Tips for Improving Indoor Air Quality During Wildfire or Smoke Events

SALT LAKE COUNTY—With heavy wildfire smoke entering the Salt Lake Valley today as fires burn in several western states, the air quality experts at Salt Lake County Health Department (SLCoHD) warn that even if you are not in immediate proximity to a fire, smoke imported by weather systems can still be a significant health concern—especially for people with underlying health conditions.

Smoke can enter a home through natural ways like open doors or windows, mechanical ways such as an HVAC system, or through infiltration of cracks or small openings in the structure.

The following tips are based on EPA guidelines and can vary based on your location relative to a fire, but they are generally among the most effective ways to maintain indoor air quality in your home—and help protect your health—when outdoor air quality is poor due to wildfire smoke. 

1. Know the air quality in your immediate neighborhood
   Visit SLCoHD’s AirView real-time air quality map to see the current state of the air in your neighborhood and then modify your activities—both indoor and outdoor—based on that information.
2. Use fans instead of opening windows or doors or using swamp coolers
   Try to keep the most obvious entry points to your home closed as much as possible. If you don’t have air conditioning and it’s hot when your area is affected by wildfire smoke, the EPA recommends using fans instead of opening windows. Also limit use of a swamp cooler as much as possible because evaporative coolers bring air from outside to help cool the home.
3. Close the fresh air intake vent on window AC units 
   If your AC unit has a setting to recirculate air, use that option instead of outside “fresh” air. This also applies to central air systems: if there is a fresh or outdoor air circulation op-tion, turn this off temporarily.
4. Avoid adding to the poor air quality by burning 
   Adding to the smoke by burning or cooking outside is ill-advised during wildfire events. Things like recreational fires or smoker grills can make the air worse for you and your neighbors.
5. Consider buying an indoor air purifier 
   The EPA recommends using indoor air purifiers on the highest possible setting during fires. If you have a central air system with filtration, run the system’s fan on the highest possible setting; this moves the air particles around that have settled and helps get them out.
6. Postpone house cleaning 
   Vacuuming can temporarily make your indoor air quality worse, by kicking up dust and small particles—unless your vacuum has HEPA filtration. So, consider postponing your house cleaning until the wildfire smoke passes (you’re welcome!).
7. Avoid being too active
   If there’s ever a good excuse not to work out strenuously—especially outdoors—it’s during a smoke or wildfire event. Cardiovascular exercise increases the amount of air you take into your lungs, so consider having a rest day during significant wildfires.
8. Use N95 masks
   If air quality is visibly poor, use an N95 or KN95 mask (or better) when outdoors.

Reducing overall exposure to smoke is the best thing you can do to protect your lung health during wildfires. This is especially important for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults, or if you have a preexisting heart or lung condition. For more information, visit EPA.gov/smoke-ready-toolbox-wildfires. 

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