Wildfires

ALWAYS CALL 911 if you are in immediate danger and need emergency help.
en español

Prepare for or respond to a wildfire - the dangers when wildfire is predicted or advancing.
- Incident information - general incident or fire information and links to geographic areas, from the National Incident Center.
- Fires and your health.
- What is particle pollution?
- Use the Smoke Sense app and contribute to health information.
Recover after a wildfire - protect your family, business, community.

Prepare for or respond to a wildfire

Air quality health information:

Sign up to receive air quality email notices for your ZIP code. Smoke from wildfires, even from wildfires tens or hundreds of miles away, can significantly affect your health, especially if you have existing lung or breathing problems.
Health care professionals: Take this course about the health effects associated with wildfire smoke exposure and steps for patients to take before or during a wildfire.
Public health officials and others can use the Smoke Ready Toolbox to help educate the public about the risks of smoke exposure and actions people can take to protect their health.
- Read about the science behind wildfire smoke toxicity.
- En español: Caja de herramientas "Smoke Ready" para educar al público acerca de los riesgos de la exposición al humo y las acciones que la gente tiene para proteger su salud.
Fire and smoke map, from airnow.gov
Read more: How Smoke from Fires Can Affect Your Health
Controlling asthmas triggers
- What is particle pollution?
- Heath effects of particle pollution: dust, soot, smoke from wildfires.
Are you living somewhere that is impacted by wildfire smoke? EPA has developed a two-sided infographic card with information on how to reduce exposure to wildfire smoke, how to select the correct respirator mask, and how to properly wear the mask to protect your health. View or download the infographic: Reduce Health Risks In Areas With Wildfire Smoke.

Indoor Air Quality:

Smoke from wildfires can enter your home and make the indoor air unhealthy to breathe, too. Learn more about wildfire smoke and your indoor qir quality.
Communities affected by wildfire smoke may set up or identify cleaner air spaces and cleaner air shelters. Such spaces should be to be adapted to accommodate safety measures related to COVID-19. Learn more about COVID-19, Wildfires, and Indoor Air Quality.

Planning for disaster debris:

Damage from a wildfire depends on the size, extent, and other factors. Damage debris can include destroyed structures, hazardous waste, green waste, or personal property. More information on disaster debris.

Chemical or fertilizer storage:

Properly designed or modified storage facilities help protect workers' health and safety, and minimize the risk of contamination to land or water.
Hazardous Waste Management Facilities and Units
Pesticides: Containers, Containment, Storage and Disposal of Pesticides

Recover after a wildfire

ALERT: Generator exhaust is toxic. Always put generators outside well away from doors, windows, and vents. Never use a generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, sheds, or similar areas. Carbon monoxide (CO) is deadly, can build up quickly, and linger for hours. More information.

Air quality and health information:

After a wildfire, be aware that smoldering materials in the building may produce many pollutants. Many adverse health conditions can be caused by inhaling or ingesting even small amounts of these pollutants. Small children, the elderly, or people with preexisting respiratory conditions can be especially vulnerable to some of these pollutants.

What to do with disaster debris:

Disasters can generate tons of debris, including building rubble, soil and sediments, green waste (e.g., trees and shrubs), personal property, ash, and charred wood. How a community manages disaster debris depends on the type and amount of debris and the waste management options available.

Burying or burning is no longer acceptable, except when permission or a waiver has been granted, because of the side effects of smoke and fire from burning, and potential water and soil contamination from burial. Typical methods of recycling and solid waste disposal in sanitary landfills often cannot be applied to disaster debris because of the large volume of waste and reluctance to overburden existing disposal capacity. More information on handling debris.

Returning to homes or businesses after a disaster.

Underground Storage Tanks

EPA's wildfire guide for underground and aboveground storage tank systems is a resource for underground storage tank (UST) and oil aboveground storage tank (AST) owners and operators in the event of a wildfire.

Preparation And Recovery For Underground And Aboveground Storage Tank Systems (pdf) (1.77 MB) .

More about Wildfires

Higher temperatures relate to drought and increased risk of fire.

Preventing wildfires

EPA's Smoke Sense app helps you learn about health risks from wildfire smoke in your area. Citizen scientists can also use the app to report their health symptoms and actions they take to lower their exposure to smoke.