Most of you who don’t live in Colorado will have little use for this information from today’s DP. I only include it because I found the last bit of advice exceedingly funny, in a macabre sort of way: Prepare to flee? Hoo boy!
Link to DP article is here.
As a public service I’ve reprinted it below, along with some pix taken last week in LoDo. You can usually see further than a couple of blocks.
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One recommendation for enduring the noxious air pollution that’s enveloped Denver residents this summer, included on the state’s air quality website until Wednesday evening, was to “try to move to a place with cleaner air.” That can be difficult to find, given how bad the air has been in Colorado this summer thanks to western wildfires and elevated ozone pollution. State officials later clarified that guidance to suggest people temporarily get away from smoky areas or go inside if they’re outdoors.
Creating a safe space inside your home may be the best option. The idea is to reduce the levels of tiny 2.5 micron particulates from the wildfire smoke that can lead to immediate and long-term health problems. These include trouble breathing, asthma attacks, and lung and heart disease. Inhaling particulates, especially when combined with the already elevated ozone pollution, is especially dangerous for children, elders and people with sensitive immune systems. We’ve had 36 days in a row under air quality health alerts due to smoke and ozone.
Maximizing clean air in your living space under current conditions requires reversing standard procedures. Tainted indoor air traditionally causes greater harm linked to radon, mold, dust, lead, asbestos and off-gassing from consumer products and construction materials. And better ventilation — letting outdoor air in — has been the standard remedy.
Now outdoor air is the threat.
“Obviously, you don’t want to keep your windows open. Keep everything closed up right now. It’s just common sense,” said a representative of an indoor air-testing firm. Most healthy people aren’t expected to suffer more than minor and short-term health difficulties due to the heavy particulates and ozone. But the effects of prolonged exposure to multiple pollutants still aren’t fully understood.
Here are recommendations from authorities for enduring this summer’s latest smoke-and-ozone onslaught in your home:
1 – Filter air if possible using air conditioning or evaporative coolers. These contain filters that remove some particles from the outside air before it enters your living space. Keep the AC running. But change old filters because otherwise you could make bad air worse. I if that system is filtered, you can also run the fan on your home heating system with the heat turned off. Keep any outdoor intake valves closed. Make sure furnace filters are clean.
2- Don’t close your living space too tightly if the result is sweltering heat inside. Excessive heat also causes health harm. (Duh!)
3- Be vigilant at night (Wait. What?) because smoke from wildfires tends to thicken in the darkness. Keep bedroom windows closed.
4 – Consider installing a mechanical high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtering system. If the cost is too high, you can make a filter using a box fan. Attach a furnace filter to a fan using tape, bungee cords or screws. The experts who have done this recommend a MERV-13 filter or better. Make sure to attach the filter to the back of the fan so air flows through the filter in the direction of the fan. (Sounds like fun. Also, next fall, this will make a great science project for your kids!)
This next one is a big deal for us hikers…
5 – Avoid exercise or other strenuous activities outdoors in heavy smoke or ozone. Breathing more means you inhale more (Duh, again!). While the N95 masks many residents have used during the COVID-19 pandemic provide protection from smoke, these may be in short supply. The widely-used cloth face coverings offer little protection against harmful air pollutants outside. They don’t capture most small particles in smoke.
6 – Try to find places to go temporarily, such as shopping malls, movie theaters or recreation centers. There the air may be at least partially filtered.
And last but not least, VERY important…
7- Prepare to flee. Evacuate due to heavy smoke if necessary. That means planning an evacuation route and packing items you can’t live without. (And don’t forget your pets!)