King County Emergency Management sent out an emergency alert Friday, Sept. 11 with informational links due to wildfire smoke making air quality “unhealthy” to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” expected in the area through early next week.

Smoke from fires can be dangerous for everyone, but there are steps to protect your health:

• Stay indoors as much as possible.

• Limit intense outdoor activity.

• Close windows and doors as much as possible.

• Use an air cleaner with a HEPA filter if possible.

• Use fans or an air conditioner (AC) when it’s hot, if possible. Set your AC to recirculate.

• A DIY air cleaner may be an easy and cost-effective way to clean air inside your home. Information on how to construct a portable air cleaner and important safety tips to follow while using one of these fans can be found at Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s DIY Air Filter website. (https://pscleanair.gov/525/DIY-Air-Filter)

• Don’t pollute the indoor air. Don’t smoke, use candles, or vacuum. Avoid frying and broiling when cooking indoors.

For more information visit:

Puget Sound Clean Air Agency air quality maps (https://secure.pscleanair.org/AirQuality/NetworkMap)

Public Health Seattle- King County health messaging (https://publichealthinsider.com/)