Wildfire Smoke Is Affecting Oregon and Washington: Here's How to Keep Your Indoor Air Cleaner

Large wildfires throughout Washington and Oregon can send smoke¹ across the Pacific Northwest for days or even weeks. Changing wind patterns often carry fine smoke¹ particles into cities hundreds of miles away, including Seattle, Portland, Spokane, Eugene, Bend, Tacoma, and surrounding communities.

As wildfires continue to burn across Oregon and Washington, many families are once again dealing with smoky skies, reduced visibility, and declining air quality. According to CNN's wildfire maps and satellite imagery, dozens of large fires are burning across the Pacific Northwest, with smoke¹ plumes stretching hundreds of miles and affecting communities far beyond the active fire zones. The fires have prompted evacuations in some areas, while changing wind patterns continue to carry smoke¹ throughout the region.

While you can't control what's happening outdoors, you can take steps to improve the air inside your home. One of the most effective ways to reduce airborne smoke¹ particles indoors is by using a high-quality HEPA air purifier.

Why Wildfire Smoke¹ Is More Than Just an Outdoor Problem

Even when your windows and doors are closed, wildfire smoke¹ can find its way indoors through small gaps around doors, windows, doggy doors, ventilation systems, and every time someone enters or leaves your home.

Wildfire smoke¹ contains a mixture of:

• Fine particulate matter (PM2.5)
• Ash and soot
• Dust³
• Smoke¹ Odors¹
• Other airborne pollutants created from wildfires

The smallest particles are often the biggest concern because they can remain suspended in the air for hours and easily circulate throughout your home.

Why Indoor Air Quality Matters During Wildfire Season

To establish a cleaner indoor environment, it is important to limit the infiltration of outdoor air when appropriate and continuously filter the air already inside your home.

Although many individuals spend significantly more time inside during periods of heavy smoke¹, indoor air is not automatically clean.

In fact, each time an exterior door opens or your HVAC system draws in outside air, additional smoke¹ particles can enter and accumulate in your living space if it is not continuously filtered.

How a HEPA Air Purifier Can Help

A HEPA air purifier continuously circulates and filters indoor air throughout the day.

PuroAir air purifiers are designed with a multi-stage filtration system that includes:

• High-efficiency HEPA filtration to filter airborne particles, including many fine smoke¹ particles.
• CarbonTech^TM activated carbon filtration to help reduce smoke¹ odors¹ and other household odors¹.
  
• Continuous air circulation that helps clean the air throughout the room instead of relying on particles to settle.

Rather than simply masking smoke¹ smells, an air purifier actively filters many of the airborne particles contributing to poor indoor air quality.

Why Activated Carbon is so Important

When smoke¹ enters your home, it’s not just about the visible haze or fine particles in the air. Smoke¹ also contains gases and odor¹-causing compounds that can linger long after the air looks clear. That’s where activated carbon plays an extremely important role.

Activated carbon works differently from a HEPA filter. While HEPA filtration is designed to filter airborne particles, activated carbon helps adsorb certain gases, VOCs⁵, and odor¹-causing compounds. Together, these filtration technologies can provide a more comprehensive approach to reducing the unwanted effects of smoke¹ indoors.

Not all air purifiers on the market contain an activated carbon filter element, but every PuroAir air purifier does. By choosing PuroAir, you are getting the strongest HEPA filtration combined with CarbonTech^TM activated carbon to help fight airborne pollutants and odors¹ in the same unit.

How Activated Carbon Helps With Smoke¹

• Helps reduce lingering smoke¹ odors¹: Activated carbon can adsorb many of the gaseous compounds responsible for the persistent smell of smoke¹.
• Targets gases and VOCs⁵: Unlike particle filters, activated carbon is designed to interact with certain gaseous pollutants and volatile organic compounds (VOCs⁵).
• Complements HEPA filtration: HEPA filtration targets fine airborne particles, while activated carbon helps address odors¹ and certain gases that a particle-only filter may not adsorb.
• Helps freshen smoke¹-affected spaces: Continuous filtration can help reduce unwanted smoke¹-related odors¹ that settle into the indoor environment.
• Useful beyond wildfire smoke¹: Activated carbon can also help with odors¹ from cooking, pets, candles, fireplaces, and other everyday sources of indoor odors¹.

HEPA + Activated Carbon: Two Layers of Protection

Smoke¹ is a complex mixture of both particles and gases, so using more than one type of filtration can be beneficial. A HEPA filter helps reduce airborne particles, while activated carbon helps adsorb certain gases and odor¹-causing compounds. Together, they provide complementary filtration for homes dealing with smoke¹ and lingering odors¹.

Tips for Keeping Indoor Air Cleaner During Wildfire Smoke¹ Events

If wildfire smoke¹ is affecting your area, these steps can help reduce indoor smoke¹ exposure:

✓ Keep Windows and Doors Closed

When outdoor air quality is poor, keep windows and exterior doors closed as much as possible to limit smoke¹ entering your home.

✓ Run Your Air Purifier Continuously

During active smoke¹ events, it's often beneficial to let your air purifier run 24 hours a day. Continuous filtration helps remove new particles as they enter your home. Even during times with great weather, we recommend running your purifier 24/7.

✓ Replace Filters When Needed

Smoke¹ can place additional demand on air purifier filters. Check your filter indicator regularly and replace filters every 3 months, or sooner with higher demand.

✓ Minimize Indoor Sources of Smoke¹

Avoid activities that generate additional indoor particles, such as:

• Burning candles
• Using fireplaces
• Frying foods at high temperatures
• Burning incense

Reducing indoor smoke¹ sources allows your purifier to focus on filtering wildfire smoke¹ that enters from outside.

✓ Monitor Local Air Quality

Wildfire smoke¹ conditions can change quickly depending on wind direction and fire activity. Monitoring your local Air Quality Index (AQI) can help you decide when it's best to stay indoors and keep your purifier running. A great resource to keep track of the air quality in your area is airnow.gov.

Who Benefits Most from Cleaner Indoor Air?

Everyone can appreciate cleaner indoor air during wildfire season, but it's especially important for:

• Families with young children
• Older adults
• Pet owners
• People working from home
• Anyone spending extended periods indoors

Creating a cleaner indoor environment can make your home a more comfortable place while outdoor conditions improve.

Prepare Before the Next Smoke¹ Event

Wildfire seasons have become longer and more intense across the Pacific Northwest, making indoor air quality an increasingly important part of home preparedness. Current forecasts indicate that smoky conditions may continue to affect portions of Oregon and Washington as active fires persist and weather patterns shift.

Having an air purifier ready before smoke¹ arrives means you're prepared to begin filtering indoor air immediately when conditions worsen.

Breathe Clean Air with PuroAir

PuroAir air purifiers assist in establishing a cleaner indoor atmosphere by continuously filtering out airborne particles and diminishing persistent smoke¹ odors¹, regardless of whether you are facing heavy smoke¹ currently or planning ahead for upcoming wildfire seasons.

Your home can become a much more comfortable space to stay while waiting for the skies to clear when outdoor air quality remains out of your control.

PuroAir is Here to Help

Here at PuroAir, we understand human right for clean, breathable air. We are here to help protect your indoor air from the airborne particles created by wildfire smoke. Learn more here: Northwestern Wildfires - Filter Wildfire Smoke Before You Breathe It In.