United States Department of Agriculture

Woolsey Fire seen from Topanga, CA. (Photo courtesy of Peter Buschmann)

Wildfire Smoke and COVID-19

Frequently Asked Questions

The purpose of this document is to provide Air 

Resource Advisors and other environmental health 

professionals with key messages about wildfire 

smoke and COVID-19. It also provides resources 

that can be given to communities affected by wildfire smoke during community spread of SARSCoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Why do people need to consider COVID-19 

along with wildfire smoke? 

• The COVID-19 pandemic is overlapping with the

occurrence of wildfires in the United States.

• Wildfire smoke is a complex mixture of air pollutants that are harmful to human health.

• Exposure to air pollutants in wildfire smoke can

irritate the lungs, cause inflammation, alter immune

function, and increase susceptibility to respiratory

infections, likely including COVID-19.

• Recent scientific publications (Conticini et al.,

2020 & Travaglio et al., 2020) suggest that air

pollutant exposure worsens COVID-19 symptoms

and outcomes.

Who is most at risk from wildfire smoke? 

Populations known to be vulnerable to wildfire

smoke exposures include:

• Children younger than 18.

• Adults age 65 years or older.

• Pregnant women.

• People with chronic health conditions such as

heart or lung disease, asthma or diabetes.

• Outdoor workers.

• People of low socioeconomic status, including

those who are homeless and with limited access to

medical care.

Who else is at risk from wildfire smoke 

during the COVID-19 pandemic?

• The overlap of the COVID-19 pandemic with

wildfire season in the United States complicates

public health response to wildfire smoke. People

who are either susceptible to or affected by

COVID-19 may have health conditions that also

make them vulnerable to wildfire smoke exposure.

Persons who might also be at risk from wildfire

smoke because of COVID-19 include:

► Those who are immunocompromised or taking drugs that suppress the immune system.

► Those with or recovering from COVID-19.

Because of compromised heart and lung function

due to COVID-19, they may be at increased risk

of health effects from exposure to wildfire smoke.

Fire crew at the Newkirk Fire in Dixie National Forest, June 2018. (Forest 

Service photo by Derek Bland)

Forest 

Service

National 

Headquarters

June 2020
Smoke obscures the view for visitors at Yosemite Valley during the Ferguson Fire in July 2018. (Forest Service photo by Kari Greer)

Respiratory symptoms such as dry cough, 

sore throat, and difficulty breathing are common to both wildfire smoke exposure and 

COVID-19. 

How are symptoms from wildfire smoke 

exposure different from symptoms of 

COVID-19? 

• Information on symptoms of COVID-19 is available. If you are experiencing symptoms unrelated

to smoke exposure such as, fever or chills, muscle

or body aches, diarrhea, the CDC COVID-19

Self-Checker can help determine whether further

assessment or testing for COVID-19 is needed.

• If you have questions after using the CDC

COVID-19 Self-Checker, you should contact a

healthcare provider.

• If you are experiencing severe symptoms, such as

difficulty breathing or chest pain, you should seek

prompt medical attention by calling 911 or calling

ahead to the nearest emergency facility.

Where can I find information about current 

air quality and COVID-19 in my area?

• Use the Air Quality Index (AQI) to evaluate local

and regional air quality conditions.

• Visit www.airnow.gov to find reliable information

about wildfire smoke and air quality.

• If there is a large wildfire in your area, then there

is likely an Air Resource Advisor assigned to provide

wildfire smoke outlooks.

• For further information about wildfire smoke and

your health, visit, www.cdc.gov/air/wildfire-smoke/

default.htm.

• Visit the CDC COVID Data Tracker for more

information about COVID-19.

• Check resources from state, local, tribal, and territorial health departments for more information on

COVID-19 cases and deaths in a given area.

What actions can I take to minimize potential 

health impacts from wildfire smoke? 

• Understand that your planning may be different

this year because of the need to protect yourself and

others from COVID-19.

• The best way to protect against the potentially

harmful effects of wildfire smoke is to reduce wildfire smoke exposure, for example, by seeking cleaner 

air shelters and cleaner air spaces. 

• While social distancing guidelines are in place,

finding cleaner air might be challenging if public

facilities such as libraries, community centers, and

shopping malls are closed or have limited capacity.

• Create a cleaner air space at home to protect yourself from wildfire smoke during the

COVID-19 pandemic.

► Use a portable air cleaner in one or more

rooms. Portable air cleaners work best when run

continuously with doors and windows closed.

► Do-it-yourself box fan filtration units should

never be left unattended.

► During periods of extreme heat, pay attention

to temperature forecasts and know how to stay

safe in the heat.

► Whenever possible, use air conditioners, heat

pumps, fans, and window shades to keep your

cleaner air space comfortably cool on hot days.

► If you have a forced air system in your home,

it may be necessary to work with a qualified heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)

professional about different filters (HEPA or

MERV-13 or higher) and settings (recirculate

and “on” rather than “auto”) that can be used to

reduce indoor smoke.

► Avoid activities that create more indoor and

outdoor air pollution, such as frying foods,

sweeping, vacuuming, and using gas-powered

appliances.

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• Limit outdoor exercise when it is smoky outside

or choose lower-intensity activities to reduce smoke

exposure.

Can masks and face coverings reduce wildfire smoke exposure?

• Although N95 respirators provide protection

from wildfire smoke, they might be in short supply

as frontline healthcare workers use them during the

pandemic.

• Cloth face coverings that are used to slow the

spread of COVID-19 offer little protection against

harmful air pollutants in wildfire smoke because

these coverings do not capture most small particles

in smoke.

Members of the Greenwood CCC Badger Creek Camp Crew pose for a 

photo during the Ferguson Fire. (Forest Service photo by Kari Green)

What else can I do to stay healthy if it gets 

smoky this wildfire season? 

• Get prepared for the wildfire smoke season as you

would do in any other summer.

• Give yourself more time than usual to prepare for

wildfire events. Home delivery is the safest choice

for buying disaster supplies; however, that may not

be an option for everyone. If in-person shopping is

your only choice, take steps to protect your and

others’ health when running essential errands.

• Talk to your healthcare provider. Plan how you

will protect yourself against wildfire smoke.

• Stock up on medicine. Store a 7- to 10-day

supply of prescription medicines in a waterproof,

child-proof container to take with you if you

evacuate.

• In anticipation of a potential evacuation, consider

developing a family disaster plan.

What actions can I take if I must evacuate?

• Pay attention to local guidance about updated

plans for evacuations and shelters, including potential shelters for your pets.

• If you are asked to evacuate by public authorities

or if you decide to evacuate then please evacuate

safely.

• When you check on neighbors and friends before

evacuating, be sure to follow social distancing recommendations (staying at least 6 feet from others)

and other CDC recommendations to protect yourself and others.

• If you need to go to a disaster shelter, follow

CDC recommendations for staying safe and healthy

in a public disaster shelter during the COVID-19

pandemic.

Resources

• See www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.

html for more information about COVID-19.

Additional information about COVID-19

• Symptoms of coronavirus

• CDC COVID Data Tracker

Information about the health effects of wildfire smoke and reducing exposure to wildfire 

smoke:

• COVID-19 Considerations for Cleaner Air Shelters and Cleaner Air Spaces to Protect the Public

from Wildfire Smoke

• Create a Clean Room to Protect Indoor Air Quality During a Wildfire

• DIY Box Fan Filter

• Natural Disasters and Severe Weather: Wildfires

• Protect Yourself from Wildfire Smoke

• Wildfire Guide Factsheet: Indoor Air Filtration

• Wildfire Smoke: A Guide for Public Health

Officials

• Wildfires and Indoor Air Quality

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Air quality, wildfire information, smoke forecasts, and information on vulnerable populations:

• www.airnow.gov

• https://airquality.weather.gov/

• https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/

• https://wildlandfiresmoke.net

• Identifying at-risk areas and populations vulnerable to smoke from wildfires

► Smoke forecasts and percent of population

without health insurance

► Smoke forecasts and percent of households

with no internet access

► Smoke forecasts and ischemic heart disease

mortality rate

► For more information, visit https://ephtracking.cdc.gov/DataExplorer/#/

• www.cdc.gov/disasters/wildfires/links.html

Research about air pollution and SARS mortality:

• Cui Y, Zhang Z, Froines J, et al. Air pollution

and case fatality of SARS in the People’s Republic

of China: an ecologic study. Environ Health 2003;

2, 15.

• Kan HD, Chen BH, Fu CW, Yu SZ, Mu L. Relationship between ambient air pollution and daily

mortality of SARS in Beijing. Biomed Environ Sci

2005;18(1): 1–4.

Research about air pollution and COVID-19

• Conticini E, Frediani B, Caro D. Can atmospheric pollution be considered a co-factor in extremely

high level of SARS-CoV-2 lethality in Northern

Italy? Environ Pollut 2020; 261: 114465.

• Travaglio M, Yu Y, Popovic R, Santos Leal

N, Martins LM. Links between air pollution and COVID-19 in England. medRxiv

2020.04.16.20067405 [pre-print].

Citizens show support for fire crews during the Donnell Fire in 2018. (Forest Service photo)

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