These past days, fires across South California have caused much damage to homes, businesses, people, pets and overall nature. In SD, we’re still under a Red Flag Warning for high winds, (currently) in effect until Friday evening. The devastating effects, however, will linger in many ways – including the bad air quality. According to AccuWeather, the air quality in San Diego is currently rated as “poor”. As the situation develops and strong winds are still present, this could worsen. Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and deal with poor air quality caused by the California fires – or in any future situation.
1. Keep an eye on air quality
First step is to keep yourself informed, so you can act accordingly. Here’s one page that is regularly updated, however there are many resources online – including the Breathe Well app. If air quality is poor or worse, you should consider the steps below, especially if you’re part of a more sensitive group.
2. Stay indoors
The best way to protect yourself from poor air quality is to stay indoors as much as possible, with windows closed. An air purifier is even better, given that you can’t get fresh air. Of course, this isn’t always possible, and it’s only a temporary solution – but nevertheless, one to consider if you’re part of a vulnerable group, or feeling some effects already. These could be an itchy throat, headaches, coughs, and more.
3. Wear a mask
We all have to leave the house at some point. If you’re going outside and the air quality is poor or below, consider wearing a P-100 or N95 mask to reduce inhalation of harmful particles.
4. Stay hydrated
Drink plenty of water to keep your respiratory system moist and help flush out irritants. Be aware that in some situation when there’s poor air quality, you should check if it’s safe to drink tap water. LA right now is an example of such situations, where residents are urged not to consume tap water – due to the very high demand and resulting low pressure, the water is no longer safe to drink or use for domestic chores.
5. Know when to seek medical attention
In most cases, we can protect ourselves in such situations, but it’s important to know when it’s time to seek a medical professional. In case you’re experiencing any of the symptoms below, make sure to call your GP:
- Severe difficulty breathing
- Severe coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Chest pain
- Palpitations
- Nausea
- Unusual fatigue
For life-threatening symptoms, call 911.
6. Last but not least – have an emergency plan
Poor air quality can be caused by many things. Nowadays, the risk comes from incredibly high winds that caused fires across SoCal. In such cases, we can never know what’s next or how bad it can get, so it’s really important to have a go bag and an emergency plan. In case you need to leave, you wouldn’t want to be caught unprepared, or panic. Make sure you have a bag with:
- important documents
- medicine
- bottled water
- non-perishable foods
- batteries
- charging devices
- lighters
- necessary clothes
- blankets
- hygiene supplies
- anything needed for your children and pets.