Protecting Children from Wildfire 

Smoke and Ash 

Background 

• Children are especially at risk for health effects

from exposure to wildfire smoke and ash,

mostly because their lungs are still growing. 

• Wildfire concerns include the fire itself, the

smoke and ash, and the chemicals from

materials that have burned, such as furniture. 

• Smoke can travel hundreds of miles from the

source of a fire. Pay attention to local air

quality reports during fire season, even if no

fire is nearby. 

Health Effects from Wildfire 

Smoke and Ash 

• Children who breathe in wildfire smoke and ash

can have chest pain and tightness; trouble

breathing; wheezing; coughing; nose, throat, 

and eye burning; dizziness; or other symptoms. 

• Children with asthma, allergies, or chronic health

issues may have more trouble breathing when

smoke or ash is present. 

Preparing for Wildfires 

• Pay attention to local air quality reports. Stay

alert to smoke-related news coverage and

public health advisories. 

• Look up your local Air Quality Index (AQI) on the

AirNow (www.airnow.gov) web site.

• If Enviroflash is available for your area, sign up

for air quality alerts.

(http://www.enviroflash.info/). 

• Create a "clean room" in your home. Choose a

room with few windows and doors. Buy a

portable air cleaner you can use in this room.

Never use an ozone-generating air cleaner. 

• Stock up on food, medicine and child care

supplies before the threat of a wildfire.

• Remember that you may need to leave your

home. Plan for it and prepare your children.

During Wildfires 

• Continue to listen to local reports and public

health warnings.

• Keep children indoors with the doors and

windows closed. Use your “clean room”. If you

have an air conditioner, run it with the freshair intake closed to keep outdoor smoke from 

getting indoors. Use your portable air cleaner 

as well. Reduce health risks by avoiding 

strenuous activities. 

• Keep the indoor air as clean as possible. Do not

smoke. Do not use gas, propane, or woodburning stoves, fireplaces, or candles. Never 

use ozone-generating air cleaners. Never use 

natural gas or gasoline-powered generators 

indoors. Do not use spray cans. Do not fry or 

broil meat. Do not vacuum. All of these can 

lead to poor air quality. 

• A good time to open windows to air out the

house and clean away dust indoors is once air

quality improves (check AirNow for updates). 

• Use common sense to guide your child's activity.

If it looks or smells smoky outside, if local air

quality is reported as poor, or if local officials 

are giving health warnings, wait until air 

quality improves before your family is active 

outdoors. 

WILDFIRE SMOKE FACTSHEET 
For more information:

Learn more about wildfire smoke: Wildfire Smoke, A Guide for Public Health Officials: 

https://www3.epa.gov/airnow/wildfire_may2016.pdf

Get air quality information: Check the airnow.gov website, or your state air quality agency’s website.

Air Quality Flag Program: This visual tool alerts schools and organizations and their communities to the 

local air quality forecast. https://airnow.gov/flag

Learn about home air cleaners: https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/guide-air-cleaners-home

Find certified air cleaning devices: http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/aircleaners/certified.htm

Contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for emergency concerns regarding ingestion or exposure to 

hazards.

Contact your Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit with children’s environmental health 

questions: www.pehsu.net

Special considerations:

• If your child has any problem breathing, is very

sleepy, refuses food and water, or other health

concerns, reduce his/her exposure to smoke 

and seek medical help right away. 

• If your child has asthma, allergies, or a chronic

health condition, he/she is at high risk from

health effects related to wildfire smoke and 

ash. Seek medical advice as needed. For 

children with asthma, follow the asthma action 

plan. 

• Do not rely on masks for protection from smoke.

Paint, dust and surgical masks, even N95

masks, are not made to fit children and will not 

protect children from breathing wildfire 

smoke. Humidifiers or breathing through a wet 

washcloth do not prevent breathing in smoke.

Evacuation

• Seek shelter in another place (e.g., public air

shelter) if your family does not have an air

conditioner OR air cleaner OR if it is too warm 

in your home to stay inside with the windows 

closed. Plan to take the quickest route to the 

shelter to limit exposure to smoke.

• Bring all medication (taken by each family

member) with you.

• Reduce smoke in your vehicle by closing the

windows and vents and operating the air

conditioning with the fresh intake closed to 

keep outdoor smoke from getting into car. 

Never leave children in a car or truck alone.

After a Wildfire

• Make sure ash and debris have been removed

before bringing your child back to home or

school.

• Children should not be doing any cleanup work.

Fires may deposit large amounts of ash and

dust with harmful chemicals. 

Avoid bringing polluted ash and dust back to 

areas used by children (such as a home or car). 

Remove shoes at the doorway, wash clothing 

separately, and change out of clothing before 

you have contact with your children.

Document Authored by Marissa Hauptman, MD, MPH, Laura Anderko, PhD, RN, Jason Sacks, MPH, Lora Strine, Scott Damon MAIA, Susan Stone, MS, 

Wayne Cascio, MD, Martha Berger, MPA. Aspects of this fact sheet were adapted from 2011 PEHSU Factsheet: Health Risks of Wildfires for Children - 

Acute Phase Guidance by James M. Seltzer, M.D., Mark Miller, M.D., M.P.H, and Diane Seltzer, M.A.—Region 9 Western States Pediatric 

Environmental Health Specialty Unit. 

This document was supported in part by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Medical Toxicology and funded (in part) by 

the cooperative agreement award number FAIN: U61TS000237 and UG1TS000238 from the Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry (ATSDR). The 

U.S. EPA supports the PEHSU by providing funds to ATSDR under Inter-Agency Agreement number DW-75-92301301. Neither U.S. EPA not ATSDR 

endorses the purchase of any commercial products or services mentioned in PEHSU publications.

This factsheet is dedicated in memory of Dr. James M. Seltzer as well as the first responders and others who have been affected by wildfires.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · EPA- 452/F-18-006