Everyone should remain indoors as much as possible.
Smoke can trigger life threatening respiratory events in people that are sensitive or who have underlying heart or lung conditions. Be on the lookout for anyone that exhibits signs of respiratory distress or heart attack. Anyone exhibiting any such signs should be provided immediate medical attention. For more information visit http://www.mariposacounty.org/aqi
- Use common sense. If it looks smoky outside it’s probably not a good time to go for a run. And it’s probably not a good time for your children to play outdoors.
- If you have a heart or lung disease, if you are an older adult, or if you have children, talk with your doctor about whether, and when, you should leave the area.
- If you decide to remain:
- Consider staying indoors to avoid breathing the smoke particles.
- Run your air conditioner, if you have one.
- Keep the fresh air intake closed, and the filters clean, to prevent bringing additional smoke inside. Note: if you don’t have an air conditioner, staying inside with the windows closed may be dangerous in extremely hot weather. In these cases, seek alternative shelters.
- A swamp cooler will not provide this protection, and will pull in the smoky air from outside.
- “Masks” (especially surgical masks or wet bandanas) will not protect your lungs. If the smoke is that irritating to you, the best option is to remain indoors or temporarily re-locate.
