Smoke

  1. 1
    Get Ready Before Smoke Arrives
    Steps you can take in advance of the dry season
  2. 2
    Take Action During a Smoke Event
    How to clear the air and stay safe
  3. 3
    Get More Information
    Access resources

Smoke season is a new phenomenon in our area, but one we can’t ignore. There are many ways to keep yourself safe and comfortable when the smoke rolls in, and plenty of time to get ready during the rainy season.

Vashon during smoke season
(photo Terry Donnelly)

Step 1

Get Ready Before the Smoke Arrives

Like most emergency management situations, preparing in advance will go a long way towards keep you comfortable and safe when a smoke even blows in.

You Probably Already Own a Mask. Stock up now if you are running low on those high-quality masks you bought for COVID protection. Well-fitting N95 or KN95 masks provide some of the best protection against fine smoke particles that make breathing more difficult. You’ll want to mask up outdoors to protect your health if it’s smoky.

 

Check the Filters on Your Air Purifier. Portable air purifiers with HEPA filters can significantly reduce smoke particles inside your home and you may have one you bought during the pandemic. However, you may not have replaced the filters since you got your air purifier. If your filters are due for replacement, replace them to maximize effectiveness before smoke arrives. Plus, you may want to get spare filters now to make sure you have them for the replacement due date.

Make Your Own Smoke Filter. If a store-bought air purifier isn’t in your budget, tape a high-quality furnace air filter (MERV 13 or better) to a box fan. Get one early while they are still available. You can get step-by-step directions here:
deohs.washington.edu/edge/blog/how-make-box-fan-filter-clean-indoor-air-smoke
or, check out this one minute how-to video: tinyurl.com/MakeFilter

Assess Your Household Risk. Some people are more likely to experience negative health effects from smoke, and they should take extra care. That includes people who have asthma, COPD, heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory infections (such as COVID). Pregnant women, infants, young children, and seniors are also more sensitive to wildfire smoke. People who work or live outdoors are more exposed when the smoke blows in. Consider this: If smoke has made someone feel unwell in the past, it will likely make them feel unwell again.

Check Your Stock of Medications. If you are one of the at-risk people we just listed, you want to ensure you have a good stock of inhalers and other medical supplies in case it gets smoky and local store availability runs low.

How to Check Your Local AQI: This air quality map can tell you current smoke conditions because it shows air quality sensors in real-time, including an array of sensors located on Vashon Island. This regional overview gives you a sense of where fires are burning, and you can zoom in on Vashon or a road trip destination to get details. You can check this detailed air quality sensor map at: secure.pscleanair.org/AirQuality/NetworkMap

Step 2

Take Action During a Smoke Event

There’s more you can do when a smoke event arrives on Vashon. Take the following steps to stay on top of the situation.

Monitor the Air Quality Index, or AQI. Check current conditions and forecasts. There are several sources for this, including AirNow.gov. You can also consult the air quality section of your favorite weather app. Or, you can check a nearby air quality monitor like this.

Avoid outdoor exercise and move indoors when it’s smoky out. If you’re at higher risk from smoke, move indoors if the AQI is 100 or higher. This includes people who are age 18 and under, over age 65, have heart or lung conditions like asthma, and who are pregnant. When the AQI is 150 or higher, everyone should move indoors. If you must be outside, an N95 mask like the ones you use to protect against COVID can also help to protect against smoke.

NOTE: The Washington Department of Labor & Industries (WA L&I) publishes workplace rules regarding smoke exposure. If your work requires you to be outside in the smoky air, you can familiarize yourself with the rules at the WA L&I website: tinyurl.com/WALIsmoke

 

Watch for symptoms of smoke exposure. Move someone inside if they have a headache, sore throat or nose, cough, burning eyes, dizziness, or wheezing. Keep inhalers and medications ready. Call 911 if someone has severe symptoms from breathing smoke, like trouble breathing or chest pain.

 

Create a clean room in your house with an air purifier. For severe smoke events, or for someone who is having trouble with the smoke, you can set up a clean room. Close your designated clean room’s windows, curtains, and blinds to keep smoky air out. You may need to run air conditioning or a fan to stay cool in the closed-up room. See the directions above about air purifier use or making your own inexpensive homebrew box fan filter.

 

Step 3

Get More Wildfire Smoke Information

Puget Sound Clean Air Agency wildfire smoke web page: pscleanair.gov/517/Wildfire-Smoke

Public Health – Seattle & King County KingCounty.gov/WildFireSmoke

AirNow.gov – check local air quality

Check 5-day smoke forecasts WAsmoke.blogspot.com