Smoke Ready Week 2021

Hello out there! 

Summer has arrived! I’m sure you’ve all heard by now that we’re potentially looking at a higher than usual fire risk this year. It’s been pretty dry for the last couple months - the National Interagency Coordination Center Predictive Services predicts that almost our entire state will in the “Above Normal” category for significant wildland fire potential by July.

With that in mind, we’re going to kick off Smoke Ready Week by talking about smoke itself! 

Smoke is made of a mixture of gases and tiny particles. These tiny particles are called fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and are generally smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter. For contrast, a single grain of sand is around 90 microns and a human hair is typically 50-70 microns in diameter. That means these smoke particles are an astonishing 25 times smaller than your hair! Think about that next you smell smoke in the air.

Check back throughout the week to learn about the health effects of smoke, where to find more information about smoke and air quality, filters, and how to prepare for a smoky season. See you tomorrow!