Currently, dozens of wildfires are burning their way across different parts of North America with some of the largest ones being the Park fire in California and the Jasper wildfire in Canada. 

Even if you are not close to a wildfire, it can still affect your health. That’s because wildfire smoke can travel far from its source, affecting people who are hundreds and even thousands of miles away. No matter where you are in the US, you are likely exposed to wildfire smoke, even if you can’t see it. 

Health Effects of Inhaling Wildfire Smoke

Wildfire smoke contains several hazardous pollutants including ozone, lead, mercury, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and fine particulate matter. 

Fine particulate matter, also called PM2.5, is particularly prevalent in wildfires. These fine particles can get deep into our lungs, causing a number of health problems. 

• Exposure to PM2.5 can trigger asthma attacks, even in people who’ve never had asthma or who had it when they were kids. 
• PM2.5 can cause or worsen respiratory conditions like bronchitis, pneumonia, nasal allergy and sinusitis. 
• Long term exposure to PM2.5 causes reduced lung function and increases risk of lung disease. 
• Away from the respiratory effects, PM2.5 in wildfire smoke has been linked to increased risk of heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and other health conditions. 
• Experts also say that fine particulate matter can affect brain function, leading to poor school performance and impaired judgment. 

Wildfire smoke also causes eye and nose irritation, headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath and can trigger skin allergies. 

How to Protect Yourself from Wildfire Smoke At Home

While wildfire smoke is most dangerous when you are outdoors, it can also build up inside your home, making indoor air unsafe to breathe. And since most people don't wear a mask indoors, they breathe in lots of pollution. 

The best protection is to make sure smoke doesn't get into your house in the first place. Keep the windows and doors closed to keep out smoke. You can use the AirNow fire and smoke map to check the air quality in your location at a particular time. 

Other ways to protect yourself from wildfire smoke when at home include: 

• The EPA recommends designating one room as a clean room. This is like a safe room, but for protection from wildfire smoke. Keep doors and windows closed and run the AC (on recirculate mode). You can also add an air purifier to help keep the room’s air even cleaner. A clean room provides an extra-safe space when there’s a lot of wildfire smoke outdoors. It is especially helpful for kids, seniors and anyone with a heart or respiratory health problem. 
• Get a portable HEPA air purifier. The HEPA filter in these types of air purifiers can trap PM2.5 and even smaller particles. It’s especially important if you or someone in the house has a respiratory health problem like asthma. 
• Run your central AC to help keep your indoor air clean and cool. Make sure you are using MERV-13 or higher rated filters and replace them frequently. Additionally, close your AC’s fresh air intake if it has one and set it to recirculate. 

How to Protect Yourself from Wildfire Outside

Inside your home, it’s easier to control the quality of indoor air. That’s impossible when you go outdoors. 

So the best way to protect yourself is to avoid going outdoors when there’s lots of smoke pollution. Limit outdoor activities like exercise, hiking and errands. Keep an eye on the AirNow smoke map to help you reschedule outdoor activities to when the air will be cleaner. 

If you have to go outdoors, mask up. Wear a comfortable mask, like our Aplu anti-acne mask, that you can keep on the entire day without discomfort. 

For even better protection, particularly when there’s concentrated wildfire smoke in the air, wear a N95 respirator mask.