Dr. Lucky Tran :verified:
How to protect your health from wildfire smoke:
Evacuate if active fire is too close
Wear a high quality mask with headstraps; N95s are great, P100s are most protective
Stay indoors, and close your windows and doors
Run air purifiers on high to filter smoke that seeps inside
Andrew Zonenberg
@luckytran Correction: P100 is a better particle filter than N95, and is resistant to oil mists (P vs N designation - not a consideration for wildfires, but it doesn't hurt).
It does not provide any gas protection whatsoever, only particulate. For that, you need something with an activated carbon layer. Ones sold for "odor removal" (like 3M 2097) are better than nothing, proper NIOSH rated organic vapor + acid gas + P100 cartridges in a half-face elastomeric respirator are best (e.g. 3M 60923 cartridges paired with a 6000 series face piece).
These will remove some combustion product VOCs etc, but do not provide any protection against carbon monoxide or insufficient oxygen (this isn't possible without a full SCBA). But unless you're inside a burning building or something, this is not likely to be a huge consideration (there's plenty of air around a wildfire it's just filthy).
Dr. Lucky Tran :verified:
On masks:
N95 and P100 masks can be found at hardware stores and pharmacies
A tight seal is key, these masks will have two straps that
go around your head
N95s will protect against ash and particles in smoke; P100s will additionally protect against toxic gases (check labels)
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