Guide · Safety and emergencies
Wildfire Smoke and Readiness
A friendly, practical guide to breathing easier on smoky days, keeping the air inside clean, and being ready to leave quickly if a fire comes close.
Where to start
- Smoky sky outside today?
Check the air, close up one clean room, and see smoke day habits.
- A fire nearby right now?
Take a breath. See if a fire is nearby.
- Getting ready ahead of the season?
Pack your bag with the go bag checklist.
The short version
Wildfire smoke can travel far from any flames, so being ready matters for every home, not only those near forests.
On smoky days, check the Air Quality Index, keep windows closed if it is safe to, run a HEPA air cleaner in one clean room, and use a high-efficiency filter like MERV 13 if your system allows.
Keep a go-bag packed with medicines, documents, water, chargers and N95 respirators. Sign up for local alerts, know two ways out, and leave early when told to go.
Help protect the home by keeping the first five feet clear of anything that burns easily, cleaning gutters and roofs, and covering vents with fine metal mesh.
Rules about defensible space and evacuations vary from place to place, so we’d gently encourage a quick look at the rules where your home is. If you ever have questions, we would love to help.
Four simple rules
- 1Check the air every day
On smoky days, check the local Air Quality Index and plan time outdoors around it.
- 2Make one clean room
Close up one room, run a portable air cleaner, and give everyone a place to breathe easier.
- 3Pack a go-bag now
Medicines, documents, water, chargers and masks, packed ahead and ready by the door.
- 4Leave early if told to go
Follow evacuation orders right away. Waiting can make roads crowded and dangerous.
Smoke day habits
From the guide. Tick each one as you go. Your ticks stay on this device. These are examples; your home may need others.
All done. You have a cleaner place to breathe today.
Go bag checklist
From the guide. Packed ahead and ready by the door. These are examples; your home may need others.
All done. Your bag is ready by the door.
If a fire is nearby
- Stay tuned to local news, emergency alerts and official social media for updates and orders.
- Put your go bag, pets and important papers by the door, and park your car facing out with a full tank or charge.
- Close all windows and doors inside the home, and move curtains and furniture away from windows if you have time.
- Leave as soon as you are told to go, or sooner if you feel unsafe, using the routes officials recommend.
- Let a friend or family member outside the area know where you are headed.
- Wait for officials to say it is safe before returning, and let whoever manages the home know in writing how things look.
Homes and belongings can be replaced. People can’t.
Guides that go well with this one
How much do you remember?
4 quick questions from this guide, with a one line why for each. Totally optional, no sign in, and your answers are never saved.
Go deeper with The Perfect Seasonal Home Care Checklist Workbook
Simple, step by step checklists you can write in, one topic at a time, to help any home stay warm, safe and dry through every season.
Keep the full guide handy
The PDF has everything: everyday habits, what to do when something goes wrong, common myths, helpful resources and plenty of real-world tips. Print it, save it or share it with anyone who could use it.
Download the PDFTake it with you
- The Perfect Emergency Ready Checklist WorkbookA fillable workbook with a screen version and an ink saver print version.See it in the shop
More guides
This guide shares general information to help you, and is not legal, medical or safety advice. Bunklow does not inspect properties.