Wildfire Resources

Websites

Wildfire and Indoor Air Quality  This USEPA website provides guidance on what to do if you or your family is impacted by wildfire smoke from a wildfire near your home, office, school.

AIRNow This USEPA website provides local air quality conditions and forecasts.

Wildfires: Are You Ready  This ready.gov web page explains how to prepare your home during a fire weather watch alert.

Fire Response and Recovery (CalEPA)  This CalEPA web page provides various resources and references pertaining to wildfire emergency preparedness, response and clean up.

Public Safety Power Shutoff

CAHAN:  The California Health Alert Network is a web-based system that provides emergency planning and response communication with public health partners.  Public Safety Power Shutoff alerts along with other public health alerts are distributed via this system.

Prepare For Power Down: Learn how to prepare for when your local energy company may need to turn off power during extreme weather or wildfire conditions.  This page also provides links where you can sign up to receive early warning notifications from your electric company regarding power safety shutoffs in your area. 

• Southern California Edison:  Sign up to receive outage alerts.
• San Diego Gas and Electric:  Sign up to receive outage alerts
• Pacific Power:  Sign up to receive outage alerts
• PG&E:  Sign up to receive outage alerts.

Wildfire Preparedness

Protect Your Family From Wildfire Smoke (California Area IHS) (PDF)  This California Area IHS factsheet on what you can do now to prepare for wildfire season and protect your family's health. 

CDC Be Ready for Wildfire (CDC) Webpage offering a quick checklist for families to prepare for wildfire season.

Wildfire Smoke: Indoor Air Filtration (USEPA, 2005) (PDF)  A guide for choosing a portable air cleaner for use in your home during wildfire events.

Create a Clean Room to Protect Indoor Air Quality During a Wildfire (USEPA)  Tips on creating a clean room in your home where levels of smoke and other particles are maintained as low as possible during a wildfire.

Wildfire Is Coming (CalFire) (PDF)  This CalFire guide explains how to create a defensible space around your property.

How to Prepare for Wildfire (FEMA) (PDF)  A ready.gov booklet which explains how to protect yourself and your property from wildfire.

How to Stay Safe When Wildfire Threatens (FEMA) (PDF)  A factsheet that outlines how to prepare for wildfire, survive during a wildfire and be safe after a fire.

Before, During and After a Wildfire (CalFire, 2018) (PDF) A CalFire Wildfire Action Guide for what to do before, during and after a wildfire.

Coping with Wildfire (FOH, 2015) (PDF)  A Federal Occupational Health (FOH) guide for what to do before, during and after a wildfire in your area.

Prepare for Fire Season (USEPA, 2018) (PDF)  USEPA fact sheet that provides steps you can take to protect you and your family during this year's wildfire season.

Preparing for Public Safety Power Shutdown (2019, SDGE, Edison Electric, PG&E)  A website dedicated to providing guidance to California residents on how to prepare for public safety power shutdowns in their area.

Backup Generator Factsheet (2019, SDGE, Edison Electric, PG&E). Guidance on the selection and safe usage of backup emergency generator. 

ASHRAE Guideline 44P for Protecting Building Occupants from Smoke During Wildfire (ASHRAE,2023) (PDF)  This draft guide provides recommendations and guidance on creating a plan for preparing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and building systems to minimize occupant exposure to wildfire smoke during a wildfire or prescribed burn event.

Wildfire Smoke & Health

California Area IHS Wildfire Smoke Toolkit (California Area IHS, 2024) This toolkit aims to help Tribal leadership prepare their community for a wildfire smoke event and to education community members, facility managers, healthcare providers and emergency management staff on the health effects of wildfire smoke exposure and the steps they can take to minimize these health impacts in their community including setting up a cleaner air shelter.

Guidance for Cleaner Air Spaces during Wildfire Smoke Events (Health Canada, 2020) (PDF)  Recommendations for maintaining clean air in community buildings during a wildfire event

Smoke Management and Public Health (CalEPA, 2003) (PDF) A fact sheet that outlines the impact of wildfire smoke on health and actions to take to protect oneself.

Reduce Health Risks of Wildfire Smoke (USEPA ) (PDF)  This flyer provides quick guidance on how to protect you and your family's health when in an area impacted by wildfire smoke.

Wildfire Smoke Can Affect High Risk Groups (California Area IHS, 2018) (PDF)  Eight tips for protecting yourself from Wildfire Smoke.

Protecting Children from Wildfire Smoke and Ash (USEPA, 2018) (PDF)  USEPA guide on measures you can take to protect your children's health from wildfire smoke and ash.

Asthma and Outdoor Air Pollution (USEPA 2004) (PDF) Factsheet that describes the impacts of wildfire smoke on asthma sufferers and actions to take to protect one's health.

Guide to Air Cleaners (USEPA 2018) (PDF)  Tips for selecting the right air cleaner/purifier to protect your family from exposure to wildfire smoke.

California Certified Air Cleaning Devices.  This California Air Resources Board webpage lists all portable indoor air clean devices (air purifiers) that have been certified by the California Air Resources Board as being tested for electrical safety and meeting ozone emission standards.

Selecting the Right Respirator (USEPA, 2019) (PDF)  This flyer explains how to properly select and don a respirator (face mask) to reduce your exposure to wildfire smoke.

N95:  Donning and Doffing (NIOSH, 2010) (PDF) Guide on the proper way to put on and remove an N95 respirator.

Protect Your Lungs from Wildfire Smoke or Ash (USEPA, 2018) (PDF)  USEPA guide on selecting and using an N95 respirator (face mask).  

CDC Pet Disaster Kit Checklist (CDC) (PDF)  Use this handy checklist to make sure your pets are ready for any kind of disaster by putting together a pet disaster-preparedness kit.

Protect Your Pets from Wildfire Smoke (USEPA 2019) (PDF)  USEPA guide on protecting your pets from wildfire smoke.

Protect Your Large Animals and Livestock (USEPA 2019) (PDF)  USEPA guide on protecting your large animals and livestock from wildfire smoke.

Wildfire Ash & Health

Protecting Public Health from Home and Building Fire Ash (CalEPA, 2015) (PDF)  A factsheet that identifies the hazards associated with wildfire ash and measures to take to protect you and your family's health.

Protect Yourself from Ash (USEPA,2018) (PDF)  USEPA guide on protecting yourself from harmful ash when you clean up after a wildfire.

Wildfire Recovery

Returning Home After a Fire (CDPH, 2017)  Tips to reduce your exposure to ash and protect your health when returning to your home after a fire.

Retail Food Safety During Temporary Power Outages (Shasta County, 2018)  A guide for dealing with temperature abused food due to power outages.

Keeping Food Safe After a Fire (Michigan State University Extension 2018)  A food safety guide for homeowners returning home after a fire.

Emergency Guidance on Household Hazardous Waste generated by Wildfire (California DTSC, 2015) (PDF) The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has prepared this factsheet to guide persons in wildfire impacted areas in managing hazardous waste(s) including fire ash and debris.

Wildland Fire Chemical Cleanup (US Forest Service) (PDF) Guide concerning clean up of chemical fire retardants applied by firefighters during wild land fires.

Protecting Public Health from Home and Building Fire Ash (CalEPA, 2015) (PDF) Fact sheet that describes the health risks and recommended precautions when handling fire ash.

Emergency Guide on Wildfires (CalEPA, 2015) (PDF)  A CalEPA guidance document regarding the handling of ash, debris and other hazardous materials from a burned structure.

Resources for Healthcare Providers

US EPA Wildfire Smoke Course (USEPA, 2021)  Learn about the health effects associated with wildfire smoke and actions for patients to take before and during a wildfire.  This course is intended for physicians, registered nurses, asthma educators and other involved in clinical or health education.

 What Healthcare Providers Should Know About Particulate Pollution (USEPA, 2015) (PDF)   Quick guide concerning the health risk of exposures to wildfire smoke.

Portable Air Filtration Systems & HVAC in Healthcare Facilities (2018) (PDF)  A best practice guide concerning the use of portable air cleaners in a healthcare facility and recommended HVAC settings to minimize smoke infiltration.

Wildfire Smoke Guide for Public Health Officials (USEPA, 2019) (PDF)  A technical guide for public health professionals for use in communicating health risks and precautions to the public.

2022 Wildfire Smoke: Considerations for California's Public Health Officials (2022) (PDF) Updated technical guidance document for public health officials managing the public health impacts of wildfire smoke.

ASHRAE Guideline 44P for Protecting Building Occupants from Smoke During Wildfire (ASHRAE,2023) (PDF)  This draft guide provides recommendations and guidance on creating a plan for preparing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and building systems to minimize occupant exposure to wildfire smoke during a wildfire or prescribed burn event.