In August and September of last year some areas in the western states were under smoke advisories for weeks at a time due to numerous wildfires. If the weather in the coming months is hot, dry, and windy, and with the vegetation being dried by the multi-year drought, there could be multitudinous large fires producing conditions at least as smoky as 2020, or worse.
Smoke can have serious adverse effects on those who have asthma, COPD, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions or acute infections such as COVID-19. Older people, pregnant women, and young children can also be at risk.
It is not practical for most of us to move to a different part of the country to find better air quality, but there are some measures that can be taken to reduce the concentration of the tiny smoke particles inside the home that can cause problems when they get into the lungs.
Closing windows will not keep smoke out of a structure. However, if you have a good quality air filtration device, the air inside the house should be better than what is outside with the windows closed. When the smoke is dense, it would be difficult for one portable air cleaner with a HEPA filter to treat the entire home, so if you only have one, put it where you spend the most time, such as the bedroom.
If you have a central air conditioner or heating system, slide-in filters can be purchased that are rated to remove very small particles like smoke and pollen. Filters are rated under various criteria — one is MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value). The higher the MERV number the better it is at removing the small particles. And medium-efficiency MERV filters in the 8 to 13 range can remove about 90 percent or more of these.
You can also tape a MERV 8 to 13 filter on a box fan and it will do a pretty good job of removing smoke in a small room. Unfortunately not all filter manufacturers use the MERV rating system. The New York Times reports that Filtrete, one of the larger filter companies, said their rating system, MPR, can be translated to MERV. “Filtrete said MPR 1900 is equivalent to MERV 13, MPR 1500 to MERV 12, and MPR 1000 to MERV 11.”
Respirator masks used during the pandemic, such as well-fitting N95, KN95 and KF94 masks, can offer protection when outside. A simple cloth mask can’t filter the PM 2.5 smoke particles.
Apps for smart phones can provide up to date air quality information. Examples include WeatherCAN and AQHI Canada in Canada, and AirNow and SmokeSense in the U.S.
To: MariahFire, and your point is what, about us “old timers?” Stick to the issue and learn.
Porta56 and the Capt. make good sense.
Too many folks are confusing good Rx fire with so-called “managed” wildfire, the latter being pushed by the USFS, both in Research (Finney) and former Deputy Chief.
For our public forests, we need much more Rx fire, and hopefully, we still have sufficient skills to carry this out, if Congress allocates the money to do so. I know it’s in the works. We also need to get back to managing our forests; yes, that means harvesting trees, otherwise known as “fuel.” And such harvesting must be prioritized to reduce catastrophic fire risks, by location and fuel reduction work associated with such harvesting and collection of BD funds AND K2 money which can be spent outside sale units to reduce fuel loading. This may be new to some of those “short timers.”
MPS, you are absolutely correct—my bad. The Gila has a long history of managed fires, and they do a great job with them. I believe Steve Servis was the Fire Staff who got that program started many years ago. But go take a look at some of the other Forests in Region 3 where “managers” introduced fire in PP forests where there had been no, or minimal, prior work. 80% stand removal is common, and with current weather conditions, regen is almost nonexistent.
“Managed Fire”—the lazy man’s way of getting around RX requirements, policies, and headaches….. A good fire manager does the work when it is best for the overall environment. Sometimes, in certain fuels, that might be during the driest/hottest time of the year. But usually not!!! Nuking out 1,000’s of acres of Ponderosa Pine, and having it come back in chaparral is not what I consider a good thing for the forest, yet we are seeing it all the time in the name of “management”.
That is not remotely close to what happens in the Gila, just about every year. As Bartleby posted above, that forest has a long track record of using fire as a management tool in the two wilderness areas that make up a core of the forest. They also have some of the healthiest stands of fire maintained Ponderosa Pine you will ever see. I’ve worked wilderness fires in the Gila, supplied with a pack string that were handled by a small handful of Firefighters with no air support to speak of.
Well ! Maybe if the Feds would get off their asses and fix their recruiting, retention and pay problems they might have enough “FIREFIGHTERS “ to put down major fire occurrences at one time !!!
But with a knucklehead Chief like the FS has, it’s never going to happen, just saying.
This to “Bartleby S.”
You are correct in that “fire fighting is a very complex” challenge.
But, please don’t be so disingenuous to your “elder fire fighters.” We are not archaic in our thinking or understanding about the use and or abuse of fire.
Here’s a key point about this discussion: IF your Forest Management Plan and or Wilderness Management Plan calls for and allows “prescribed burning through natural ignition,” then that is the FIRST step of approval.
Once you have that “natural” ignition, the SECOND question you have to ask yourself (if you are the District Ranger or District FMO only) is this the right time of year/season to RISK such a managed fire, or could it explode on you and run outside the Wilderness and threaten other resources. The THIRD question you need to ask is are T&E species threatened by such a fire; if so, using fire is no different than allowing non-indigenous species (like goats) to chew them into extinction. The FOURTH question is will the smoke “you will be creating” flow into communities where people already suffering from breathing conditions, will be further challenged and or die (60,000 people die each year from smoke inhalation)? Are you adding to that concern or are you not even thinking about it? Yes, it is a very complex challenge. One final question is: Are you using Appropriated funds that are directed for SUPPRESSION of fires? Is that legal?
Fire Management should not be done on hot dry years, period, it is time to open logging, create breaks on all public roads and prevent any more loss of our trees or forests !
Move!………………or, go on oxygen.
If you look at the current BIFC Report, it doesn’t strike one that the agencies are exactly “jumping on the fires” right now. Check out the one at 26,000 acres and only 70 personnel on it.
All that said, it appears we may be on the road to having more acreage burned in ’21 than in ’20.
Ummm, BIFC old-timer?
The fire you are referring to on NIFC’s Sit Report is the Johnson Fire on the Gila National Forest (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7493/). This fire is being managed for resource purposes. The Gila has a rich history of allowing fire to run its natural course in wilderness and wild areas and does so successfully almost every year. This type of management action allow for forest restoration and the consumption of ground and ladder fuels during permissible conditions. It is an incredibly cost effective way to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire on many more acres than tradition prescribed fire allows. I could swear some of you all are just trolls or rabble rousers on here…Fire management is complex, the agencies are understaffed, and climate change, urban interface, and 100 years of forest mismanagement have created an incredibly complex management environment. Please take a moment and try to understand the nuance of fire management in the modern age. “Smash all fire” is not a comprehensive strategy. Also it doesn’t work. Anyone who has actually spent any time on the ground realizes that fire can only be suppressed if conditions allow. Throw the world at a fire during less than ideal conditions and it is going to do as it sees fit. Also, let’s also consider risk versus reward and expense in also resorting to a full suppression strategy. Managed fires on average cost less, require less staffing, and utilize primarily indirect tactics that allow fire fighters to choose a time and place of engagement that promotes their own safety.
How many more Acres half to burn, before preventative measures, become The obvious thing to do ? Logging, clearing near Public roads etc ! Much more cost efficient than millions in firefighters, planes etc !
There are so many obvious adaptations that sound like they are not being implemented.
When I hear about power lines snapping because trees are falling on them, I wonder about adding some serious Steel cable to the power line.
https://www.google.com/search?q=what+kind+of+wire+high+voltage+transmission&oq=what+kind+of+wire+high+voltage+transmission
That’s a whole nother conversation with a PG&E engineer perhaps.
One adaptation that seems like “Low hanging fruit” – effective results cheap – is to get rid of catalytic converters beyond a certain age, because they degrade and become a source of fire starts.
Let those car and truck owners retrofit their vehicles with old fashioned mufflers that perform the essential job of spark suppression.