How To Keep The Air In Your Home Safe During Wildfires

Wildfires are becoming larger and more dangerous and a fire that occurs on the West Coast, can cause poor air quality hundreds of miles away. While you might not be able to prevent these distant fires, there are many ways you can ensure the air in your home is clean and safe to breathe.

If you’re experiencing poor air quality due to nearby wildfires, keep your home sealed. Close vents and windows, and seal all cracks and vulnerabilities in the home. Replace air filters in your HVAC system with MERV 13 filters. Consider purchasing an air purifier, or make a DIY air filter. Never use your fireplace, avoid vacuuming or dusting, and use your stove and oven as little as possible.

Wildfires can destroy homes and often result in fatalities. While it’s most dangerous to be near a fire, smoke can travel great distances, causing serious health issues wherever it lingers. If you live in a region where smoke has caused poor air quality, keep reading. Below is a list of the best ways to keep the air in your home safe during wildfires.

How To Keep The Air In Your Home Breathable During Wildfires

1. Close Doors And Windows

The best way to immediately stop toxic smoke and air particles from entering your home is to close your windows and doors. Even with great air filtration, your home will still have poor air quality if you’re constantly letting outdoor air in. As long as the threat of toxic air remains, your windows should remain shut. When opening and closing doors, do so quickly to keep as little outdoor air from entering the home as possible.

2. Check The Daily Weather And Air Quality Reports

Whenever you’re experiencing smoky air from faraway or nearby fires, the weather report becomes essential. Here,, you’ll find wildfire updates, wind forecasts, and air quality reports. Air quality can fluctuate day to day, depending on wind and barometric pressure. Check this report every morning to see what measures you should take. If the air quality improves, you can open windows. When the levels are dangerous, keep them closed.

3. Seal Cracks And Other Vulnerabilities

Outdoor air can enter your home from places other than windows and doors. If there are holes or cracks, toxic air can slowly seep in. These vulnerabilities can make it difficult for air filters to keep up, leading to poor indoor air quality. Seal all cracks or holes in your home, especially around windows and doors. Add door sweeps to prevent air entering from underneath your exterior doors.

4. Regularly Clean And Replace Air Filters

If you have an HVAC system, your home’s air filters will play a huge role in the event of a nearby wildfire. Whenever the air outside is hazardous due to smoke, check and replace your air filters regularly. Use high-quality filters that can trap and remove tiny particles from smoky air. Look for a MERV 13 filter, as these are among the safest and most effective filters for air tainted by wildfires.

5. Invest In An Air Purifier

In regions where wildfires are a frequent occurance, it might be smart to invest in an air purifier. Portable air purifiers are excellent at removing a wide range of toxins and impurities from the air. They are particularly helpful for those with asthma or other breathing conditions. Ensure the filters are changed regularly, and use high-quality filters anytime a wildfire is nearby. An air purifier is a great option for people who don’t have an HVAC system but want to make the air inside the home safe to breathe.

6. Switch To HEPA Filters

Consider switching to HEPA filters rather than cheap varieties. While more expensive, HEPA filters are more effective than standard ones. They absorb nearly 100% of all airborne impurities, including small traces of soot and dust. HEPA filters are essential for people with allergies, as they remove dander and other common allergens from the air. They also make the air much safer when there are wildfires nearby.

7. Vacuum And Dust Less

You might think that keeping your house as clean as possible is a good way to combat poor air quality, but you should actually perform fewer cleaning tasks when wildfires are nearby. Vacuuming and dusting can temporarily worsen indoor air quality. If your air filters are already struggling to keep up, it can cause issues. Keep dusting and vacuuming to a minimum when the outdoor air quality is particularly bad.

8. Unnecessary Use Of Oven And Stove

Avoid creating any extra smoke in the home, so avoid using your stove and oven as little as possible. While some light cooking should be fine, don't cook meals that involve high heat or entended oven use. If you have a gas stove, be particularly careful. Try to find alternative cooking methods while the air is heavily contaminated by wildfire smoke.

9. Don't Use Your Fireplace

You should never use your fireplace when there are wildfires nearby. There might be rules outlawing any fires when there is an active one burning, and lighting one inside will diminish air quality in your home and can even increase carbon monoxide levels. Only use your fireplace when the air quality has returned to normal.

10. No Sanding Or Dust-Causing Projects

If you love DIY projects, try focusing on tasks that don’t create dust and tiny particles that float in the air. Sanding, sawing, and woodworking are generally a bad idea, even if you perform them in the garage. If you must engage in these projects when there is a wildfire nearby, do them outside and at a safe distance from the home. Ensure you wear a face mask to protect your lungs while you work.

11. Recirculate Inside Air

One important tip for keeping the air in your home safe is to recirculate indoor air whenever possible. Many HVAC systems and even window AC units offer the option to recirculate inside air or pull it from outside. Since outdoor air is far more toxic than what's circulating in your home, choose the indoor option. It will help continue purifying the air already inside your home.

12. DIY Air Purifier With A Box Fan

If you don’t have an HVAC system and can’t afford an air purifier, you can make your own air filter with a box fan and HEPA or MERV 13 filters. Use a 20-inch square box fan and furnace filters of the same size. Attach the filter to the back of the fan with duct tape (where air is sucked in). Ensure the filter faces the right direction. The air that passes through the fan will filter out toxins and purify the air. This DIY method is a cheap, quick way to improve home air quality.

13. Close External Air Vents

If your home has vents that lead directly to the outside, seal them completely when the air outside is dangerously smoky. Many homes have air vents and exhaust fans in the bathroom and and other locations. As a precaution, you can cover the vent with plastic to prevent air from entering or leaving. Remove the plastic once the air quality becomes safe.

Summing Up How To Keep The Air In Your Home Safe During Wildfires

Wildfires are deadly natural disasters that can destroy entire communities. Even if fires don’t touch your home, your health may still be at serious risk due to air quality issues from smoke and soot. To ensure the air in your home is breathable and clean when there’s a wildfire nearby, keep your home sealed shut.

Replace air filters regularly, using HEPA or MERV 13 filters to remove as many impurities as possible. You can invest in an air purifier and try vacuuming and dusting less. Avoid using your stove and oven, and seal bathroom vents. If you need a quick, cheap fix, make an air purifier with an air filter and a box fan.

Related Guides:

• Do Houseplants Improve Indoor Air Quality?
• Why Is My Home Air Quality Bad? How Can I Improve It?
• How Often Should You Have Your Air Ducts Cleaned?