July 1, 2024 – Mariposa County Health & Human Services officials offer advice on how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke this wildfire season.

You might live in California if wildfire smoke is the first smell in the morning instead of coffee. A sad but true statement that we know all too well in our community.

Consider checking the air quality daily, especially during wildfire season; the Air Now Fire & Smoke map is a very useful site for just that https://tinyurl.com/55ftaxtb.

Wildfire smoke, even drift smoke, can pose significant health risks. Thankfully, there are ways to protect yourself from wildfire smoke. So we have a few tips for you!

You can take action by preparing at least one room of your home where you can close off outside air and set up a portable air cleaner. If you can stay inside and use central air, be sure to use high-efficiency filters.

People with asthma or other lung diseases, cardiovascular diseases or diabetes should check with their physician regarding any changes in medication that may be needed to cope with the smoky conditions. You might need to relocate until the smoke resolves.

For more information on how you can protect yourself from wildfire smoke visit: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/publicppe/default.html & https://www.lung.org/.../emergencies.../wildfires.

Source: Mariposa County Health & Human Services