Tips for People Affected by the Los Angeles Wildfires

The devastating wildfires in Southern California are causing hazardous air pollution that can impact people’s health. If you’re in the area, please pay close attention to police and fire updates and obey all commands. When you are safely out of the direct line of fire, following the tips below can help protect your lungs from wildfire smoke and the resulting poor air quality. If you’re not in the area and looking for a way to help, consider passing these resources along to loved ones who are affected. If you live in a place that may experience wildfires in the future, this information may help you be better prepared.

The bottom line: breathing any amount of smoke is harmful to everyone’s health. But lots of people are at greater risk, including people with chronic lung diseases like asthma and COPD, chronic heart disease or diabetes, as well as people who are under the age of 18, over age 65, or pregnant.

Here are tips to protect your health:

• Above all else, follow evacuation orders. Signing up for mobile emergency message notifications from the National Weather Service or your local power company is a great way to stay informed about what is happening in your area.
• When traveling in a vehicle, keep windows closed, run the air conditioner and set air to recirculate.
• Pack medications, devices, prescriptions and insurance cards in case you need to evacuate or relocate. If you have a chronic lung disease like asthma or COPD, keep your prescriptions handy and your Action Plan nearby.
• Stay indoors as much as possible with doors, windows and dampers shut. If you are concerned about the air quality in your home, you can create a clean room which is a designated area in your house where the air is particularly protected.
• Set your home AC to “recirculate” to reduce smoke. Air cleaners that have HEPA filters can provide added protection from smoke.
• Watch for symptoms like wheezing or shortness of breath and contact your doctor if you experience new or worsening symptoms. You may experience symptoms immediately or even a day or two after exposure to the smoke.
• N-95 masks can filter harmful particles if you have to be outdoors, but be careful – they need to fit properly, so they may not work for kids or people with facial hair. A medical or dust mask won’t cut it and they don’t protect against harmful gases.
• If you’re experiencing health harm from the smoke – especially if you have lung disease or other risk factors – you may need to relocate even if you’re not under an evacuation order.
• Need personalized assistance from experts? Call the Lung Association’s HelpLine at 1-800-LUNGUSA. We have nurses and respiratory therapists on hand to answer your lung health questions, and it’s free!
• See more tips on reducing exposure to wildfire smoke at lung.org/wildfire. We also have resources for cleaning up once the fires are out, and on preparing for future fires.

If you know someone who is impacted by wildfires, share these tips on how they can protect their health.