News from the Fire Adapted New Mexico Learning Network

Excerpts:

Wildfire Wednesday #185: Preparing for Wildfire Smoke with Clean Air Solutions

Learning to live with fire also means learning to live with smoke. Communities are often evacuated when flames directly threaten homes and personal safety. However, communities that are not evacuated but remain near active fires can experience significant smoke impacts and poor air quality.

Wildfire smoke is not good for anyone to breathe, but it poses especially serious health risks for vulnerable residents, including infants, older adults, and those with pre-existing conditions such as asthma or heart disease. In some cases, these individuals may need to temporarily leave the area until conditions improve. At the same time, there are important steps communities can take to become more "smoke-ready." Being smoke-ready includes preparing to create clean indoor air at home or work, and ensuring access to community clean air spaces where people can find relief during heavy smoke events.

Below, you can learn more about home air filtration options, community clean air centers (including those currently available in New Mexico), and how smoke-ready community efforts have been expanded in other states.

This Wildfire Wednesday features:

Wildfire Smoke and Health 

Wildfire smoke contains a mixture of harmful pollutants, including gases and particles released as materials burn. The smallest particles—known as PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter)—are the most concerning for human health. Because of their tiny size, they can be inhaled deep into the lungs, affect respiratory and cardiovascular function, and even enter the bloodstream, triggering inflammation throughout the body.

Certain groups are especially vulnerable to the effects of smoke, including children, pregnant individuals, older adults, people with heart or lung conditions, and those with higher exposure levels, such as outdoor workers. Even for otherwise healthy individuals, wildfire smoke is unsafe to breathe, and the longer the exposure, the greater the risk.

Common symptoms of smoke exposure include coughing, shortness of breath, irritated eyes, runny nose, sore throat, headaches, fatigue, and in some cases, irregular heartbeat.

While we can't control when smoke arrives or how long it lingers, there are steps you can take to reduce exposure and protect your health:

  • Limit the intensity and duration of outdoor activities
  • Stay indoors with windows and doors closed, and create clean indoor air
  • Avoid adding pollution indoors. Do not burn candles or incense, avoid smoking, and limit activities like stove-top cooking and vacuuming during smoky conditions

Create Clean Indoor Air 

One of the best ways to reduce the impact of smoke is by reducing the amount of smoke that enters your home or workplace and filtering harmful particles from the air.

Indoor forced air systems

If you have a central air conditioning system in your building, set it to re-circulate or close outdoor air intakes to avoid drawing in smoky outdoor air.  Also, keep the furnace fan on by uncoupling it from the thermostat for continuous cleaning

Additionally, upgrade the filter efficiency of the heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. Use the highest filter your system can handle. A MERV 13 or higher filter is best, but MERV 11 and 12 will still help clean indoor air. Also, keep extra filters on hand and changing filters frequently as they get dirty during smoke events greatly improves indoor air quality.  If your air systems cannot use a better filter, use portable air cleaners or DIY filter to clean individual rooms. 

Filter your air

Smaller portable air cleaners are a great way to provide clean air in the areas where you spend most of your time. Essentially these are filters with an attached fan that draws air through the filter and cleans it. These cleaners can help reduce indoor particle levels, provided the specific air cleaner is properly matched to the size of the indoor environment in which it is placed.

Purchasing a HEPA portable air cleaner or a filter with a MERV rating of 13 or higher will help remove PM 2.5 from indoor air. When selecting a portable filter, the other rating to pay attention to is CADR or Clean Air Delivery Rate. This refers to the volume of air that passes through the unit. A CADR of 200 means the unit provides 200 cubic feet of clean air per minute, and often this number is equated to the room size that it will effectively purify the air in. In a 300 sq foot room a filter with a rating of 200 CADR will cycle the air through the filter 4-5 times per hour. While any filter will provide clean air, those with lower CADRs will simply work more slowly.

While purchasing a portable air cleaner may cost around $100-$200, making your own box fan filter can be a less costly option to filter air and improve indoor air quality in a single room or designated space.

DIY BOX FAN FILTER MATERIALS:

  • 1 – 20" Box Fan
  • 1 -  20" x 20" x 1" MERV 13 electrostatic air filter. Note: MERV 11 or 12 will work, just not as well.
  • Tape or bungee cord to hold the filter in place