How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke

June 16, 2023

The best way to protect your health from wildfire smoke is to reduce your exposure to smoke and seek cleaner air.

Stay indoors: Reduce time spent outdoors to protect your health.
Reduce outdoor physical activity: Refer to the Air Quality Health Index and decrease physical exertion outdoors in when air quality is poor
Consider wearing a well fitted respirator if you cannot access cleaner air: Use a well fitted respirator (e.g., N95, KN95) properly to reduce exposure to particulate matter in smoke.
Activate medical management action plans: Ensure that your plan to self-manage any chronic diseases (e.g., respiratory and cardiovascular diseases) are in place and up to date, and that adequate rescue medications are available.
Use a home clean air shelter: Spend time in a room in your home with a portable air cleaner with HEPA filtration to reduce smoke exposure.

Tips from medical health officer, Dr. Sue Pollock

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In the following video, Medical Health Officer Dr. Sue Pollock talks about air quality, tips to reduce risk and how smoke affects you:

“Everybody can be affected by poor air quality and by wildfire smoke. You may experience irritated eyes, a runny nose, or a scratchy or sore throat. Those are early symptoms. When you should start to be concerned is if you are experiencing shortness of breath, heart palpitations or chest pain, or just feel generally unwell. That’s the time to seek medical care or talk to your health-care provider.”

-- Dr. Sue Pollock, medical health officer

Resources

Visit the BCCDC wildfire smoke webpage to learn more about the health effects of wildfire smoke, how to prepare for wildfire season, and more.
For other steps to create cleaner air space at home, check out Health Canada’s online resource Guidance for Cleaner Air Spaces during Wildfire Smoke Events.
To learn about the steps that you can take to prepare for a wildfire and manage wildfire-related issues before, during or after a wildfire please visit our wildfires webpage.
Call 8-1-1 or your primary care provider if you're experiencing more severe symptoms, such as shortness of breath or chest pain, or 9-1-1 if it's a health emergency.