COVID-19: If you have COVID-19, breathing in wildfire smoke may make your symptoms worse. Wildfire smoke can make you more susceptible to respiratory infections, like COVID-19. Some symptoms including cough, sore throat, and difficulty breathing, are common to both wildfire smoke exposure and COVID-19. Experiencing both the COVID-19 pandemic and bad wildfire smoke may be especially hard on mental health.

• Eye, nose, and throat irritation (burning eyes and runny nose)
• Wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and headache
• Aggravation of existing lung, heart and circulatory conditions, including asthma and angina
• Mental health concerns and psychological stress

COVID-19: Some of those especially sensitive to smoke are also those most at risk for COVID-19. Persons with, or recovering from, COVID-19 may be more at risk for negative health effects from wildfire smoke exposure because of compromised lung and heart function.

Inhaling smoke is not good for anyone, even healthy people. People most likely to have health problems from breathing smoke include:

• People with lung diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including bronchitis and emphysema.
• People with respiratory infections, such as pneumonia, acute bronchitis, bronchiolitis, colds, or flu.
• People with existing heart or circulatory problems, such as dysrhythmias, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and angina.
• People with a prior history of heart attack or stroke.
• Infants and children under 18 because their lungs and airways are still developing and they breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults.
• Older adults (over age 65) because they are more likely to have unrecognized heart or lung diseases.
• Pregnant women because both the mother and fetus are at increased risk of health effects.
• People who smoke because they are more likely to already have lower lung function and lung diseases.
• People with diabetes because they are more likely to have an undiagnosed cardiovascular disease.

• Check wildfire and smoke locations on the Washington Smoke Information blog.
• The Washington Air Quality Advisory graphic provides recommendations for the different color-coded air quality categories.
• Check local air quality reports and listen to news or health warnings for your community.

COVID-19: Some respiratory symptoms, including cough, sore throat, and difficulty breathing, are common to both wildfire smoke exposure and COVID-19.

• Smoke can cause coughing, scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, shortness of breath, chest pain, headaches, stinging eyes, and runny nose.
• If you have heart or lung disease, smoke might make your symptoms worse.
• People who have heart disease might experience chest pain, a rapid or irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, and fatigue.
• If you have a pre-existing respiratory condition such as asthma, COPD (including chronic bronchitis and emphysema), or allergies, smoke may worsen symptoms (inability to breathe normally, cough with or without mucus, chest discomfort, wheezing, and shortness of breath).
• When smoke levels are high, even healthy people can have symptoms or health problems.

Contact your health care provider if you have heart or lung problems when around smoke. Dial 911 for emergency assistance if symptoms are serious.

​COVID-19: Seek medical attention when experiencing severe symptoms, such as chest pain or difficulty breathing, during wildfire smoke events. If you have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, it is best to treat it like it could be COVID-19. Protect others by staying home. If you are concerned about your health, call your health care provider to discuss COVID-19 testing and other possible reasons for your illness.

COVID-19: The best way to protect you and your family this year will be to stay indoors and keep indoor air as clean as possible. It might not be safe to go to public spaces to seek cleaner and cooler indoor air away from home due to COVID-19. With the congregation of people at these settings, there is an increased risk of COVID-19. Check in advance to see if these places are open and be prepared for lower capacity, to physically distance, and wear a cloth face covering.

If you decide to leave the area and visit friends or relatives, consider COVID-19 restrictions in the county you are traveling to and with the people you are visiting. Being cautious about exposures is especially important if either they or you are more sensitive to COVID-19. Please follow current guidance for indoor gathering size.

Increasing ventilation by opening your windows for outside air can help reduce the spread of COVID-19, but should be limited to when air quality improves to reduce smoke exposures. Improving the air filtration in your home can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and improve indoor air quality. These steps alone are not enough to protect you from COVID-19 – physical distancing, cloth face coverings, and reducing exposure to other people who could be carrying the virus is still critical.

• Stay updated on current and forecasted air quality. See question 3 above for more resources.
• Avoid physical exertion outdoors if smoke is in the air.
• If you have asthma or other lung diseases, make sure you follow your doctor's directions about taking your medicines and follow your asthma management plan. Call your health care provider if your symptoms worsen.
• Stay indoors and keep indoor air as clean as possible. Take the following steps when indoors:
  • Keep windows and doors closed. Track the air quality and open your windows for fresh air when the air quality improves. Pay attention to the heat indoors and follow guidance in the section below if it's too hot.
  • Improve the filtration in your home. Three options are described in question 8 below.
  • Run an air conditioner, set it to re-circulate and close the fresh-air intake. Make sure to change the filter as the manufacturer recommends. It may get dirty faster when smoke is prolonged.
  • Don’t add to indoor pollution.
    • Avoid using candles, incense, sprays, fireplaces, or gas stoves.
    • Don’t broil or fry food or smoke cigarettes indoors.
    • Avoid vacuuming unless your vacuum has a HEPA filter, because vacuuming stirs up particles already inside your home. 
  • Consider leaving the area if the air quality is poor and it's not possible to keep indoor air clean, especially if you or those you are caring for are having health problems or are in a sensitive group. See section above for who is especially sensitive to smoke. 

For more information about keeping indoor air free of smoke Improving Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality during Wildfire Smoke Events (PDF).

COVID-19: It might not be safe to go to public spaces to seek cleaner and cooler indoor air away from home this year. With the crowding of people at these settings, there is an increased risk of COVID-19. Check in advance to see if these places are open and be prepared for lower capacity, to physically distance, and wear a cloth face covering. If you decide to leave the area and visit friends or relatives, consider COVID-19 restrictions in the county you are traveling to and with the people you are visiting. This is especially important if either they or you are more sensitive to COVID-19. Please follow current guidance for indoor gathering size.

Even when the air quality is poor, it’s always important to pay attention to the heat and stay hydrated—overheating is dangerous. If it’s too hot indoors to keep your windows and doors closed, first consider leaving the area or going to an indoor place with air conditioning, like a friend or relative’s home. If it’s hot indoors during poor air quality, these steps can reduce the heat:

• Close curtains or shades during the day when it’s sunny.
• Use portable fans indoors.
• Track the air quality and open your windows when the air is clean.

COVID-19: N95 and other NIOSH approved respirators may be in short supply due to COVID-19, and need to be reserved for those required to wear them for work. Cloth face coverings may help a small amount, but won’t filter out the fine particles or hazardous gasses in smoke. It’s important to stay inside and take other actions to limit your exposure to smoke. Continue to wear your cloth face coverings to reduce the risk of COVID-19.

If you cannot leave the smoky area or find other ways to reduce your exposure, certain types of face masks can provide some protection. NIOSH approved N95 or N100 respirator masks filter out fine particles but not hazardous gases (such as carbon monoxide). These masks can be found at many hardware and home repair stores and pharmacies. Face masks will not work for everyone.

• Masks do not work on people with beards because they do not seal well enough to provide protection.
• Masks are not currently approved for infants or small children.
• Anyone with lung disease, heart disease, or who is chronically ill should consult a health care provider before using a mask. Wearing a mask makes it more difficult to breathe, which may worsen existing medical conditions.
• More information
  • Wildfire Smoke and Face Masks Fact Sheet (PDF)
  • L&I:  Wildfire Smoke and Voluntary use of N95 Masks at Work (PDF)

Watch this video on how to use an N95 respirator.

Covid-19: While ventilation and filtration can help reduce the risk of COVID-19, these alone are not enough to protect you from spread of the virus. Physical distancing, cloth face coverings, and reducing exposure to other people who could be carrying the virus is still critical.

There are three options for improving filtration in your home to reduce smoke levels.

1. If you have a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, this can be the best way to reduce fine particles from wildfire smoke throughout your home, rather than a single room.

• Increase the filtration in your home HVAC system to a MERV 13 filter with the deepest pleat your system can accommodate to reduce fine particles. The filter must fit tightly.
• Set to re-circulate and close the fresh air intake while there is poor outside air.
• Consult your HVAC manual or consult with an HVAC professional before making improvements.
• Change the filter when dirty or indicated by the manufacturer’s instructions.

2. Portable air cleaners with HEPA filters can improve indoor air quality by removing particulates from smoke. HEPA air cleaners with charcoal filters can also remove some harmful gases from indoor air. Consider using air cleaners in the room where you spend most of your time, which is often a bedroom, with the windows and doors closed.

• Select one that is rated for the size of the room where you plan to use it. The Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) is based on the square footage of the room.
• Consider the noise rating, as some can be quite loud. Choosing one rated for a larger size room and running it at a lower setting will reduce the noise.
• Do not use ozone generators, personal air purifiers, or electrostatic precipitators and ionizers that produce ozone. Ozone is a respiratory irritant that can aggravate asthma and other lung diseases.
• For more information, Air Cleaner Information for Consumers - California Air Resources Board.

3. Making your own box fan filter can be a less expensive option to filter air and improve indoor air quality in a single room. When building your own box fan filter it is important to understand their limitations and the potential risk.

• Select a standard box fan and a filter with a MERV 13 rating of the same dimensions.
• There are different designs to consider, such as the filter is attached by bungee cord, the filter is screwed on brackets, and two filters are attached to create a triangle shape
• Place the constructed DIY box fan filter in a room, ideally a small room where you spend time, with the windows and doors closed. Keep it away from a window or wall so that the front or back are not blocked.
• Do not run unattended and monitor for overheating to reduce the risk of fire.
• Change the filter when dirty.
  • WA Department of Ecology’s video on how to make your own clean air fan
    • Spanish version available here
    • Korean version available here
  • Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s info on DIY air filters
  • Coleville Tribes Air Quality Program box fan filter a DIY users guide

Exercise is very important for health. When you exercise your air intake is increased, which means inhaling more pollution when the air quality is bad.

If you are sensitive to smoke, you should limit your activities when air quality is in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category. People with asthma and lung and heart conditions may be very sensitive to poor air quality and may start to have symptoms when air quality is in the Moderate category and they should consider reducing indoor and outdoor activities.

Avoid driving, when possible. If you must drive, keep the windows closed. Use the air conditioner. Most vehicles can re-circulate the inside air which will help keep particle levels lower, however carbon dioxide levels can build up and cause sleepiness. You may have to open the vents periodically. Maintain your car intake filters.

• The Air Pollution and School Activities Guide (PDF), provides recommendations for recess, P.E., and athletic events and practices during smoky conditions.
  This guide is based on air quality categories used in the Washington Air Quality Advisory Map.    
• Follow the guidance for schools on keeping indoor air free of smoke:
  •  Improving Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality during Wildfire Smoke Events (PDF) (For schools and commercial buildings)
  • Summary Guidance: School Closure, Children's Outdoor Activities Cancellation (PDF)

• Wildfires Information
• Agricultural Burning
• Washington Air Monitoring Network
• Clean Air Agencies
• Woodstove Information
• Outdoor and Residential Burning

• Washington Smoke Information (Blog), Interagency
• Smoke and Fire Map, EPA
• AirNow, Fires, EPA
• Protect Yourself from Wildfire Smoke, CDC
• Smoke Ready Toolbox for Wildfires, EPA
• Wildfire Resources, DNR
• Current Burn Bans, WA Burn Bans
• Current Fire Danger by County
• DNR Fact Sheet for Families and Communities:  Protecting Children from Wildfire Smoke and Ash , PEHSU
• Protect Your Pets from Wildfire Smoke, EPA(PDF)
• Protect Your Large Animals and Livestock from Wildfire Smoke (PDF)
• Wildfire Smoke - A Guide for Public Health Officials (2019) (PDF)

• EPA's Smoke Sense". Get current and location-specific information about smoke, learn about health impacts, and participate in a citizen science project.
• EPA's "AirNow". Get current and location-specific information about air pollution (PM2.5 and ozone).

• Wildfire Smoke and COVID-19, CDC
• COVID-19, Wildfires, and Indoor Air Quality, EPA