Canada Wildfires

[RunningBum]

A lot of haze here in central Virginia and a pretty strong smell of smoke. I think I'm just staying in today.

 

[Chuckanut]

West of the Rockies we have been dealing with wildfire smoke for years. Ho Humm….. What else is new?

One thing I did was buy an ordinary 20 inch box fan. I also bought a three pack of 20 inch MERV-13 filters. Tape the filter to the input side of the box fans. Turn on the fan. It will greatly reduce the amount of junk in the air you breach as long as you keep the windows and doors closes as much as possible. You will be surprised as to how much junk is filtered out of the indoor air even when there is no wildfire smoke to deal with.

Wanna bet there will be run on filters over the next few days?

Here’s a good explanation of MERV filter ratings. Try to get as close to MERV 13 as you find.

https://www.grainger.com/know-how/e...ViyKtBh2HlwPSEAAYASAAEgLEdPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[aaronc879]

Here in Wisconsin we have been having a lot of hazy days because of the smoke. I haven't noticed any other issues but there have been warnings to limit time outside if you have health issues. My Dad had COPD and heart issues so my Mom has basically insisted he not spend too much time outside when it is hazy. My Mom can smell the smoke but I have not.

 

[audreyh1]

We have an air quality monitor outside our house. We often get smoke from Mexico during certain seasons, fortunately it doesn’t last long. If air quality is poor or we smell smoke we’ll wear masks outside out walking or whatever.

 

[njhowie]

We have an air quality monitor outside our house. We often get smoke from Mexico during certain seasons, fortunately it doesn’t last long. If air quality is poor or we smell smoke we’ll wear masks outside out walking or whatever.

DW has mandated we wear KN95s outside and we fired up the indoor air purifier on high this morning until this all passes.

 

[MarieIG]

The air quality here (Long Island) seems better than yesterday: poor vs. hazardous - and the sky is gray vs. yellow/orange - but I took my "walk" in the house this morning . . .

 

[Sunset]

I live over in Norway and yesterday I smelled smoke. Looked around but saw nothing.

A few hours later I read in the paper that meteorologists said that some places on the west coast - where I live - it would be possible to smell the smoke from Canada.

Nothing like the pics from New York and elsewhere. But quite interesting.

Interesting, just yesterday DW and I were looking at the smoke map as it extended out over the ocean.
It looked like it was heading to Europe.

 

[audreyh1]

DW has mandated we wear KN95s outside and we fired up the indoor air purifier on high this morning until this all passes.

We also got an inside air purifier last year. It has to work hard sometimes when I’m cooking ha ha.

 

[DektolMan]

Here in CT it was crazy yesterday but a little bit better today. Our town handed out N95 masks for those who wanted them. My wife and I were out for a walk early in the morning and we could see and feel the difference in the air quality as the morning progressed. When I got home I had a headache for a few hours. Never experience something like this before.

 

[jollystomper]

This morning in the DMV, the burning smell was there. But it lessened as the day went on and we do not notice it now (or maybe we are used to it).

It reminded of my days working in Bejing... I recall a conversation on my first visit, in a tall office building:

Me: "Those clouds are really low"
Local worker: "Those aren't clouds"
Me:

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

DW has mandated we wear KN95s outside and we fired up the indoor air purifier on high this morning until this all passes.

I was going to suggest N95 masks and air purifiers.
Those N95 masks can be expired if they are only being used to prevent smoke inhalation.
I learned this back in 2018 when we had smoke from a wildfire close to our area and my department handed out N95 masks- with instructions on how to wear.

 

[Graybeard]

It has been very smoky here in Connecticut. The sun was blood red late this afternoon. I just looked and our PM2.5 air quality index was up to 339 this afternoon, which is "hazardous". https://aqicn.org/city/usa/connecticut/bridgeport/
https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/

Wasn't bad in Litchfield County today, you could smell smoke but nothing like yesterday, no haze from smoke, the Sun even was out now and then. The further south and west you were the worse it was.

 

[JackJester]

West of the Rockies we have been dealing with wildfire smoke for years. Ho Humm….. What else is new?

One thing I did was buy an ordinary 20 inch box fan. I also bought a three pack of 20 inch MERV-13 filters. Tape the filter to the input side of the box fans. Turn on the fan. It will greatly reduce the amount of junk in the air you breach as long as you keep the windows and doors closes as much as possible. You will be surprised as to how much junk is filtered out of the indoor air even when there is no wildfire smoke to deal with.

Wanna bet there will be run on filters over the next few days?

Here’s a good explanation of MERV filter ratings. Try to get as close to MERV 13 as you find.

https://www.grainger.com/know-how/e...ViyKtBh2HlwPSEAAYASAAEgLEdPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Sorry to hear about your suffering on the east coast. Yes, as Chuckanut notes, we are unfortunately getting used to bad wildfire smoke in our usually clean PNW air. And we have had a very dry May and June so far; scary what might be ahead of us this summer. We bought a "Blue" air filter a few years ago and the big one does a nice job of filtering out the smoke as well as any spring pollen. https://www.blueair.com/us/blue-fam...UXX4v3Wnj3ITPTQpiPjdw5OBCsiSMLfBoCvMcQAvD_BwE

 

[madatrub]

It was very bad yesterday on Long Island. Pretty much have to stay inside with the AC on to avoid headaches, sore throat and coughing.
My daughter's school gave out masks for the students to wear coming out at the end of the day.

Masks won't help for wildfire smoke. Need a respirator (KN95/N95+), and people who arent fit tested shouldnt be wearing those anyway.

 

[Gumby]

... people who arent fit tested shouldnt be wearing those anyway.

Why not? Maybe it will fit properly even without a test, maybe it won't. If it doesn't fit, it won't help, but what if it does fit notwithstanding the lack of a "test"?

 

[madatrub]

Why not? Maybe it will fit properly even without a test, maybe it won't. If it doesn't fit, it won't help, but what if it does fit notwithstanding the lack of a "test"?

Regardless, if you're using a cloth or surgical mask, its doing nothing. If you're using an N95 and its not fit properly, you increase your risks. Considering you'd only be wearing one if you were at risk in the first place, then wearing one incorrectly can put you in harms way. Why would someone do that?

Theres a reason OSHA requires a fit test in the workplace. 1910.134

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

Masks won't help for wildfire smoke. Need a respirator (KN95/N95+), and people who arent fit tested shouldnt be wearing those anyway.

Per my public health staff the fit test for N95 masks isn’t necessary for limiting wildfire smoke exposure.
The fit test is necessary if you are using in a medical health setting and are trying to protect from infectious diseases.

 

[madatrub]

Per my public health staff the fit test for N95 masks isn’t necessary for limiting wildfire smoke exposure.
The fit test is necessary if you are using in a medical health setting and are trying to protect from infectious diseases.

A respirator should ALWAYS have a fit test. Especially if its being donned by a person who NEEDS to wear it because of health issues. Advice like that is what gets people really hurt or worse, killed.

 

[Gumby]

... If you're using an N95 and its not fit properly, you increase your risks. ....

If it doesn't fit, I agree that it won't provide protection against the smoke particles, but how does it actually increase your risk over not wearing anything?

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

From my wildfire information from California Department of Public Health. For anyone who can benefit from this information.

 

[madatrub]

If it doesn't fit, I agree that it won't provide protection against the smoke particles, but how does it actually increase your risk over not wearing anything?

One has severe asthma. They get told through some flyer from their "public health expert" that you can just slap on a N95. They run out of cat food and HAVE to run to the store. They put on a N95 that provides no protection because they have not been fit test. They die from a severe asthma attack despite THINKING they were protected.

Their risks just increased. The think they are safe. They are not. If they knew their N95 wouldnt protect them and knew they shouldnt go to the store because of that, they would be safe inside their home.

 

[Gumby]

One has severe asthma. They get told through some flyer from their "public health expert" that you can just slap on a N95. They run out of cat food and HAVE to run to the store. They put on a N95 that provides no protection because they have not been fit test. They die from a severe asthma attack despite THINKING they were protected.

Their risks just increased. The think they are safe. They are not. If they knew their N95 wouldnt protect them and knew they shouldnt go to the store because of that, they would be safe.

It is the paternalism of answers like this that cause medical professionals to be held in low esteem in many quarters of this country. People can and should make their own choices. If they are bad choices, then they will pay the price.

 

[madatrub]

It is the paternalism of answers like this that cause medical professionals to be held in low esteem in many quarters of this country. People can and should make their own choices. If they are bad choices, then they will pay the price.

With all due respect, the medical professionals are the reason they are held in low esteem in many quarters of this country, not because the views or actions of anyone else.

But I've managed to veer this topic too far off course, so I'm going to dip out.

 

[Koolau]

Why not? Maybe it will fit properly even without a test, maybe it won't. If it doesn't fit, it won't help, but what if it does fit notwithstanding the lack of a "test"?

If not properly selected and fit tested, there may be a false sense of security. Of course, few people are gonna die if the mask doesn't fit in a smokey atmosphere. (Wait, are we allowed to talk about masks again?)

 

[Gumby]

With all due respect, the medical professionals are the reason they are held in low esteem in many quarters of this country, not because the views or actions of anyone else.....

You are right about that, but I have heard that very same sort of language from a number of doctors.

I think it best to tell people, in effect "an N-95 mask may protect you from the smoke particles if it is fit properly. The only way to be sure it fits is to have a fit test. If it doesn't fit properly, then it is like not wearing a mask at all." Then they can decide. Do they proceed to act in the absence of full information (i.e. - does the mask really fit) or not? They may conclude that since they have no assurance that the mask fits, they will just go without and still go buy cat food. Or they may be willing to take the chance that the mask fits even though it hasn't been tested. In either case, it is not the mask itself that increases their risk.

I happen to believe that they are going to go to the store no matter what. Would you forbid them from trying their luck in a N-95 that may or may not fit, or would you mandate that they be entirely unmasked?