What to do when bushfire smoke arrives

How bad bushfire smoke actually is

Bushfire smoke is PM2.5-rich and toxic. Long-term exposure does damage comparable to years of cigarette smoking. Even healthy people get coughs, sore eyes, and headaches. For asthmatics, COPD sufferers, pregnant women, kids, and elderly, smoke is a medical event.

Step 1: Seal the house

1. Close every door and window.
2. Switch your AC to recirculate. Look for the curved-arrow button. Outside-air vents will pull smoke straight in.
3. Block obvious gaps with damp towels: under doors, around old window frames.
4. Run an air purifier in your main living room and bedroom.

Step 2: Build a clean room

Pick one room (usually the bedroom). Close it off. Run a HEPA purifier sized for the room. The CDC and EPA both recommend this as the single most effective home strategy during a prolonged smoke event. AQI in the clean room can be 80% lower than the rest of the house.

Step 3: If you have to go outside

• N95 or P2 mask, properly fitted. Cloth and surgical masks don't filter PM2.5.
• Wraparound sunglasses to protect eyes from irritation.
• Cut your time outside. An hour at AQI 200 is roughly equivalent to smoking eight cigarettes.
• No outdoor exercise. Treadmill, rest day, or postpone.

Step 4: Watch yourself

Warning signs to act on:

• A cough that doesn't go away in a few hours
• Tight chest or wheezing
• Confusion, dizziness, or unusual fatigue
• Asthma medication wearing off faster than usual

These mean fresh air, medical advice, or both. Don't tough it out.

Step 5: After the smoke clears

Once AQI drops below 50, open the windows and air the house out. Replace HVAC filters. Wipe down hard surfaces. Don't vacuum aggressively for a week. That stirs up settled particles. A robot vacuum on low or a damp mop is gentler.

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