Remember how quickly this can happen? Wildfire smoke, whether it is from nearby fires or blows in from elsewhere, is something we have little control over. We can, however, control how prepared we are for that smoke once it arrives. Being smoke ready not only helps your health and well-being when the smoke arrives, it also puts you in a position to help other community members. Read the full smoke ready checklist here

• Gather N95 masks
  Cloth masks won’t help you filter out smoke! If you need to be outside during smoke events, N95s are essential.
• Create clean indoor air
  Choose a room you can close off from outdoor air and make sure you have an indoor air cleaning system. This can be a HEPA air filter, an HVAC system with a MERV-13 filter or a low-cost and effective box-fan filter. Make sure filters are replaced well before wildfire season.
• Know how to get air quality information
  For local information, Clean Air Methow maintains over 30 purple air sensors via our Clean Air Ambassador Network and posts daily on social media during wildfire smoke episodes. The WA Smoke blog is also a great resource.
• Make a plan for vulnerable household members
  Children and anyone over 65, pregnant, or with heart or lung disease is especially susceptible to the health effects of smoke. Anyone who works outdoors gets a lot of exposure to smoke. Think about how to keep vulnerable members out of smoke and provide clean indoor air when possible.
• Consider ideas to stay mentally strong & engaged
  Social connection is key: identify at least one person you can ask for help, and one person who may need your help. Check in with them throughout a smoke episode. Make a list of things that have helped you cope during smoke disasters in the past.
  Photo: Jade Wolff