What to know about smoke, heat and health

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When wildfire smoke billows from its source and lingers in the air, the haze brings coughs and questions for many Montana residents. Among them: How should I interpret air quality ratings? How does smoke affect my indoor air quality? Is it safe to walk my dog or head out for a hike today?Montana Free Press put those questions and others to public health officials and researchers. While the answers are sometimes tricky to navigate — and leave plenty of space for personal choice — the bottom line is that there are plenty of resources available to help you make decisions about your health and comfort this wildfire season.

You can check public websites, either the state of Montana’s Today’s Air page or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Now website. Both present sensor data from specific monitoring locations and report air quality ratings based on PM2.5 readings, which measure the concentration of small airborne particles at monitoring sites.

MTFP also summarizes data from the Air Now website on the Montana Fire Report, which is updated hourly. Here’s the map we publish there:

Most weather apps aren’t the best reference because they usually report air quality in terms of ozone levels, not PM2.5 concentrations, and forecast or model conditions instead of using real-time data, said BJ Biskupiak, who runs school-health and asthma-control programs at the state Department of Public Health and Human Services. Another issue with weather apps, Biskupiak added, is that it’s not always easy to tell where the data is coming from.

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality offers an email or text update system that alerts users to smoke and wildfires. The Montana Wildfire Smoke web page from Climate Smart Missoula provides guidance on understanding the health impacts of wildfire smoke and making a plan for keeping your indoor air clean.

Missoula City-County Air Quality Specialist Sarah Coefield said she gets lots of questions about differences in the numbers reported by the EPA and the DEQ sites. Both agencies measure the same thing, but present the data differently, she said.

Coefield said people should pay most attention to the colors attached to the ratings, which provide a general indication about how risky the air quality is.

If you live somewhere without an EPA air quality monitor nearby, there may be data available from PurpleAir sensors, which are installed at homes or community centers. Coefield said the EPA’s Fire and Smoke map converts PurpleAir sensor data to reflect what a more accurate air quality monitor would display.

One benefit of EPA’s Fire and Smoke map is the amount of data it includes. The map displays air quality readings from permanent PM2.5 monitors, PurpleAir sensors and even temporary monitors that may be put in place due to nearby wildfire activity.

Kerri Mueller, who also works as an air quality specialist for Missoula City-County, said that she prefers the Fire and Smoke map because it provides this additional data, helping to paint a more complete picture of air quality conditions across the state.

Coefield said that DEQ has been working hard to expand its monitoring network. A new permanent air quality monitor was recently installed in Havre, and additional monitors in Choteau, Eureka, Glasgow and Glendive are expected to go on line by the end of the year. The new monitors will add to the 21 other permanent monitors currently in use across the state.

PM, or particulate matter, refers to tiny particles — solid or liquid — suspended in the air. It comes from a variety of sources, from windborne sand to wildfire smoke. Air currents can carry PM2.5 thousands of miles, Biskupiak said, which is why a fire in Canada can soot up skies over, say, Bozeman.

Coefield described wildfire smoke as a “chemical stew.” It consists of gaseous pollutants including carbon monoxide, water vapor, volatile organic chemicals, or VOCs — which cause stingy eyes, scratchy throats and headaches — and solid particle pollution, like PM2.5. PM2.5, which is the tiniest version of particulate matter, is the most-often-measured component of wildfire smoke. The 2.5 indicates size — PM2.5 particles are less than two and a half micrometers in diameter, or about one twenty-fifth the diameter of a strand of hair.

Because PM2.5 is so small, it escapes entrapment by nose hairs, which filter out unwanted particles, and makes its way into the lungs and bloodstream, said Tony Ward, chair of the School of Public and Community Health Sciences at the University of Montana.

Ward said Montana has an extensive PM2.5 monitoring network because it’s the most common type of air pollution in the state.

Public health officials sort air quality into six categories based on the amount of particulate in the air. Montana’s public health department provides outdoor activity guidelines for each category. Summarized briefly, those are:

“Sensitive” refers to how likely a person is to be affected by airborne smoke, Biskupiak said. Children up to age 18 fall into this category because their lungs are still developing, and they inhale more air per pound of body weight than adults. Adults over 60 also tend to have pre-existing lung and heart conditions and less ability to fight off illness. The “sensitive” group also includes people with chronic illnesses and pregnant people. The EPA has also added people of low socio-economic status and outdoor workers to the list of populations who experience adverse health effects from wildfire smoke.

Examples of “light” activity include walking, stretching or lounging in the park. Yoga, gymnastics, canoeing and skateboarding are considered “moderate” activity, and “vigorous” exercise includes activities like running, mountain biking, wheeling a wheelchair and competitive sports.

The EPA says indoor air may actually be worse than air outside. Ward said this is where people need to perform a personal risk assessment. “There’s no safe level of breathing in PM2.5,” he said.

If you don’t have air conditioning and open windows to cool your house on a smoky day, that can introduce particles into your living space. Ideally, people would have air filtration units in their homes, Ward said. That can range from installing air purifiers in every room to rigging a box fan to act as an air filter. Air purifiers are rated based on filter size and matched to appropriate room size. Ward said that if your home only has one air filter, the best option is to create a clean-air space in a room where your family spends the most time.

The state health department provides information on how to choose an appropriate HEPA filter for your space and a weatherization assistance program. The Montana Asthma Home Control program also provides free, small HEPA filters to people with asthma.

Coefield said people may need to make a judgment call between managing heat or smoke, especially if they don’t have access to air conditioners or air purifiers. She advised letting in as much air at night as tolerable to cool down the house and cleaning it through whatever system is available. Coefield, who doesn’t have central A/C, said that she uses air purifiers and a window A/C unit in her bedroom; she knows she has at least one cool, clean space to retreat to.

“The heat will kill you faster,” Coefield said.

Many of the same principles that apply to smoke also apply to high heat, such as limiting time outside or choosing to stay indoors.

Experts recommend wearing lightweight clothing and staying hydrated, as dehydration can sneak up on you when temperatures are hot.

“Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink water,” said Susan Teitelman, climate resiliency specialist at Climate Smart Missoula. Teitelman also advises against drinking sugary drinks and alcohol, as those beverages can dehydrate you.

If temperatures are too high inside your home, going to the river or public indoor spaces like libraries can provide a refuge.

“I always recommend finding indoor activities during those high heat events. Whether you have a gym membership, or can go to the movies — seek cool air for a little bit,” Mueller said.

Teitelman said it’s also important to check on friends and neighbors, especially older adults, and to keep an eye on pets. Waiting to walk pets until evening can reduce the risk of negative effects.

Cloth and surgical masks aren’t effective against PM2.5. N95 or P100 respirators can work if they’re properly fitted and used correctly. If not worn properly, they can leak, which allows smoke to bypass the mask.

Air conditioners that bring outdoor air inside to cool and circulate can bring smoke in, too. Ward said having a filter on any A/C intake may help scrub out PM2.5. Alternatively, if your central A/C has a fresh air intake, set the unit to recirculate mode — that way, the A/C will draw air from inside the house, cooling it and recirculating it. Recirculation is an option for vehicles with air conditioning, too.

It’s really about strategy and assessing your personal risk.

If you’re training for a marathon, Ward said, it might not be great to stick to your training plan.

Inhaling PM2.5 is “very harmful for your body not only [in the] short term, but also long term,” he said. Harmful effects include breathing problems, exacerbated asthma, cardiovascular diseases and even lung cancer.

Keep an eye on air quality monitors, follow local smoke blogs and watch the weather. Wind patterns and pressure systems may be indicative of upcoming relief.

Respiratory and cardiovascular systems are the first to be affected by wildfire smoke. PM2.5 sinks deep into the lungs and, because it’s so small, can dissolve into the bloodstream. People with pre-existing lung or heart conditions are at particular risk for hospitalization or early death after a month of sustained wildfire smoke.

After the 2017 Rice Ridge Fire in Seeley Lake, researchers followed members of the Seeley Lake community for two years to assess the impact of heavy wildfire smoke. Up to two years after the fire, researchers found a significant decrease in lung function. A study out of the University of Montana found that higher PM2.5 concentrations in the summer are positively correlated with an increase in flu the following winter.

Contiguous days of smoke usually mean you’re in close proximity to fires or weather systems that draw smoke into the same region. There will usually be interims of improved air quality even during a lengthy smoke event. When there’s a break, Biskupiak said, it is important to open the windows and try to get the smoke out of your home.

Aside from those cleaner-air moments, Biskupiak recommended setting a limit on time spent outdoors, monitoring air quality on a regular basis, using air quality data to adjust exercise routines, and keeping an eye out for symptoms. Coughing, scratchy eyes and throats, shortness of breath, wheezing and chest pain could indicate too much particulate exposure.

Biskupiak said he limits how much time he spends outside during smoke events. He knows he doesn’t fall into the “sensitive groups” category, but when air quality is in the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or “unhealthy” range, he might go on an easy half-hour walk, but that’s it.

Being attuned to your individual response to wildfire smoke is important, Biskupiak said, and can serve as a guide for moderating your outdoor activity.

“It’s really more nuanced than anyone would like it to be,” Coefield said. The orange “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category might feel fine for you one day but intolerable a month later.

Human health is a spectrum, Coefield said, and it’s important to listen to your body.

Knowing how to adjust to hot, smoky conditions is becoming an essential skill as hotter and drier summers result in increased wildfire activity.

“What used to be every 10 years, every 20 years, now it’s every summer that we’re dealing with these forest fire issues,” Ward said. “The more people know how to protect themselves, the better we’ll be at adapting to this changing climate.”

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Keely Larson is a writer based in Missoula. Originally from Helena, Keely started her journalism career at two weeklies in southwest Montana, The Madisonian and the Lone Peak Lookout. Keely was Montana Free Press’ Summer 2022 fire reporting intern and covered Montana’s 2023 Legislature for KFF Health News and the UM Legislative News Service. Keely is a graduate of the University of Montana’s Environmental and Natural Resources Graduate Program and her work has appeared in The New Republic, Ars Technica and Outside Business Journal. More by Keely Larson

Bowman Leigh is a graduate of the University of Montana’s School of Journalism. As a grad student, she received the Crown Reporting Fellowship and freelanced for Montana Free Press and Montana Public Radio before interning at Bugle Magazine. Bowman is MTFP’s fire reporting intern for summer 2023. More by Bowman Leigh