Wildfire Smoke and Your Health

Alright, the time has come again to talk about smoke and your health. We’re talking wildfire smoke. That big ugly haze that hangs over our heads so much of the time we go outside in late summer when we’re supposed to lounging by the pool with a cool drink in our hand, reading a light book, relaxing without a care in the world. I digress. It’s not news to tell you that wildfire smoke isn’t good for you. Particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the two main components of smoke that are likely to affect your health when wildfire season rolls around.

Over the next several days I want to share with you what I’ve learned about wildfire smoke from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, as well as the Department of Environmental Quality -what makes up smoke, how do we measure its pollutants, how you can be prepared for it, and what can you do to lessen your exposure? On my next post in this series I will talk about what VOCs are and what you can do to remove them from your home. Hope to see you again and until then kick back with a good book and relax (inside the house with the AC going, of course)!