Incidents of wildfire and the effects of the consequent wildfire smoke have been rising significantly over the years all over the globe, with California being the worst affected place due to intense and frequent wildfires.
According to some reports, California witnessed over 7,000 wildfire incidents in 2023 alone, destroying millions of acres of land and vegetation. A report from the University of California, Davis, says wildfire smoke covered nearly 70% of land in California in 2020 and 2021.
The air quality of California has also degraded significantly due to the smoke bellowing from so many wildfires. Typically, wildfire smoke spreads harmful pollutants in the air, affecting the environment far and wide and people's health drastically.
Air quality can deteriorate rapidly during a wildfire. Therefore, dwellers must be knowledgeable about the health risks. This is required in cases that are specifically associated with wildfire smoke.
You must also learn how to keep wildfire smoke smells out of the house. Now, this is very much needed so that the indoor air quality does not reach dangerous levels and you don’t feel suffocated or disturbed.
Learning the Health Impacts
Before we dive into the numerous health impacts, let’s understand the wildfire smoke structure firsthand.
So when we talk about the wildfire smoke structure, it comprises fine particles. These particles tend to have carbon monoxide gas and PM2.5, a specific particulate matter.
In addition, it also contains harmful fumes of different chemicals such as formaldehyde, acrolein, and benzene. These are all emitted by the burning materials. Also, these components affect the supply of oxygen, which, in turn, causes different health issues.
Short-term symptoms
Wildfire smoke causes not only respiratory concerns but several other short-term health issues as well. This may include coughing and difficulty breathing. It may also cause pain or discomfort in the throat and skin irritation.
Long-term issues
Additionally, headaches and fatigue, dizziness, and COPD or asthma are a few long-term health effects of wildfire smoke. It may also impact your cardiovascular system. PM2.5 can cause long-term effects such as lung cancer, weakened immunity, and exacerbation of preexisting conditions. In severe cases, it may also cause premature death.
Vulnerability
Though all are affected by the wildfire smoke, when it comes to the elderly populace, children and pregnant women are more susceptible to such health issues.
Proven Protection Tips
Immediate Actions:
A few immediate precautions to prevent wildfire smoke from causing significant dangers include wearing N95 masks or respirators and goggles. Also, ensure that you stay indoors if the condition is severe outside.
If you suffer from any medical conditions, keep your medicines, emergency kits, and inhalers handy.
Rely on Technology:
Different technologies, such as a Wildfire Smoke Map or AirNow's Smoke Map, can help you stay updated about the situation outside and track the air quality. These tools are crucial in reducing health hazards due to wildfire smoke.
In general, you must consider checking the Wildfire Smoke Map daily to stay safe and secure during wildfire time of the year. This will not only tell you about the smoke trails but will also inform you about the air quality in real-time. This will enable you to learn about the danger zones to avoid during evacuations or when planning your route of escape.
Air Quality Indices
While using the air quality tracking tool, you must also know how to interpret the reading. Here is a visual representation of an AQI:
The health impact of each according to the level of concentration is explained hereunder:
PM10
AQIs 0 to 50 are good, and 401 and 500 are severe because they cause chronic respiratory issues like asthma and lung damage over time.
PM2.5
While 0 and 30 are good, anything more than 250 is severe because it causes cardiovascular diseases (CVD), respiratory problems, and lung damage.
NO₂ (Nitrogen Dioxide)
0 to 40 is good, but if it is over 400, it may threaten life with CVD, respiratory issues, and enduring lung damage.
O₃ (Ozone)
Anything up to 50 is good, but if it is more than 748, it can be fatal, causing respiratory issues due to lower oxygen flow.
CO (Carbon Monoxide)
Also termed “poisonous gas,” the presence of carbon monoxide in the air up to 1.0 mg/m³ is permissible since it does not cause serious health issues. However, it is deadly if it crosses 34 mg/m³, causing unconsciousness or brain damage, and even death.
SO₂ (Sulfur Dioxide)
There will be no serious health issues if sulfur dioxide is present in the air up to 40 units. It will show its effects, such as asphyxiation and acute respiratory problems, to threaten life once it crosses 1600 units.
NH₃ (Ammonia)
If the range of ammonia in the air is under 200, there is no harm caused to human health. However, if it is more than 1800, you will experience breathing problems. It will also affect different systems, resulting in severe, life-threatening medical conditions.
Pb (Lead)
The presence of lead up to 0.5 µg/m³ is considered safe with no serious health impact and can be severely worrisome once it is more than 3.5+ µg/m³.
It will cause some permanent issues, such as organ failure and neurological damage. In children, it can cause significant issues in their overall development and growth.
According to your interpretation, reduce or avoid outdoor activities to limit wildfire smoke exposure and prevent health hazards.
Techniques to Ward Off Wildfire Smoke Smell
The smoke and the smell may cause a lot of discomfort and, therefore must be kept out. If you are wondering how to keep wildfire smoke smell out of the house, here are some useful tricks.
Seal Your Home:
Close all doors and windows and seal the gaps underneath with wet towels. Also, shut the vents and use weatherstripping to seal any holes or leaks.
Guidelines to Improve Indoor Air Quality
- Use branded air purifiers or HEPA-certified filters in the room. If possible, you may use a larger filtration system for your entire house. This will trap the particulate matter in the air.
- Avoid cooking, burning incense sticks, candles, and fire in a fireplace. This will prevent the accumulation of pollutants.
- Put vinegar or any citrus slices in water while boiling. This will reduce fumes.
- Put some activated charcoal or baking soda in a bowl. These will absorb the smell of the wildfire smoke.
Ensure Power Backup
Wildfires can cause significant damage to property and infrastructure. This will result in downed power cables, damaged transformers and other allied equipment, and power outages. This will leave HVAC, fan filtration, and other crucial appliances useless. As a result, you will be exposed to wildfire smoke hazards due to lower air quality indoors.
Off-grid Safety Tips
To prevent wildfire smoke hazards, you must use proper backup solutions to keep these essential appliances running. Using portable power stations or home backup solutions is best.
These compact tools are reliable for long-term backup to maintain indoor air quality. They will help ward off wildfire smoke by having the devices working nonstop and maintaining high air quality indoors.
Typically, these systems have a high capacity and run of solar power and are easy to carry even during evacuations.
When things go off-grid, you should use solar-powered or battery-operated air purifiers. Also, ensure you stay in a sealed room with functional ventilation systems to prevent wildfire smoke impacts.
Tips to Select the Best Power Solution:
While selecting power backup solutions for your home, you must ensure the brand is reliable. This will ensure adequate backup power to keep the critical appliances running during power failure.
To play safe, you can refer to the links above. However, if you have a fascination for other brands and products, make sure that you select a model considering the following aspects:
Consider the appliance to use: Start with the appliances you want to use during a power outage. You are advised to select only the essential appliances. This is because no portable power backup system will be able to supply power to your entire home. Choose to use air filtration and ventilation systems, your fridge, and medical devices.
High battery capacity: You must choose a power station with a high battery capacity. This will ensure that it will last through long hours of power outages, which may be for days, and support your high-energy-consuming equipment to stay operational.
Opt for renewable energy sources: Select backup systems that run on solar power. These are extremely eco-friendly and sustainable.
Noise factor: Always select a power backup system that does not emit unbearable noise like large traditional generators. You should look for noiseless performance in your system since you will primarily use it indoors.
Additional tips: Know the local rules and guidelines for using power backup systems. Also, make sure that you know the local safety standards and abide by them. This will eliminate safety hazards like carbon monoxide buildup or fire breakage due to electrical shorts.
Using portable power stations such as the Bluetti AC200L or home backup solutions like the Bluetti AC300+B300 is highly recommended for wildfire preparedness due to its scalability, solar charging capability, and high energy output. Bluetti AC200L, with its 2,000W output and 2,048Wh capacity, is ideal for running critical appliances simultaneously without overloading.
On the other hand, wildfire-related power outages can last for days. Choose a system with a high-capacity battery, such as the Bluetti AC300+B300, which offers modular expandability up to 12,288Wh. These are compatible with solar panels, allowing you to recharge your power station even when the grid is down.
Comparison Chart of Solar Generators vs. Gas Generators
|
Feature |
Solar Generators |
Gas Generators |
|
Portability |
Lightweight, compact, and easy to carry. |
Bulky and difficult to transport. Suitable for stationary use. |
|
Eco-Friendliness |
No fuel is needed, noiseless, and emission-free. Perfect for indoor and outdoor use. |
Noisy operation, emits harmful pollutants and consumes fuel. |
|
Versatility |
Equipped with various output ports to charge multiple devices. |
Limited output ports, restricting the range of applications. |
|
Renewable Support |
Supports solar and renewable energy sources, ideal for off-grid power solutions. |
Typically, it lacks integration with renewable energy sources. |
|
Cost-Effectiveness |
No ongoing fuel costs and minimal maintenance are required. |
High fuel and maintenance costs, increasing long-term expenses. |
|
Advanced Features |
Smart features like displays, app control, and remote monitoring for user convenience. |
Few or no modern features, focusing on basic power generation. |
Components of Wildfire Kit
Include the following elements in your wildfire kit to keep you protected from wildfire smoke and other hazards:
- Respirators or N95 masks: These are needed to prevent smoke inhalation.
- HEPA-certified air purifiers: This is required for improving the indoor air quality
- Portable backup power stations: These are needed to keep electronic, medical, and communication appliances like satellite phones, PLBs, GPS devices, maps, etc, functional at a given time or situation.
- Non-perishable food and drinking water: It involves energy bars, water to drink, ready-to-consume items, canned food, etc.
- Flashlights and headlamps: This requires extra batteries or any crank-powered flashlight.
- Prescription medicines and health kits: This includes a first aid kit or any specifically prescribed medications.
- Vital documents, keys, and cash: This involves IDs, important keys, medical records, some cash, insurance papers, etc., to be put in a waterproof bag.
Also, ensure you have a proper and actionable evacuation strategy and essential contact numbers.
Note: Use N95 Masks Correctly
Adults should consider a few points to use N95 masks properly to protect themselves from wildfire smoke.
- Brand: Always use NIOSH-certified top-class branded masks bought from reputed stores.
- Size and Fit: For proper filtration and functionality, ensure a snug fit. There should be no gaps around your mouth, nose, or chin. For better results, fine-tune the nose clip.
- Check the seal: Inhale and exhale to check the seal and figure out whether it is collapsing and expanding properly during inhalation and exhalation, respectively. This ensures there is no leakage.
Replace them with new ones if needed, especially if it is not meant for multiple uses.
Children often find it difficult to use respirators as these are usually not designed for them. Children should use K95 or customized N95 masks that are of the right size and fit for children. Also, they can use any cloth mask of good quality. However, it must be multilayered and come with a filter pocket. Ensure that the mask covers the nose and mouth securely.
There are also a few other alternatives to protect children from wildfire smoke.
For example, they should stay indoors to limit outdoor exposure during wildfire smoke and use proper masks only when absolutely necessary outdoors. Ensure HEPA-certified air purifiers are used indoors to ensure high air quality.
Conclusion
Preparing for the hazards of wildfire smoke is crucial. You should follow a strategic, proactive, and actionable approach by understanding the consequences of exposure to smoke and the tactics to purify your home.
You must use reliable ventilation and air purification solutions and efficient power backup solutions to keep them running at all times, even during power outages. Tracking the smoke conditions and air quality plays a significant role, and there are different tools, such as a Wildfire Smoke Map, to help you in this regard.
Always plan so that you are fully prepared to face wildfire situations and protect your home, family, and health from the severe impacts of wildfire smoke.
FAQs
Is it good or safe to use N95 masks for a long period?
Yes, it is. However, you may take short breaks and remove them if it causes discomfort.
Can my air purifier be running continuously during a wildfire?
Yes, you can by using a power backup solution. Air purifiers should run nonstop during such situations. This will help keep the indoor air quality safe.
How much power backup is needed for it?
It typically depends on the capacity of the air purifier. While purchasing a power backup system, consider the wattage of the air purifier. However, branded portable power stations are enough to keep them running continuously.
Should I drive during wildfire smoke?
No, you should not drive during such situations, as air quality and visibility will be poor. It will result in health issues and even accidents. Ideally, you should stay indoors in such conditions.
