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What is smoke and where does it come from?
Smoke can come from wildland fires, both prescribed fires and wildfires.

How much smoke wildfires or prescribed fires make, how long it lasts, and how far it travels all depend on the number of fires in the area, how big they are, fire behavior, fuel types, weather, and topography.

Smoke is made up of small particles, gases, and water vapor and can have significant impacts on air quality.

Smoke can travel long distances, so distant fires can affect smoke levels in your area.

Smoke from fires contain a range of harmful air pollutants, including tiny particles known as particulate matter (PM).

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the biggest dangers from smoke.

The size of particles in smoke is directly linked to their potential for causing health problems. Particles smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter can be inhaled. Particles that are 2.5 micrometers in diameter or smaller are more likely to get into deeper parts of the lungs and may even get into your bloodstream. Larger particles can irritate your eyes, nose, and throat but are less concerning for health impacts.

How can smoke affect your health?
Some fires are small and remote, while others have major impact on visitor use areas. 
Breathing smoke is not healthy.
Smoke is a higher health risk for some people than for others.

Healthy adults often experience temporary symptoms such as irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, coughing, phlegm, chest tightness, and shortness of breath when particulate levels are high, including when the air is smoky. Temporary symptoms (runny noses, coughing, etc.) from minor irritation generally disappear after the smoke is gone for healthy adults.

Children and people with lung disease, such as asthma or chronic bronchitis, may not be able to breathe as deeply or as easily as normal, and may experience coughing, chest discomfort, wheezing, shortness of breath, and unusual fatigue when the air is smoky and particulate matter pollution is elevated.

People with diseases such as asthma or chronic bronchitis may find their symptoms worsening in smoky, high particulate conditions. Exposure to particles for hours or days can aggravate lung disease, causing asthma attacks and acute bronchitis, and may also increase susceptibility to respiratory infections. In people with heart disease, exposures have been linked to heart attacks.
 

If you have lung or heart disease, consult your doctor for additional advice in smoky conditions. Call your doctor if your symptoms worsen.

Extended exposure to elevated levels of smoke can affect everyone.

Who is at risk?
Exercise and physical activity cause people to breathe faster and more deeply, drawing more particles into their lungs. This makes active people more susceptible to smoke impacts.
People at greater risk from particle pollution include:
People with cardiovascular disease (diseases of the heart and blood vessels including congestive heart disease)
People with lung disease, including asthma, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and long COVID
Children and teenagers
Older adults

How can I protect myself?
You can quickly check current and forecast air quality information for planning daily activities and protecting your health using EPA's AirNow mobile app. www.fire.airnow.gov 

Take actions appropriate for the level of smoke and your health. Actions may include planning outdoors activities when air quality is better, going for a walk instead of a jog, or limiting time outside when it is smoky.

If you’re advised to stay indoors because of smoky conditions, take steps to make your indoor air as clean as possible. Keeping your windows and doors closed will keep smoke out. For more clean indoor air ideas check out the EPA webpage on Wildfires and Indoor Air Quality.

Dust masks, surgical masks, scarves, or bandanas will not protect your lungs from the fine particles in wildfire smoke. Particulate masks known as N-95 or P-100 respirators will help, but they must fit well, and be used correctly. 

The same particles that cause problems for people may cause some problems for animals. It’s a good idea to monitor the health of your animals and/or contact your veterinarian or county extension office for more information.