SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As we’ve seen multiple wildfires in recent weeks, we are taking a closer look at air quality. It turns out, you don't have to see or smell wildfire smoke to be impacted by it.
ABC10 talked with a local doctor about what the smoke means for your health and what you can do to protect yourself.
"Smoke can travel hundreds of miles, so you don't actually need to be within driving distance,” said Dr. Clarisse Glen, a pulmonologist at Kaiser Permanente.
Dr. Glen says smoke particles can be so small that they can lodge deeply in your lungs and enter the bloodstream, which can flare up pre-existing conditions like bronchitis and asthma.
But wildfire smoke can also cause lung damage in people who don't have pre-existing lung conditions.
In fact, she says children can develop asthma because of smoke exposure.
"Even if you don't smell it those particles are something you're going to be exposed to within a hundred miles," said Dr. Glen.
Here's how you can protect yourself:
- Check the air quality index in your area
- Staying indoors
- Keep doors and windows closed
- Use a high-quality air filter
"Very important to keep the air conditioning on. It should be on at all times, not on auto because you want that air filtered constantly,” said Dr. Glen. “And you want it set on recirculate."
You'll also want to avoid what Dr. Glen calls "polluting your indoor environment," avoid burning candles, using a gas stove and vacuuming.
If you don't have air filters or air conditioning, check your local air pollution control center to see if there is a clean air facility you can go to when there is a fire nearby.
There is legislation in the works aimed at helping mitigate wildfire risk.
"It's important for people know these fires aren't just inconvenient ... they're dangerous and deadly," said U.S. Representative Josh Harder, (D-CA 9th District)
Congressman Harder and fellow lawmakers are proposing a bill that would create a nationally consistent, real-time air quality forecast and alert system.
He's also pushing for FEMA to respond to wildfire smoke-related disasters.
