How To Stay Safe From Wildfire Smoke In Washington This Summer

SEATTLE, WA — Just this week, wildfires have broke out in Redmond, Des Moines, and Gig Harbor. In Eastern Washington, the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning due to high winds that had the potential to spread fire.

Those incidents are just a taste of what is expected to be another bad wildfire season in Washington and Puget Sound. The Seattle-Tacoma area is in a severe drought, and a weak El Niño in the Pacific Ocean means a reduced chance of rain this summer — meanwhile, just .81 inches of rain has fallen at Sea-Tac Airport so far in June, but 1.57 inches is normal, according to the NWS.

Local governments are trying to prepare Puget Sound residents for wildfire season. This week, a number of agencies, including the state Department of Health and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA), held a wildfire smoke safety seminar in Seattle. Here are some tips they shared:

• Stay updated on local air quality conditions. The best place to do that is at the PSCAA website, which tracks air quality in Pierce, King, and Snohomish counties.
• If you're able, buy an air filter mask. The ones to get are rated N-95 or N-100. Find out more about those from the FDA.
• Get a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, preferably one with charcoal. See the EPA's Indoor Air Filtration fact sheet to learn more.
• You can make your own DIY air filter at home. All you need is a box fan and a HEPA filter. The PSCAA has an excellent instructional video.
• When wildfire smoke hits, stay indoors, keep windows closed, and avoid physical activity. Exercise can be harmful in smoky conditions.
• Other activities to avoid? Don't burn candles or incense, don't vacuum, and don't grill or build a campfire.
• When running an air conditioner, set it re-circulate and close the fresh-air intake. Change the filter often.
• Seek shelter. Public buildings like libraries and community centers offer air conditioning and, typically, better air filtration systems than some homes. In Seattle, the city is upgrading air filters in public buildings designated as wildfire shelters.

“People in the Northwest love our summers, but we now face a hard reality. That climate change is going to steal parts of that summer from us more often as temperatures rise and forests dry out sooner in the spring. We encourage everyone to take steps now to prepare for wildfire season, by knowing where the nearest cooling center is located, having a plan for helping vulnerable family and friends and monitoring air quality at PSCAA” Executive Director Craig Kenworthy said this week.