Update!
Umpqua Health Alliance strives to keep our members up to date on what’s happening in the community as well as within our company. If you have any questions or have suggestions for our next newsletter, please contact us! Call 541-229-4842 or email us at info@umpquahealth.com
Fire Safety
Wildfire smoke can harm you in multiple ways. Smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases. Please go here: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/wildfires/smoke.html to find fact sheets that tell you how you can protect your health and be safe if you are exposed to wildfire smoke.
- Set up a “clean room” if you cannot minimize the smoke in your home.
- Choose a room. It should be big enough to fit everyone in your household and be comfortable to spend time in. A bedroom with an attached bathroom is a good choice.
- Prevent smoke from entering the room. Close windows and doors in the room, but don’t do anything that makes it hard to get out. If there is an exhaust fan or range hood in the clean room space, only use it for short periods.
- Stay cool. Run fans, window air conditioners, or central air conditioning. If your HVAC system or window air conditioner has a fresh air option, turn it off or close the intake.
- Filter the air in the room. Use a portable air cleaner that is the right size for the room. Run the portable air cleaner continuously on the highest fan setting if you can. If you have central HVAC, you can also install a high-efficiency filter (MERV 13 or higher) in the system. Run the system’s fan as often as possible to get the most out of the filter. See the Indoor Air Filtration fact sheet and EPA’s Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home for more information.
- Members can also try taping an air filter to a box fan as an alternative
- Avoid activities that create smoke or other particles indoors, including:
- Smoking cigarettes, pipes, and cigars
- Using gas, propane or wood-burning stoves and furnaces
- Spraying aerosol products
- Frying or broiling food.
- Burning candles or incense
- Vacuuming, unless you use a vacuum with a HEPA filter
- Spend as much time as possible in the clean room to get the most benefit from it. Avoid exercising while in the clean room to help reduce exposure to any particles that may enter the room.
- Avoid going outside if possible, and especially avoid strenuous outdoor activities. If you must leave your home, consider using a N95 respirator mask
- Keep Oregon Green – https://keeporegongreen.org/prevent-wildfires/?utm_source=KEZI&utm_medium=Banner&utm_campaign=2021
- This site offers advice on how to properly avoid causing fires at home, when camping or other outdoor activities, and at work.
- Get emergency messages and FlashAlert messages from the Oregon Department of Forestry at: https://www.flashalert.net/news.html?id=1072
- Find out the current air quality in your area by visiting https://tripcheck.com/, also at https://www.iqair.com/usa/oregon.