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Health Topics
Asthma
Wildfires & Air Quality
 Smoke
from wildfires is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees
and other plant materials. Smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your
respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases, including
asthma. Individuals with asthma should be take precautions to reduce and
minimize exposure to wildfire smoke.
Protect Yourself
The following precautions are adapted from
Wildfire Smoke: A Guide for Public Health Officials* [pdf 305K]. You can
take steps to help protect yourself from wildfire smoke by:
- Reducing the amount of time spent outdoors. This can usually
provide some protection, especially in a tightly closed, air-conditioned
house in which the air-conditioner can be set to re-circulate air
instead of bringing in outdoor air. Staying inside with the doors and
windows closed can usually reduce exposure.
- Reducing the amount of time engaged in vigorous outdoor physical
activity. This can be an important and effective strategy to lower
the dose of inhaled air pollutants and minimize health risks during a
smoke event.
- Reducing other sources of indoor air pollution. Many indoor
sources of air pollution can emit large amounts of the same pollutants
present in wildfire smoke. Indoor sources such as burning cigarettes,
gas, propane and wood-burning stoves and furnaces, and activities such
as cooking, burning candles and incense, and vacuuming can greatly
increase the particle levels in a home and should be avoided during high
pollution or when wildfire smoke is present.
Additional Resources
Asthma and Outdoor Air Pollution [pdf 505K]., developed by CDC and
the Environmental Protection Agency, provides information for understanding the
Air Quality Index—the health warning system associated with air quality and
its implications for sensitive populations, including people with asthma.
CDC’s Emergency Preparedness and
Response website is intended to increase the nation's ability to prepare
for and respond to public health emergencies, including wildfires.
National Center for Environmental
Health provides information about natural disasters, including
wildfires, and how they affect people with lung conditions like asthma.
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Links to non-Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at this link.
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