BlownAway
A Helpful Guide On Air Quality During Forest Fires
and why it matters to you.
A Helpful Guide On Air Quality During Forest Fires
and why it matters to you.
Hover over & follow the paper planes
on the interactive map...
...To See Where Smoke Spreads
in various areas.
From this map you can see how much smoke travels out from the original point of the fire. Wind carries the smoke into other areas leaving citizens susceptible to health risks. Wildfires burning within 50-100 miles of a city have been said to make usual air quality about 5 to 15 times worse than normal, and often 2-3 times worse than the worst non-fire day of the year. Even when you're not in the fires range people can still feel some of danger associated with it.
Compelling evidence suggests that air pollution is a key player in the onset of climate change. It is also believed that due to the longer, hotter, and drier seasons in certain regions as a result of climate change, forest fires are far more likely to occur as well as become more difficult to maintain.
An even bigger concern is the exponential affect this may have. After the pollution has done its part in perpetuating global warming and creating an ideal environment for forest fires, the burning of the forests then contribute even more pollutants right back into the atmosphere. Particulate matter, especially. Many experts fear that we are already gradually falling into this perpetual cycle of air pollution and forest fires.
The particulate matter emitted by forest fires is so fine that ordinary dust masks cannot adequately filter out the tiny particles. It poses a significant health risk for anyone, but particularly children, the elderly, and people with existing respiratory problems.In order to properly protect yourself, it is recommended that you use only masks with genuine HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters.
To maintain a comfortable temperature, you should use your air conditioning in conjunction with the recirculation setting, so that no outside air will be brought into the vehicle. The same logic should be applied to your home ventilation system.
If you decide to volunteer to help your community clean up after a fire, there are similar precautions you should take. People with respiratory problems should avoid areas that have dust or soot present. An appropriate mask should be worn during cleanup, and all dust and soot areas should be hosed down if possible to minimize the amount of air-borne particulates.