiency HVAC filters. Learn how to build a DIY air cleaner. See the Indoor Air Filtration Wildfire Guide fact sheet for more tips about selecting and using a portable or DIY air cleaner.
Ask an HVAC professional what kind of high-efficiency filters to use in your home’s system and how to close the fresh air intake if your system has one. Learn how to run the fan continuously to filter your indoor air and stock up on filters compatible with your system. See the Indoor Air Filtration Wildfire Guide fact sheet for more information about using your home HVAC system to clean your indoor air.
Set up a “cleaner air room” in your home. Pick a room big enough for everyone in your household to be comfortable. A bedroom with an attached bathroom is a good choice. Have a portable air cleaner available to use in the room when smoke arrives. See the How to Create a Cleaner Air Room at Home Wildfire Guide fact sheet for advice on selecting a room and cleaning indoor air.
Know how you will stay cool when it’s hot and smoky outside. Exposure to both heat and smoke at the same time may be much worse for your health than exposure to either of them alone. See the Protect Yourself From Smoke and Heat Wildfire Guide fact sheet for advice on keeping your indoor air as cool and clean as possible when it is hot and smoky outside.
Be able to recognize signs of stress and know how to reduce its impact on you and your family. Smoke can cause stress by limiting your daily outdoor activities, isolating you from friends and family, and disrupting your daily routines. See the Coping With the Stress of Wildfire Smoke Wildfire Guide fact sheet for tips on identifying and addressing stress.
Stock up so you do not have to go out when it’s smoky. Have several days of food and medications on hand. Have food available that does not require cooking or refrigeration in case you lose power.
Have food on hand that does not require high heat or a long cook time on the stove or in an oven. Cooking with a stove or oven can increase pollution indoors, so it’s a good idea to have meal options that can be prepared cold or in a microwave when it is smoky outside.
Have a supply of NIOSH Approved® N95® respirators and learn how to use them. They are sold at many home improvement stores, hardware stores, pharmacies, and online. Do not rely on dust masks or bandanas for protection from smoke. See the Protect Your Lungs From Wildfire Smoke or Ash fact sheet for advice on selecting and using respirators.
Have a plan to protect your pets, large animals or both. Smoke affects animals’ health. Have a plan to keep pets indoors as much as possible and limit physical activity in smoky conditions for pets and large animals and livestock. Make sure water is available for all your animals. See the Protect Your Pets From Wildfire Smoke and Protect Your Large Animals and Livestock From Wildfire Smoke Wildfire Guide fact sheets for more information.
Purchase and learn how to use an air sensor(s) to monitor your air quality. During smoke events, air sensors can provide useful, real-time information about air pollution levels outdoors and indoors. This can help you make decisions about better times to go outside and understand what actions, like air filtration, most effectively reduce your smoke exposure indoors. See the Using Air Quality Sensors for Smoke Wildfire Guide fact sheet for more information about selecting and placing air sensors and interpreting sensor data.
