Easy Steps to Protect Yourself From Wildfire Smoke

VIEW Press / Getty Images

Smoke from more than 100 wildfires burning in Quebec has cast a thick haze over much of the northeastern United States.

Multiple states, from New York to South Carolina, are experiencing "unhealthy" to "hazardous" air quality, according to the government tracker AirNow.gov. The New York City school district canceled all outdoor activities on Wednesday and Thursday after the city recorded the highest level of air pollution since the 1960s.

Exposure to wildfire smoke can trigger respiratory symptoms and cause damage to the lungs and heart. Short-term exposure to smoke can cause coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. This can be especially troublesome for older adults, pregnant people, and young children, and people with underlying conditions like asthma, heart disease, and lung disease.

Here are some key steps to protect your health during hazy days.

The easiest way to avoid the health effects of wildfire smoke is to limit your exposure to it. If you can see or smell smoke, you're being exposed to it.

Stay inside as much as possible and avoid vigorous physical activity when outdoors. That means opting for an indoor gym rather than a walk or bike ride outside, if you’re able to do so.

"This is not the day to train for a marathon or to do an outside event with your children," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a press briefing.

If you must go outside, it may be time to revisit a key lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic—wearing a mask protects your lungs.

The CDC recommends against using cloth or surgical face masks. While they may be enough to filter out many of the droplets that carry COVID-19 viruses, those masks cannot block the tiny particles present in smoke.

The agency recommends N95 respirators, or the KN95 alternatives, which can filter out about 95% of airborne particles.

Keeping your windows closed can keep most pollution out. On hot days, it's okay to run a fan.

But be careful when using air conditioning—many window units and HVAC systems intake air from outside and can bring smoke indoors. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends putting the air conditioner on the recirculate mode, if available, or turning it off.

For the particles that make their way inside, consider running an indoor air purifier. If you don't have a portable air purifier, you can jerry-rig one using a box fan and a NIOSH-approved air filter.

It's also important not to add to the indoor air pollution, the CDC advises. Burning candles, burning incense, and smoking tobacco and other products produce the same kind of toxic particles spewed by wildfires.

The Air Quality Index is a measure of how polluted the air is. When the AQI is above 150, it can cause serious health effects in sensitive groups, while an AQI of 200 or higher is unhealthy for everyone.

AirNow.gov, a collaborative site by the Environmental Protection Agency and several other government agencies, reports on the AQI in more than 500 U.S. cities and issues updates on fire conditions.

Sites like PurpleAir and AirVisual incorporate air quality data from sensors installed by individuals. These can provide a more localized account of AQI than government data alone.

If you have pre-existing lung or heart disease, talk with your health provider about how to care for your respiratory health during times of unhealthy air quality. Seek medical attention if you experience new or worsening respiratory or other health symptoms.

Xing YF, Xu YH, Shi MH, et al. The impact of PM2.5 on the human respiratory system. J Thorac Dis. 2016;8(1):E69-E74. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2016.01.19

By Claire BugosClaire Bugos is a health and science reporter and writer and a 2020 National Association of Science Writers travel fellow.