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The past few years in Los Angeles have felt like a dream: winter rains, a weather cycle that resembled seasons and — at least for me — a false sense of security. Though my family’s home has thankfully been untouched by the fires encircling our city, we live just a few miles from the Eaton Canyon blaze. In terms of taking care of our health, my family was woefully unprepared.
While the scale of the Eaton and Palisades fires is unprecedented, data shows that these kinds of blazes are becoming more common and devastating due to global warming. If the past week has taught me anything, it’s that even if a wildfire is miles away, the smoke and ash can still have a major impact on our health — and that impact can linger for weeks after a blaze has been extinguished.
I reached out to Rima Habre, ScD, an associate professor of public health at the University of Southern California and the director of the USC CLIMA Climate and Health Center, to gain better insight into what we actually need to know when dealing with fire pollution. “My heart really is with the families affected by this tragedy. I understand they may have a lot of questions about how to prepare,” says Habre, emphasizing the importance of sealing up your home and cleaning the air inside.
Though she can’t recommend specific products, Habre offers valuable guidance. The product recommendations that follow, while informed by her expertise, are my own.
1. Reinforce your windows.
First and foremost, Habre recommends staying indoors as much as possible and keeping your windows closed. While the air may look clear, the air quality index only tells half the story, as it doesn’t typically measure for lead, arsenic and asbestos — materials that Habre says are released when buildings and homes burn.
“There are some really nasty things out there,” says Habre. “When we’re dealing with smoke from wildfires, basically you want to seal up your home and you want to clean the air inside the home. In older homes, if they are draftier, it’s recommended that you tape those up.” So, not only do you need to stay indoors, but that air indoors needs to be kept as particulate-free as possible.
2. Clean your air.
This likely goes without saying: If you don’t have an air purifier, you should consider buying one. Habre stated that she and others in her profession dislike the term “air purifier” and that it can sometimes lead folks astray. It’s better to think of them as air cleaners, she says: “There’s no way you can totally purify the air. … You want something that’s been recommended by a regulatory industry or the EPA.” The California Air Resource Board has a list of certified air-cleaning devices. These devices all include high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters.
Before buying any air cleaner, first determine the size of the room or rooms where you’ll use it and make sure the device is powerful enough to clean the air in that space. Habre also recommends that you check that the model doesn’t produce harmful compounds like ozone.
3. Get a better vacuum.
Ugh. I was not prepared for this one and, truthfully, I had no idea. Habre informed me that a subpar vacuum can suck up things like crumbs and cat hair but can spit allergens and ash right back into your home. And that ash can be highly toxic — even if you’re sealing your windows and cranking your air filters, you could be carrying those harmful particulates into your house on your clothes or grocery bags.
“In the fires we saw last week, there was a lot of ash raining down on us. … Because these are buildings and manmade materials like TVs and electronics, paints and furniture, that ash contains a lot more toxic materials. You definitely don’t want to bring that into your home. When you walk, you will kick it back up and bring it in,” says Habre.
4. Clean your drinking water.
You know that ash that’s falling from the sky? It could be falling into your water source. And if has picked up ash from burned-out buildings and electronics, your drinking water could be contaminated with harmful chemicals. While Habre can’t recommend a specific water filter, she notes that some popular brands don’t perform as well as we might expect them to. She points us to research conducted by the Environmental Working Group on brands that have the most effective filtration systems to remove PFOA and PFOS chemicals.
5. Get a good face mask.
Yup, they’re back. If you’ve let your supply of N95 masks dwindle, it might be time to restock. Habre says to be absolutely sure you are buying a mask that’s a good fit and has a tight seal around your nose and mouth. And, if you’re near structure fires, in particular, the right protection matters. “Really any mask is better than no mask, but we want folks to go for the right ones if they do try to get a mask,” she says, adding that she recommends N95, P100 or P100+ options.
With so many false claims and counterfeit products online, be sure to do your due diligence when shopping for face coverings. Look for “NIOSH N95” printed on the mask with an approval number starting with “TC-84A” followed by four digits. Genuine N95s should have an expiration date, and the contents must be NIOSH-approved, not FDA-approved (masks claiming FDA approval are likely fake). A final telltale sign: If the straps pop off or the nose wire is flimsy, it’s not a real N95.
6. Get ready for no bathwater.
Droughts in Los Angeles are pretty commonplace, but — like wildfires — they’re becoming equal-opportunity no matter where you live. A few hours into fighting the blaze, hydrants ran dry. Folks will politicize this, but the truth is that this can happen when you are combating fires of this magnitude, especially during gale-force winds. Angelenos were asked to do their part and not tax the water systems, which meant skipping showers. You may never live with the perfect storm that we did, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. You probably already have a favorite dry shampoo, face wipes and baby wipes on hand (if not, they’re a good thing to have around). These are a couple of things I hadn’t thought of.
