How to Protect Yourself from Unhealthy Air Quality and Wildfire Smoke

Published on July 30, 2025

Unhealthy air is blowing more problems into more homes. Nearly 40% of people in the U.S. are living in places with unhealthy levels, and 131 million people were living with air pollution levels that could compromise their health in 2024, according to the American Lung Association. Air pollution causes health problems beyond respiratory issues, including heart attacks and strokes, impaired brain function, and even premature death, the ALA says. We can't control all the causes of air pollution, including all wildfires and climate change. We can protect our homes and families from unhealthy air quality symptoms by acting on air quality alerts and investing in air monitoring and cleaning equipment, and filters.

Understanding Causes of Unhealthy Air Quality

Pollutants that affect your home and health go beyond wildfire smoke. “Factories, fossil-fuel powered plants, cars and trucks, and all the products people use — like gas-powered lawn mowers and fire pits — create the chronic air pollution we experience day in and day out,” says Brian Urbaszewski, director of environmental health programs at the Respiratory Health Association in Chicago.

Dangers and How to Protect Yourself from Wildfire Smoke

Climate change has already led to more frequent wildfires and a longer wildfire season, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Wildfire smoke pollutes the air, spreading hundreds of miles downwind to other regions.

Wildfires carry particulate matter that’s so small, 2.5 micrometers, that it can bypass your body’s defenses and enter your bloodstream, cause breathing problems and heart, lung, and brain issues, Urbaszewski says.

If you're wondering how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke health problems, the EPA recommends buying a portable air cleaner or high-efficiency HVAC filter. The agency advises choosing one that's the right size for the room and making sure the portable air cleaner doesn't produce ozone. Some devices advertised as air purifiers emit large amounts of ozone, the main component of smog, according to the California Air Resources Board.

What Is an Air Quality Alert?

When the concentration of air pollutants reaches levels that could harm people’s health, the EPA and other organizations send alerts to notify people. They decide when an alert is needed based on scientific monitoring and forecasting. The air quality alerts stem primarily from the Air Quality Index, or AQI, which uses a range of 0 to 500 to measure risk. Lower numbers indicate cleaner air, and higher numbers mean more pollution and health concerns. An AQI value over 300 represents hazardous air quality.

The alerts are aimed to help people reduce their exposure to unhealthy air and are especially important for vulnerable groups, like children, older adults, or people with lung or heart conditions, according to AirPurifyZone.

What to Do When Air Quality Is Unhealthy

To arm yourself and your home against unhealthy air, gather information about risk in your area and actions to take when air quality is unhealthy or hazardous.

Urbaszewski recommends these websites:

• AirNow.gov is supported by the EPA and other organizations and offers localized air quality data using your ZIP code.
• EnviroFlash lets you sign up for air quality alerts.

How to Keep Unhealthy Air Out of Your House

After shutting your doors and windows, protect yourself from wildfire smoke by following these guidelines:

Invest in a Meter, an Air Quality Sensor, or a Smart Air Quality Monitor

“A particle or air quality meter can tell you what’s going on inside a building,” says Mike Gallagher, president of Western Allied Corporation and a mechanical contractor in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. The cost is $99 to $3,000, depending on bells and whistles, "but the average homeowner just cares about the order of magnitude and whether they’re getting close to concern level," he says.

Air quality monitors can measure certain pollutants, including particulate matter of varying sizes (PM2.5 and PM10); volatile organic compounds, or VOCs; carbon dioxide; carbon monoxide; nitrogen dioxide; ozone; and even radon, according to "Consumer Reports." A good reading depends on the measurement scale your monitor uses. Some use the EPA's AQI for the community; others generate their own air quality score. Most smart air quality monitors indicate whether readings for pollutants, such as PM2.5 and volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are concerning and fall outside of acceptable limits, "Consumer Reports" says.

Change Your Air Filter

If you have a furnace, air handler, or heat pump, you should change your filters every 30 to 90 days depending on use. Filters are calibrated on the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, or MERV, scale, which ranges from 1 to 20. The number indicates how well an HVAC filter captures airborne particles like dust, pollen, mold spores, pet dander, and bacteria.

A MERV 13 filter will stop a significant number of key particle sizes, Gallagher says. However, he recommends not using a MERV 13 filter all the time, because "it will catch every speck" and might create particle clogs and problems for the system. “It’s the right thing to use during the worst situation, like nearby wildfire smoke," he says.

Trap Toxins With a Carbon Impregnated Filter

Combine this with a MERV filter to absorb toxic gases and reduce odors, Gallagher says. “They have the ability to trap volatile organic compounds, so they’re useful immediately after a smoke event to help remove odors within the occupied space.”

Use a High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filter

This reduces allergens, purifies the air, and can be portable or part of a whole-house system. You can even DIY one. Some utilities offer rebates for air purifier systems, so check with your local utility provider.

Safeguard Your Home from Unhealthy Air Quality Symptoms

Urbaszewski and Gallagher offer these tips if you're dealing with nearby wildfire smoke:

• Stay indoors, keep the windows closed, and use an air purifier. Set your HVAC system to recirculate so you’re not bringing in polluted air.
• If you must be outside, wear an N95 or KN95 mask. Don’t exercise outdoors. “You’re just inhaling twice as much that will make you sick,” Urbaszewski says.
• Avoid burning incense and candles, frying food, mowing your lawn, or grilling outdoors.
• “Don’t run your exhaust hood over your stove or your exhaust fan in the bathroom," Gallagher says. Once the air improves, you can open the windows.

Unhealthy air quality and wildfire smoke are growing challenges, but you can take precautions and respond quickly to alerts and events to keep your family and home healthy.

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