Tips for Smoke Safety, Aug. 30

News release Coos Health & Wellness.  The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality reports high levels of smoke for Coos County on August 28, 2017. When wildfires burn in or near Coos County, they can produce smoke that may reach your home. Smoke from wildfires can hurt eyes, worsen some chronic conditions, and put strain on your respiratory system. People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children are at higher risk for negative effects from wildfire smoke and should exercise extreme caution. Here are a few tips to protect yourself from wildfire smoke: Stay Indoors: This is especially important if you are an older adult, are pregnant, have diabetes, have heart and/or lung disease, or are caring for children.  Check local air quality: Use a website such as airnow.gov to check the air quality where you live. See the following for more information:  https://www.airnow.gov  Keep indoor air as clean as possible: Keep doors and windows closed until smoke clears up. Consider purchasing an air cleaner for certain rooms in your home. And utilize the recirculation feature on your air conditioner.  Avoid activities that increase indoor pollution: Any activity that may increase indoor air pollution should be avoided. This includes but is not limited to using the fireplace, burning candles, vacuuming, or smoking. Prevent wildfire from starting: Follow local regulations regarding fires and fire safety. Use caution when having fires during high danger and low humidity times. Follow the advice of your doctor or other health care provider: Do no rely on dust masks for protection: Dust masks like those found at the local hardware store, are not meant to protect you from small particles found in smoke. Evacuation from the path of wildfires: If evacuation become necessary, only take the essentials with you. Follow the posted evacuation routes to safety.  For more information visit the following websites: https://www.cdc.gov/features/wildfires/index.html