Poor air quality due to smoke from wildfires prompted air quailty warnings and a news briefing by the province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health yesterday.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald’s goal was to remind everyone of the risks associated with the smoke, and the precautions that be should be taken, especially for children, seniors and people with lung conditions.
She explained how harmful the smoke can be, and stressed the importance of being prepared.
“So, wildfire smoke has some very fine particles and unfortunately because of that they can get far down into your lungs when you breathe in,” she said. “So for people who have difficulties with their lungs already, if they have any inflammatory conditions such as asthma, the wildfire smoke can increase that inflammation and that can trigger an attack. And so we would recommend to those who are vulnerable to have your rescue medications on hand and a good amount available to you.”
To mitigate potential risks, public health is encouraging people to limit their exposure and seek cleaner air by:
- Keeping windows and doors closed and staying cool.
- Sealing windows and doors properly with weather stripping, if necessary.
- Finding clean cool air.
- Limiting outdoor and strenuous activity.
- Turning off or using recirculation settings on your HVAC system to prevent smoke from entering your home.
- Using a clean, good quality air filter in your ventilation system.
- Using a portable high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) cleaner to filter the air in one area of your home.
- Visiting public spaces such as community centres, libraries, and stores which tend to have cleaner, cooler indoor air.
- Drinking water to reduce inflammation caused by exposure to smoke.
- Caring for those who are vulnerable to wildfire smoke.