Prepare a cleaner air room before wildfire smoke arrives

Choose a room that works for your household

EPA describes a cleaner air room as a space where smoke particles are reduced through limiting entry and filtering indoor air. Choose a room large enough for the people who will use it and comfortable enough to spend time in. Think about pets, accessibility and access to a bathroom.

Set it up before an alert rather than making the first test during heavy smoke. Decide where people can sit, where the cleaner will go and how cords will stay out of walking routes. Keep doors and windows usable for emergency escape.

Match the cleaner to the room

EPA recommends a portable air cleaner sized for the room that does not produce ozone. Follow its placement and operating instructions. If you want higher-efficiency filtration in a central HVAC system, ask a technician to confirm that the proposed filter is compatible.

Keep the correct replacement filters available and save the model number. Ask how to recognize when service is needed. Do not assume an attractive air-quality display proves that a room is safe for every occupant or every condition. People with health concerns should make a smoke plan with their health care provider.

• Where can the cleaner run without blocked airflow?
• Do we have the correct replacement filter?
• Can the room remain comfortable with windows closed?

Reduce indoor sources too

During smoke conditions, EPA recommends avoiding activities that add particles indoors, including candles, smoking and frying. Plan simple alternatives in advance so ordinary routines do not work against your cleaner air space.

Keep official air-quality and emergency information available. Discuss appropriate HVAC settings with your service provider before the season, particularly if the home uses equipment that brings in outside air. Avoid improvising covers or modifications to ventilation equipment. The right setting depends on what is installed, and maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature matters alongside filtration.

Have somewhere else to go

A cleaner air room is not a reason to ignore evacuation instructions. EPA advises seeking another location if the home becomes too hot, power is lost or too much smoke still enters. Identify a realistic alternative and transportation plan before those conditions develop.

Review the plan with anyone who looks after children, pets or another household member. Keep medications and essential items ready according to individual needs. After conditions improve, follow current guidance for airing out the home and replacing dirty filters. The goal is to reduce exposure while staying alert to changing conditions, not to promise that closing a door solves every wildfire risk.

• Next step: choose the room and confirm a suitable air-cleaner setup before the next smoke event.