This weekend is expected to be a smoky one, with poor air quality. With wildfires raging along the U.S. West Coast, the Washington State Department of Health wants people to take whatever precautions possible to be prepared and protect themselves as needed.
View the current smoke levels in our area, as well as the locations of wildfires, on the Washington Smoke blog (click here.)
Breathing in wildfire smoke can cause relatively minor symptoms in some, including eye, nose, and throat irritation, and more dangerous symptoms in others, such as wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. For this reason, many businesses may choose to be closed, or change their operations, at this time. For instance, the Woodland Park Zoo has closed for Saturday, September 12th, to protect visitors and staff.
Protect yourself, and your family, from smoky air and its potentially severe effects, by staying inside. To reduce the smoke inside:
- Close windows and doors when it is smoky outside, and open them during times of better air quality
- Set air conditioners to re-circulate
- Avoid burning candles/incense, smoking, broiling/frying foods, and vacuuming, as they add to indoor pollution
- Use a portable air cleaner with a HEPA filter
- Build a box fan filter – check this Washington Department of Ecology video (click here)
These suggestions might be especially challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to wear masks to prevent transmission of the coronavirus, but these masks do not generally protect from smoke. Also, while it is safer to stay indoors, it remains important to keep a safe social distance from others and wear face coverings whenever anyplace with others.
Learn more about protecting yourself and your loved ones on the Washington Health ‘Smoke From Fires’ website (click here.)