Are You Ready For Wildfire Season?

If any family member has heart or lung disease, including asthma, check with your doctor about what you should do during events where smoke is present. Have a plan to manage your condition.

Stock up so you don’t have to go out when it’s smoky. Have several days of medications on hand. Buy groceries that do not need to be refrigerated or cooked because cooking can add to indoor air pollution.

Develop an emergency plan. Know where your important documents are. Pack an emergency evacuation kit.

Create a “clean room” in your home. Choose a room with no fireplace and as few windows and doors as possible, such as a bedroom. Use a portable air cleaner in the room.

Get an air cleaner from National Indian Health Board (NIHB). Tribes impacted by wildfire and other smoke events may be eligible for commercial and residential HEPA-certified air purifiers. Find the request form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQL7VVEc4xWduUanEUqBUmkK0Hkxw3_s-cnE_OtSQPVYs0w/viewform

Check for smoke forecasts. https://outlooks.airfire.org/outlook

Monitor smoke and fire maps. https://fire.airnow.gov/

During a Wildfire, limit your exposure to smoke

Pay attention to local air quality reports. Listen and watch for news or health warnings about smoke. Find out if your community provides reports about the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index (AQI). https://www.airnow.gov/ Also, pay attention to public health messages about taking additional safety measures.

If you are advised to stay indoors, keep indoor air as clean as possible.

Keep windows and doors closed unless it is extremely hot outside. Run an air conditioner if you have one, but keep the fresh air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside. Running a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter or an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) can also help you clean indoor air.

Avoid adding to indoor pollution. When smoke levels are high, do not use anything that burns, such as candles, fireplaces, or gas stoves. Do not vacuum because vacuuming stirs up particles already inside your home. Do not smoke because smoking puts even more pollution into the air.

Wildfire resources by state:

Oregon: https://wildfire.oregon.gov/

Washington: https://www.dnr.wa.gov/programs-and-services/wildfire-resources

Idaho: https://www.idl.idaho.gov/fire-management/