Indoor Air Quality

Avoid activities that create more fine particles indoors, including:

• Smoking cigarettes.
• Using gas, propane or wood-burning stoves and furnaces.
• Spraying aerosol products.
• Frying or broiling food.
• Burning candles or incense.
• Vacuuming, unless you use a vacuum with a HEPA filter.

Illnesses related to tight, energy-efficient new buildings received increasing attention beginning in the 1970s, with the emergence of “sick building syndrome,” a cluster of symptoms that include headaches, respiratory symptoms and difficulty concentrating. Experts identified indoor air pollutants as the likely source, but they didn’t suspect that carbon dioxide was part of the problem.

Outdoor air, including fine particles from wildfire smoke, can enter your home in a few ways:

• through open windows and doors, which is known as natural ventilation.
• through mechanical ventilation devices such as bathroom or kitchen fans that vent to the outdoors, or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems with a fresh air intake.
• through small openings, joints, cracks, and around closed windows and doors through a process called infiltration.

Wildfire smoke could impact your indoor air quality (IAQ) differently depending on the proximity of the fire and the density of the smoke. 

Consider purchasing a portable air cleaner or high-efficiency HVAC Filter

You may decide to purchase a portable air cleaner or high efficiency HVAC system filter as part of your preparation in order to help improve your indoor air quality during a wildfire smoke event. If you decide to purchase a portable air cleaner, choose one that is sized for the room in which you will use it. Make sure the portable air cleaner does not make ozone. If you decide to purchase a high-efficiency HVAC filter, choose one with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) 13 rating, or as high a rating as your system fan and filter slot can accommodate. You may need to consult a professional HVAC technician to determine the highest efficiency filter that will work best for your system.

You can find additional information about portable air cleaners and HVAC filters in the Indoor Air Filtration fact sheet and EPA’s Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home.

Asbestos: Anyone working on demolition, removal, and cleanup of building debris needs be aware of any asbestos and to handle asbestos materials properly. People exposed to asbestos dust can develop serious lung health problems including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Although the use of asbestos has dramatically decreased in recent years, it is still found in many residential and commercial buildings and can pose a serious health risk.

• More about the dangers of exposure to asbestos
• Asbestos Standard for the Construction Industry, from OSHA

Mold

• Mold cleanup: Mold can cause serious health problems. The key to mold control is moisture control. After the flood, remove standing water and dry indoor areas. Remove and discard anything that has been wet for more than 24-48 hours.
• Mold cleanup in schools and commercial buildings. Information for building managers, custodians, and others who are responsible for commercial building and school maintenance.
• Basic mold hazards. Cleaning up mold. What to wear
• More about mold from Centers for Disease Control

Flood water can make the air in your home unhealthy. This is because when things remain wet for more than two days, they usually get moldy. Inhaling mold can cause adverse health effects, including allergic reactions. Mold also can damage materials in your home. In addition, flood water may contain microorganisms, such as bacteria, or chemicals which may affect your health.