Immediate rule
If officials order evacuation or fire threatens your route, leave early by a safe route. Otherwise reduce smoke exposure indoors, filter indoor air and move to cleaner shelter if the building becomes unsafe or unlivable.
1. VERIFY ALERTS2. EVACUATE IF ORDERED3. CLOSE GAPS4. FILTER AIR5. REASSESS
Quick-reference sequence. Immediate threats, official orders, and professional medical advice take precedence.
Five practical skills
Track official smoke and fire warnings
Rule: Conditions and fire behavior change quickly; rely on local alert authorities and observed dangers.
- Enable local emergency alerts and follow fire service, public health, and air-quality advisories.
- Know both an evacuation route and an alternate that does not enter fire or smoke. Do not wait to see flames when officials direct you to leave.
- Check outdoor particle-pollution reports when available; particulate pollution may travel far beyond flames.
- Close windows and vents when outdoor smoke is heavy unless doing so makes indoor heat or other conditions dangerous.
- Keep fuel, documents, medicine, and pets ready for immediate safe departure.
Create a cleaner indoor-air room
Rule: Reduce smoke entry, indoor sources of particles, and the time spent in unfiltered air.
- Choose a room large enough for those sheltering, preferably with few doors/windows and an available safe air-cleaner power source.
- Close windows and doors; use a properly sized HEPA portable air cleaner where possible. Use appropriate high-efficiency HVAC filters if the system supports them.
- Set air conditioning to recirculate where available rather than drawing in outdoor smoky air; follow equipment instructions.
- Avoid candles, indoor smoking, vacuuming without good filtration, frying, burning incense, and other particle-generating activities.
- Watch room temperature and ventilation risks: move to a cleaner, cooler location if the room becomes dangerously hot or unsafe.
Important safety limit
Never seal a room so tightly that it becomes unsafe. Carbon-monoxide hazards from generators, grills, or stoves remain life-threatening.
Use suitable respirators and plan travel
Rule: Avoidance and clean air are primary; respirators are an extra layer for necessary outdoor exposure.
- If an adult must be outdoors in smoky conditions, a properly fitted NIOSH-approved N95 or P100 particle respirator can reduce exposure to fine smoke particles.
- Check for a close fit; facial hair and gaps reduce protection. Cloth and ordinary surgical masks are not substitutes for an effective particle respirator.
- Do not assume a particle respirator protects against hazardous gases such as carbon monoxide or industrial chemicals.
- Follow public-health advice for children or people who cannot wear a well-fitting respirator; seek cleaner indoor air or relocate.
- In vehicles close windows and use recirculate mode where possible, stay alert for reduced visibility, and do not drive into a fire closure.
Protect people with greater health risks
Rule: Breathing symptoms, heat and medical needs can make sheltering in place unsafe.
- Prioritize children, older adults, pregnant people, and those with heart/lung illness or disability for cleaner air and early movement to safer shelter.
- Keep prescriptions, inhalers, medical equipment and power supplies accessible; follow individual care plans.
- Reduce exertion outdoors and encourage frequent check-ins for breathing difficulty or unusual fatigue.
- Seek urgent care for severe breathlessness, chest pain, confusion, collapse, or other emergency symptoms.
- Avoid relying solely on N95 masks for young children: fit, comfort, and suitability vary; indoor filtration and relocation are safer primary controls.
Return and clean up after smoke safely
Rule: Do not return until officials say it is safe and building hazards have been assessed.
- Check for downed power lines, unstable structures, hot debris, damaged gas systems, and ash before entering.
- Use appropriate respiratory and skin protection for dusty cleanup; avoid dry sweeping that sends ash into the air.
- Wet ash carefully only if local advice allows and it will not spread contamination; collect and dispose according to local instructions.
- Replace dirty filters and inspect ventilation systems before normal use.
- Discard food exposed to ash/soot or unsafe heat where advised by food-safety guidance and use safe drinking water.
Practice and preparation
- Find your official local air-quality and fire-warning channels.
- Check the correct HVAC recirculation setting and compatible filter.
- Identify an alternative cleaner-air location with a safe route.
- Assemble a grab-bag with medicines, masks, identification, water and chargers.
Local rules and real emergencies
Use this as a training reference. Follow official incident alerts, regional law, manufacturer instructions, and qualified professional guidance. Do not attempt unfamiliar high-risk activities while already in danger.
Sources and further reading:
- US EPA — Protect Yourself from Smoke and Ash
- US EPA — Create a Clean Room
- US EPA — Wildfires and Indoor Air Quality
Official guidance may vary by country and can be revised; verify local updates before acting.