Wildfire Smoke Health and Safety Resources

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shared the following resources and practices to prepare and protect families from wildfire smoke. These are meant to help navigate current air quality levels due to the smoke originating from Canadian Wildfires in Quebec.

Short (1-2 minutes) wildfire videos in English and Spanish on AirNow:
- Air Quality Videos

Why is Coco Red and Why is Coco Orange in English and Spanish on AirNow:
- Why is Coco Orange?
- Why is Coco Red?

Western States PEHSU resources on children’s health and wildfires:
- Wildfires and Children’s Health

October 2020 Webinar Ask the Experts: Wildfire Smoke, Mental Health and Green Cleaning-Sanitizing-Disinfecting in English and Spanish:
- Ask the EPA Experts

DIY air cleaner information can be super helpful in an emergency, especially for those who don’t have central HVAC.
- DIY box fan filters
- Clean Air Room

Other resources:

Sign up for Enviroflash
- Enviroflash Website
- Like the weather, air quality can change from day to day, or even hour to hour. Up-to-date information allows you to make decisions based on air quality forecasts. EnviroFlash is available through a partnership between the US EPA and state or local air quality agency – notifying you about air quality so you don’t have to go searching for it.
AirNow Fire and Smoke Maps
- Airnow Website
- The AirNow Fire and Smoke Map provides information to help protect your health from wildfire smoke. This website provides current particle pollution air quality information for your location; fire locations and smoke plumes; smoke forecast outlooks, where available; and, recommendations for actions to take to protect yourself from smoke.
- These recommendations were developed by EPA scientists who are experts in air quality and health. These maps are a collaborative effort between the U.S. Forest Service (USFS)-led Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
EPA’s recommendations on what to do when smoke is in the air:
- Examples include how to reduce exposure to the smoke while outdoors and indoors.
- When Smoke is in the Air
Many additional resources about wildfire smoke can be found in EPA’s Smoke Ready Toolbox for Wildfires:
- Wildfire Smoke Readiness Toolbox