Intellipure's Wildfire Safety Guide
Wildfire safety starts at home.
When you think of summer planning, vacations are probably the first thing on your mind. But depending on where in the country you call home, there’s also a more serious annual possibility to prepare for: wildfire season.
Before a Wildfire: How to Prepare
While considering things like fire-resistant home features and evacuation routes is a large part of making a safety plan, it’s also important to consider what wildfire safety could look like even if you do not have to leave your home. The truth is that wildfire smoke can affect areas hundreds or thousands of miles away from active fires, making it essential to plan for mitigating its harmful effects at home and on the go.
When Is Wildfire Season?
From early summer until late fall, hot and dry conditions elevate wildfire risks across the United States, with some Western and Southern states representing particularly high-risk areas. In California, for example, where fires now happen year-round, wildfire risk has increased. If you live in or visit one of these areas, it is wise to monitor current conditions, as risk may change quickly.
During a Wildfire: Stay Safe
Wildfire safety has many levels. In the most serious cases, you may need to evacuate your home. While evacuation is an in-the-moment decision, it’s essential to be prepared with important documents and items, a plan that includes all household members, pets, and other animals, and necessary safety equipment. Whether you’re evacuating or monitoring spreading fires nearby, a large part of navigating wildfire safety is planning to mitigate the harmful effects of wildfire smoke.
Understanding Wildfire Smoke: What’s in the Air?
Wildfire smoke can be very complex. Its makeup differs from fire to fire, depending on what materials the fires consume and the chemicals and compounds that the smoke encounters as it travels through the air; things such as wiring, electronics, and household chemicals can create particularly dangerous smoke. Because of this, it is wise to consider smoke filtration, whether or not you are near the fire itself. If you’re on the go, things like N95 masks or respirators can provide ongoing protection during evacuation or any other times you’re outdoors.
Smoke Without Flames: What If the Fire Isn't Close?
If you’re removed from the physical radius of the fire, you may still experience wildfire smoke. If you can smell or see smoke, you are at risk of danger from its harmful effects. Adding air purifiers to your home is a simple and effective way to ensure that the air in your home is safe, regardless of conditions outdoors. Keeping doors and windows closed as much as possible can also help, but it’s nearly impossible to completely seal a home, so the addition of an air purifier ensures that any harmful particles, strong odors, and toxic gases are filtered out.
After a Wildfire: Clean Up & Recover
Though many aspects of wildfire recovery can be logistically and emotionally complex, using air purifiers to improve the air quality in your home can be a simple solution. Depending on the level of fire damage or smoke exposure that you experienced, cleaning up from a wildfire may take significant time, resources, and planning as well.
Protecting Indoor Air Quality Year-Round
Whether you’re trying to mitigate the effects of wildfire season in your home or just create a safer environment for your family, indoor air quality (IAQ) is a vital part of hygiene and safety. Because many people spend up to 90% of their time inside, IAQ can affect allergies, sleep, mood, and other health outcomes; children, the elderly, and people with health conditions are all especially vulnerable to negative effects from pollution, allergens, and other harmful particles.
Breathe Easier with Intellipure
When it comes to your family’s safety, it’s vital to invest in proven, science-backed solutions. With near-perfect particle capture, Intellipure air purifiers effectively filter out the dangerous and undesirable molecules that cause odor, illness, allergies, and more. From keeping the air in your home free from wildfire smoke and pollution to containing viral droplets and pet dander, Intellipure air purifiers allow you and your family to breathe easier.
