For many in the West, wildfires are regular concern.
Massive blazes can endanger lives and gobble up homes and other property not only in the heat of summer, but continuing in the fall, as was the case this fall in places like northern California and Oregon.
Beyond the danger of getting burned, many more people who aren’t directly in the path of flames are still exposed to widespread wildfire smoke — like those living in urban centers near northern California fires that roared well into October. “In the Bay Area, you have more than 10 million people that were experiencing very high levels of air pollution during this time,” says Dr. Robert Blount, a pulmonologist and assistant professor of pulmonary medicine at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, San Francisco and Oakland. “The levels of particulate matter in the air were really the highest I’ve seen in years in the Bay Area.”
Although it’s difficult to quantify the impact of all that smoke, Blount notes there was a significant increase in asthma admissions and kids in intensive care with severe life-threatening asthma attacks. “At UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, we had an uptick in patients with chronic pulmonary issues like asthma and cystic fibrosis,” adds Melinda Krigel, spokeswoman for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. “At UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco, there was also an uptick in respiratory cases — in their emergency room.” She notes that it’s difficult to tease out the direct impact of the fires — like if (and how many) asthma and pulmonary patients came in because of the fires.
But what’s quite clear from research is that the plumes of smoke can be especially troublesome for people with underlying respiratory problems — including chronic lung diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD — and heart disease or other heart conditions — raising the risk of everything from asthma attacks to heart attack and stroke. And other groups, such as kids, pregnant women and older adults, are more vulnerable to the health effects of wildfire smoke as well.
[See: 7 Lifestyle Tips to Manage Your Asthma.]
Wildfire smoke carries with it a lot of so-called particulate matter — namely, fine, inhalable particles generated at the burn site. “They’re little carbon particles that a lot of toxic chemicals adhere to during the combustion process,” Blount notes. “So they’re quite toxic, and they can be breathed deeply into the lungs and even diffuse freely into the bloodstream and circulate around the body.” Adds Dr. Richard Leman, a public health physician at the Oregon Health Authority: “They’re so small they can get all the way down into the lungs and get out into the bloodstream, and that can cause inflammation and can increase the risk of heart attack or sometimes irregular heartbeat, if somebody has an underlying heart problem.”
Of course, just seeing a plume of smoke on the horizon doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in grave danger. Exposure to wildfire smoke that drifts far from its source may be more of an irritant or annoyance for many. “Not everybody’s at risk for serious illness — sometimes it can cause itching or burning eyes, or burning throat, or a bit of cough,” Leman points out.
Still, if you can whiff or glimpse the wildfire smoke, take heed. “If you can smell the smoke or see the smoke, then the levels are dangerous,” Blount says. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that breathing in wildfire smoke can have immediate health effects, including coughing, trouble breathing normally, irritated sinuses, wheezing and shortness of breath, chest pain, headaches, tiredness and fast heartbeat.
When it comes to wildfire smoke, experts say it’s important to pay attention to local conditions. “During the wildfires, the levels of air pollution are fairly erratic, and shifting and very area-specific,” Blount says. “So you could have very high levels of air pollution in the morning in one neighborhood, and relatively clean air conditions in another neighborhood; and it really depends on the weather patterns and the wind, and how bad the fire is.”
In an email, the CDC advised, “The best way to know if you are in danger is to pay attention to local air quality reports and the U.S. Air Quality Index.” Go to the federal AirNow website. In some areas, where local conditions aren’t monitored — and even in areas where they are — it’s still important, experts say, to pay attention to what you see, like if smoky conditions are obstructing your view in any way.
If at all possible, the CDC recommends limiting your exposure to smoke. Pay attention to local health warnings. Going inside and shutting your windows and doors may be enough, particularly if the wildfire smoke is only in your air for a short time.
[See: The Facts on Heart Disease.]
However, particularly for people in higher risk groups who find themselves near large, long-lasting blazes, the best move may be to relocate for a time (say, to reside temporarily with a family member or friend) until smoke has cleared. Of course, for reasons ranging from economics to responsibilities that make leaving difficult, many don’t see that as an option. That means, again, paying close attention to local conditions to stay indoors when smoke is a danger — and waiting until the air is clear to go outside, say, to exercise — is a must.
If you run an air conditioner to keep cool, the CDC recommends keeping the fresh-air intake closed. Make sure the filter is cleaned to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside. Put the air conditioner on recirculate mode to filter the air inside the house, Blount suggests. If it’s too hot to stay inside with the doors and windows closed, and you don’t have an air conditioner to cool off, seek shelter elsewhere.
Here are some other tips from the CDC to protect your health when wildfire smoke is looming:
Get an air filter for your home if you don’t have one already. “Use a freestanding indoor air filter with particle removal to help protect people with heart disease, asthma or other respiratory conditions and the elderly and children from the effects of wildfire smoke,” the agency recommends
Don’t contribute to indoor air pollution. Hold off on vacuuming, which can stir up particles in the home. Don’t burn candles or use a fireplace, and of course — if you needed another reason — don’t smoke.
Stay in contact with your doctor about symptoms. That includes discussing ways to manage asthma and other lung diseases. Though it’s best to limit exposure, medications can reduce asthma exacerbations, including attacks, when wildfire smoke is present. Talk with a doctor, “so that you’ve got a plan in place for what you’re going to do in these situations,” Leman echoes.
Wear a mask — but not just any mask. If you must go out into smoky conditions, don’t rely on regular dust masks you might find at a hardware store. “These masks will not protect your lungs from smoke. An ‘N95’ mask, properly worn, will offer some protection,” the CDC notes. Ready to get one? Get more information through the CDC’s website, which notes some strengths and limitations of so-called particulate respirators: “They do not protect against chemicals, gases or vapors, and are intended only for low hazard levels.” The N95 respirator is a type of particulate respirator often used in hospital settings to protect against infectious agents that spread disease. “They clean particles out of the air as you breathe,” the agency notes.
Plan ahead before you travel outdoors. Check in advance to see if there are any wildfires — including prescribed burns, which are set as a way to manage an area (like reducing underbrush that could be kindling for a larger fire). Avoid smoke wherever possible.
[See: The 5 Latest Poison Control Threats Kids Face.]
The point, say experts, is to nimbly react to the conditions on the ground to stay safe. So hang in there if you find yourself in the long, smoky shadow of a wildfire. “I advise people to be flexible,” Blount says — wait, so to speak, for the smoke to lift, before resuming outdoor activities.
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Guarding Against the Dangers of Wildfire Smoke originally appeared on usnews.com
