Safety in this time of smoke and fire

 Here in Southern Oregon the air quality has been hazardous as a result of forest fires burning throughout Josephine and Douglas counties.  In total, nearly 40,000 acres have burned. Fortunately, the temperatures have cooled and the atmospheric conditions contributing to the poor air quality have actually been beneficial to fighting the fires.  The daily Oregon Department of Forestry Reports are available at their blog.  There is an associated blog Oregon Smoke Information, where individuals can find current air quality conditions.  With the current conditions being very unhealthy, many individuals should consider wearing a mask to lessen inhalation of particulate.  The Department of Forestry has recommended the N95 and NOISH respirators.

Those individuals with facial hair may need to trim to ensure that the mask fits the face securely over the face, if it does not then maximal protection can not be achieved.  If you have never worn a respirator before, it can be difficult to breath through initially, but if you relax and breath slowly you will be less likely to hyperventilate.  This is most important for those with pre-existing heart or lung conditions, however even for healthy individuals, it may feel claustrophobic.

It is recommended that individuals should limit time out of doors and stay in air conditioned locations.  Additionally, it is important for the air conditioner to recirculate the air rather than draw in air from the out side.