Reduce Your Exposure to Wildfire Smoke

Smoke from Canadian wildfires continue to impact the air quality across Western New York.  Check your local air quality at airnow.gov and take action to reduce your exposure to unhealthy air, if possible. During periods of poor air quality, protect yourself and pets from wildfire smoke. Preventing and reducing exposure to polluted air is key.

What is wildfire smoke?

Wildfire smoke is a mix of gases and fine particles from burning trees and plants, buildings, and other material.

Effects of Breathing Smoke:

Breathing in unhealthy wildfire smoke air can cause the immediate health effects:

• Coughing
• Trouble breathing
• Wheezing
• Asthma attacks
• Stinging eyes
• Scratchy throat
• Runny nose
• Irritated sinuses
• Headaches
• Tiredness
• Chest pain
• Fast heartbeat

Who is impacted:

Wildfire smoke can make anyone sick but the following people are especially at risk:

• People with asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or heart disease
• Pregnant women
• Children
• Responders

Reduce your smoke exposure 

It may not possible to completely avoid outdoor air completely, however, limiting the amount of time you spend outside breathing the polluted air is recommended.

Increase your time indoors:

• Choose a room you can close off from outside air.
• Close windows, doors, fireplace dampers and turn off ventilation systems.
• Spend more time indoors, where particle pollution levels are usually lower. Postpone any outdoor activities, including sports or hard physical work. They can wait.
• Consider air filters and use as directed.
• Avoid using candles, gas, propane, wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, or aerosol sprays and don’t fry or broil meat, smoke tobacco products, or vacuum.
• If you have a central air conditioning system, use high efficiency filters to capture fine particles from smoke. If your system has a fresh air intake, set the system to recirculate mode or close the outdoor intake damper.

If you have to go outside:

• If you have to go outside, consider wearing the right respirator mask (N95 or P100) and wear it correctly NIOSH has not approved respirators for children. If you have heart or lung disease ask your doctor if it is safe for you to wear a respirator.
• Limit the amount of time spent outdoors as much as possible

Keep pets safe

Animals such as pets and livestock are affected by wildfire smoke too.  

Learn how to protect pets and protect livestock.

Learn more about wildfire smoke safety from Erie County Department of Health