Wildland
Fire Smoke and Your Health
What’s in smoke from a wildland fire?
Smoke is made up
small particles, gases and water vapor. Water vapor makes up the majority of
smoke. The remainder includes carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide,
irritant volatile organic compounds, air toxics and very small particles.
Is smoke bad for me?
Yes. It’s a good
idea to avoid breathing smoke if you can help it. If you are healthy, you
usually are not at a major risk from smoke. But there are people who are at
risk, including people with heart or lung diseases, such as congestive heart
disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema or asthma. Children
and the elderly also are more susceptible to smoke.
What can I do to protect myself?
·
Many areas report the Environmental Protection
Agency’s (EPA) Air Quality Index for particulate
matter, or PM. PM (tiny particles) is one of the biggest dangers from
smoke. As smoke gets worse, that index changes -- and so do guidelines for
protecting yourself. So listen to your local air quality reports.
·
Use common sense. If it looks smoky outside,
that’s probably not a good time to go for a run. And it’s probably a good time
for your children to remain indoors.
·
If you’re advised to stay indoors, keep your
windows and doors closed. Run your air conditioner, if you have one. Keep the
fresh air intake closed and the filter clean.
·
Help keep particle levels inside lower by
avoiding using anything that burns, such as wood stoves and gas stoves – even
candles. And don’t smoke. That puts even more pollution in your lungs – and
those of the people around you.
·
If you have asthma, be vigilant about taking
your medicines, as prescribed by your doctor. If you’re supposed to measure
your peak flows, make sure you do so. Call your doctor if your symptoms worsen.
How do I know if I’m being affected?
You may have a
scratchy throat, cough, irritated sinuses, headaches, runny nose and stinging
eyes. Children and people with lung diseases such as asthma may find it
difficult to breathe as deeply or vigorously as normally, and they may cough or
feel short of breath. People with diseases such as asthma or chronic bronchitis
may find their symptoms worsening.
Should I leave my home because of smoke?
The tiny particles
in smoke do get inside your home. If smoke levels are high for a prolonged
period of time, these particles can build up indoors. If you have symptoms
indoors (coughing, burning eyes, runny nose, etc.), talk with your doctor or
call your county health department. This is particularly important for people
with heart or respiratory diseases, the elderly and children.
Are the effects of smoke permanent?
Healthy adults
generally find that their symptoms (runny noses, coughing, etc.) disappear
after the smoke is gone.
Does air filters help?
They do. Indoor air
filtration devices with HEPA filters can reduce the levels of particles
indoors. Make sure to change your HEPA filter regularly. Don’t use an air
cleaner that works by generating ozone. That puts more pollution in your home.
Do dust masks help?
Paper “comfort” or
“nuisance” masks are designed to trap large dust particles -- not the tiny
particles found in smoke. These masks generally will not protect your lungs
from wildfire smoke.
How long is the smoke going to last?
That depends on a
number of factors, including the number of fires in the area, fire behavior,
weather and topography. Smoke also can
travel long distances, so fires in other areas can affect smoke levels in your
area.
I’m concerned about what the smoke is doing
to my animals. What can I do?
The same particles
that cause problems for people may cause some problems for animals. Don’t force
your animals to run or work in smoky conditions. Contact your veterinarian or
county extension office for more information.
How does
smoke harm my health?
One of the
biggest dangers of smoke comes from particulate
matter -- solid particles and liquid droplets found in air. In smoke, these
particles often are very tiny, smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. How
small is that? Think of this: the diameter of the average human hair is about
30 times bigger.
These particles
can build up in your respiratory system, causing a number of health problems,
including burning eyes, runny noses and illnesses such as bronchitis. The
particles also can aggravate heart and lung diseases, such as congestive heart
failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema and asthma.
What about firefighters?
Firefighters do
experience short-term effects of smoke, such as stinging, watery eyes, coughing
and runny noses. Firefighters must be in good physical condition, which helps
to offset adverse effects of smoke. In addition to being affected by particles,
firefighters can be affected by carbon monoxide from smoke. A recent Forest
Service study showed a very small percentage of firefighters working on wildfires
were exposed to levels higher than occupational safety limits for carbon
monoxide and irritants. If you are working on a fire and you’re concerned about
your health, see the medical unit or contact your safety officer. If you’re not
working on a fire, call your doctor.
Why can’t the firefighters do something
about the smoke?
Firefighters
first priorities in fighting a fire are, by necessity, protecting lives,
protecting homes and containing the wildfire. Sometimes the conditions that are
good for keeping the air clear of smoke can be bad for containing fires. A
windy day, for example, helps smoke disperse. But it can help a fire spread.
Firefighters do try
to manage smoke when possible. As they develop their strategies for fighting a
fire, firefighters consider fire behavior and weather forecasts, topography and
proximity to communities – all factors than can affect smoke.
Why doesn’t it seem to be as smoky when
firefighters are working on prescribed fires?
Land managers are
able to plan for prescribed fires. They get to choose the areas they want to
burn, the size of those areas and the weather and wind conditions that must
exist before they begin burning. This allows them to control the fire more
easily and limit its size. Those choices don’t exist with wildfires. In
addition, wildfires that start in areas that haven’t been managed with
prescribed fire often have more fuel, because vegetation in the forest understory has built up, and dead vegetation has not been
removed.
How do you measure the quality of the air?
Local air agencies
(or sometimes federal land managers) use monitors to measure the amount of
particulates in the air. That amount, measured in micrograms per cubic meter,
is compared to a national index designed to protect public health.
Will the smoke be bad every summer?
That depends on
where you live and the weather each year. If you live in an area where fire has
always been part of the ecosystem, you can expect fire and smoke. The amounts
will depend on weather and the amount of fuel (trees, brush, etc.) available to
be burned. You can protect yourself and your property by following good fire
prevention measures. But we never will eliminate fire and smoke from these
natural systems.
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