Lane County urged to prepare homes now for wildfire smoke season

Lane County households were urged to get ready before the air turns unhealthy, with the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency using Wildfire Smoke Ready Week to push families to set up clean-air spaces, replace filters and stock up on medicine while supplies are still easy to find.

The campaign ran June 1 through June 5 and focused on a simple message: do not wait until smoke is already hanging over the Willamette Valley. LRAPA says wildfire smoke is especially harmful for seniors, children under 12 and people with pre-existing heart or lung conditions, while Lane County Public Health warns that pregnant women, very young children, older adults and people with asthma, COPD or a history of stroke are among those most at risk.

Matt Sorensen, LRAPA’s public affairs manager, said wildfire smoke is part of Oregon summers now. The agency’s Smoke Ready Framework lays out five steps families can take now: check air quality through Fire and Smoke Map resources, reduce exposure with HEPA air purifiers and fresh HVAC filters, close windows and check air conditioner settings so smoky air is not pulled inside, keep several days of medication and food on hand, and set up a clean room in the home with a portable purifier.

The agency also urged homeowners to buy supplies early, before smoke season makes filters and air cleaners harder to find. LRAPA recommends MERV 13 or higher filters, sealing gaps around windows and doors, and using a clean room that can be closed off as much as possible. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says a portable air cleaner should not produce ozone and, if possible, a fan or air conditioner should run on recirculate.

Outdoor yard debris burning across Lane County was set to close Sunday, May 31 at 6 p.m., as wildfire season approached. Lane Fire Authority says LRAPA and local fire agencies decide when burn season opens and closes, a reminder that smoke readiness starts before the first major fire is on the horizon.

The push comes with added urgency because the Oregon Health Authority says wildfires and severe smoke occur every year in Oregon, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says a smoke event can affect a community in a matter of hours. LRAPA’s three-year smoke resiliency project in rural Lane County, backed by nearly $1 million in EPA funding, is aimed at improving emergency communications, public health messaging and research on smoke’s health impacts with Lane County Public Health and the Oregon Health Authority.