# Smoke Guide: what to do when the air is bad

A plain checklist for smoky days, set by the AQI that SmokeDar leads with. Look up your town's AQI on the radar, find that number in the levels below, then do two things: spend less time outside, and take it easier while you are there.

Source: general information based on EPA and AirNow guidance. Not medical advice. AirNow (airnow.gov) is the official US source of record.

## Quick start

1. **Get your number.** Read the big AQI for your town on SmokeDar, the observed, EPA-monitored figure when a monitor is nearby. Check Tomorrow for the forecast.
2. **Find your level.** Match the number to a level below. Green/yellow are ordinary days; orange means sensitive people take care; red and above means everyone does.
3. **Take the two actions.** Cut how long you are outside and how hard you work while there. Close windows when smoky; open them when the air clears.
4. **Protect the vulnerable first.** Kids, older adults, pregnant people, and anyone with a heart or lung condition feel it sooner. Give them filtered indoor air and watch for symptoms.

## What each AQI level means (US EPA Air Quality Index)

- **Good (0–50).** Air is clean. Normal activities.
- **Moderate (51–100).** Fine for almost everyone. Unusually sensitive people with symptoms take it easier on long or hard outdoor efforts.
- **Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101–150).** Sensitive groups shorten and lighten heavy outdoor exertion, take breaks, watch for symptoms. Sensitive groups = children and teens, adults over 65, pregnant people, and anyone with asthma or a heart or lung condition.
- **Unhealthy (151–200).** Everyone cuts back on prolonged or heavy outdoor activity and moves workouts indoors. Sensitive groups avoid it and stay inside with windows closed and an air cleaner running.
- **Very Unhealthy (201–300).** Avoid outdoor exertion. Stay indoors, windows and doors closed, filtration running. If outside, keep it brief and wear a fitted N95. Sensitive groups in a clean room.
- **Hazardous (301+).** Emergency conditions. Stay indoors with air sealed and filtered; essential trips only; fitted N95 or P100 if you must go out. Severe symptoms (hard breathing, chest pain) mean seek medical care.

## Smoky-day checklist

Do:
- Close windows and doors while smoky; run central air or a fan on recirculate.
- Run a HEPA air cleaner continuously in rooms you use. No purifier? A box fan taped to a MERV-13 furnace filter is a proven stand-in.
- Filter your HVAC with a MERV-13-or-higher filter; change it more often.
- Set up a clean room for anyone vulnerable: one sealed room, air cleaner on, no smoke-making activities.
- Wear a fitted N95 or P100 outside in Unhealthy air or worse. It must seal to your face.
- Shorten and soften outdoor time.
- Bring pets indoors; keep walks short and calm.
- Air the house out when the AQI drops, then close it back up if smoke returns.
- Stay hydrated; watch kids, older relatives, and anyone with a lung or heart condition.

Skip:
- Cloth and surgical masks for smoke, particles go right past them.
- N95s on young children, they will not seal; under-2s should not wear one at all.
- Adding indoor particles, frying, candles, incense, wood fires, smoking, vacuuming without a HEPA vacuum.
- Hard outdoor workouts once the AQI is Unhealthy, the harder you breathe, the more smoke you take in.

## Common questions

**Should I open my windows?** Closed when smoky, air on recirculate; open when the AQI improves, then close again if smoke returns.

**Can I exercise outside?** Scales with AQI. Up to ~100 most people are fine; 101–150 sensitive groups ease off; 151+ everyone cuts back and moves indoors.

**Can the kids go to practice or recess?** Children are a sensitive group. 101+ shorten outdoor time; 151+ move indoors. N95s do not fit young kids, so filtered indoor air is the real protection.

**How long can I be outside?** No single safe number of minutes, the higher the AQI and the harder you exert, the shorter it should be.

**Do masks help?** Fitted N95/P100 yes; cloth and surgical no. The seal is everything.

**Do I need an air purifier?** A HEPA cleaner run continuously helps; central air with a MERV-13+ filter helps; a box-fan-plus-filter is a cheap backup.

**What about pets?** Bring them inside, keep walks short. Coughing or labored breathing is a reason to call your vet.

## Sources
- AirNow: When smoke is in the air, https://www.airnow.gov/wildfires/when-smoke-is-in-the-air/
- AirNow: AQI basics, https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/
- EPA: Create a clean room, https://www.epa.gov/emergencies-iaq/create-clean-room-protect-indoor-air-quality-during-wildfire
- EPA: Protecting children from smoke, https://www.epa.gov/children/protect-children-wildfires-smoke-and-volcanic-ash