Wildfires, Air Quality, and What to do About 2020’s Latest Dishing of ‘Health and Safety Impact

Annie Lindgren

North Forty News

Wildfires burning near and far have impacted air quality throughout the Western states. Some days you can’t step outside without smelling smoke, much less catch a clear view of the mountains.

In 2018, Lauren and Brett Raver bought a home in Rist Canyon, on a peaceful mountain property above 8,000ft elevation. The couple experienced their first evacuation with the Lewstone Fire. Lauren shares, “We learned a lot that will better prepare us for next time this happens. The fire department, supportive neighbors, Me Oh My Pie in Laporte, and the Red Cross were a huge help.” The Ravers were able to stay with friends for the few days they were evacuated. When asked about the smoke, Lauren said it wasn’t impacting them too badly, but she has friends who are having a hard time with it. Lauren, who works in Fort Collins, noted, “Surprisingly, the smoke has been worse in town than it has been at home.”

With one more thing added to the list of ‘2020’s disasters having an impact on our health and safety,’ let us take a look at recommendations from the professionals. The below information is compiled from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local sources The City of Fort Collins, Larimer County, and uchealth, with links at the end of the article.

Smoke consists of a mixture of gases and fine particles produced when wood and other organic materials burn. The biggest health threat is the microscopic particles that can penetrate deep into your lungs. They can cause a range of health problems, from burning eyes and a runny nose to aggravated chronic heart and lung diseases.

Due to the size of the particles in smoke, only N95 or P100 respirators can help protect the lungs from smoke or ash. Masks must have two straps, and fit tightly over your nose and under your chin. The CDC cautions against using clothe or dusk masks for protection, as they will not protect your lungs from smoke.

The CDC lists the following symptoms of smoke inhalation:

While anyone can have trouble when breathing in smoke, certain sensitive populations may experience more severe acute and chronic symptoms. Most healthy adults and children will recover quickly from smoke exposure and will not suffer long-term health consequences.

The EPA puts the following populations most at risk:

The City of Fort Collins shares the following recommendations:

The CDC offers some additional recommendations and resources:

Uchealth and CDC shares the following tips for knowing the difference between symptoms from smoke exposure and COVID-19:

For information on scheduling a free COVID test in Larimer County visit: https://www.larimer.org/health/communicable-disease/coronavirus-covid-19/covid-19-testing

Larimer County Emergency Preparedness has excellent resources that can help those at risk of evacuation or fire. Visit their webpage to find information and checklists on how to be prepared: https://www.larimer.org/health/emergency-preparedness-and-response/emergency-preparedness.

You can contact your local fire department with questions and to have someone come out and check your property for fire safety. An essential part of keeping a structure or house out of the line of fire is not having fuel leading a path up to it. Keeping grass and weeds mowed down and removing deadwood or other combustible items is helpful.

Come up with a plan for what to do if fire or evacuation happens. Discuss it with others in the household, including pets. Keep all your important documents in a fire-safe box. Disaster rarely gives much notice, and an ounce of planning can go a long way in cutting down on stress and loss later.

Fires are a natural part of the forest cycle, but how humans have managed forests over the past 150 years has negatively impacted the normal biological processes. Forests, which used to be a patchwork of trees and meadows, are now filled with more trees than the landscape can support. The abundance of trees increases disease transmission and insect problems, adding to the number of dead trees, while hotter and dryer summers increase ignition chances. Things will worsen in the decades to come, and we have so many houses built in these forests. Prescribed burning, mechanical thinning, and managing wildfires (while allowing them to burn) helps.

Fascinating TED Talks on the topic: Paul Hessburg’s Why wildfires have gotten worse-and what we can do about it: https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_hessburg_why_wildfires_have_gotten_worse_and_what_we_can_do_about_it?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

We all hope this fire season comes to an end quickly, along with the other disasters 2020 surprised us with. Firefighters are working hard at getting fires under control and protecting structures. As individuals, we can do what we can to support those impacted while taking care of our health by staying indoors when air quality is terrible. Soon we will be enjoying fall colors, cooler temps, and fresh air in the mountains.

City of Fort Collins Press Release, August 25, 2020: https://www.fcgov.com/news/?id=7836