Most important
People with asthma, COPD or other lung conditions should take extra care when the air quality is poor.
Before
- Have several ways to get alerts: your community's sign-up, Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone, and air quality alerts.
- Make sure everyone knows what to do in a quick evacuation, including plans for work, school and daycare.
- Keep at least 30 feet around the home free of leaves, debris and flammable materials, and have a hose that reaches every part of the property.
- Set up a room you can close off from outside air, with a portable air cleaner, for smoky days.
- Store N95 masks, keep phones charged, and keep copies of insurance and ID in a secure, password-protected digital space.
- Learn your evacuation routes, practice them with pets, and decide where you'll go.
During
- Evacuate right away if authorities tell you to.
- When it's smoky but you're not told to leave, stay inside in the clean room or go to a community building with cleaner air.
- Wear an N95 mask outside. Use high-efficiency filters in central air, and set the system to recirculate.
- If trapped, call 911 with your location and turn on lights to help rescuers find you.
After
- Don't return home until authorities say it's safe.
- Avoid hot ash, charred trees and smoldering debris; the ground can hold pockets of heat.
- Clean up in long sleeves, long pants, gloves and thick-soled shoes, and wear a respirator. Wet debris to keep dust down.
- Photograph damage for insurance, and text rather than call to reach family.
In your plan
When you tick smoke under "What your area gets", the plan tool adds these to your buying schedule:
- N95 masks in the first round of basics
- A box fan and filter for a clean room
- MERV 13 furnace filters and a portable HEPA purifier (Better budget)
- Ember-resistant vent screens for homeowners
- Smoke gear scheduled to arrive before fire season