Smoke and fine particles
Wildfire smoke: what to do
Wildfire smoke is mostly fine particles (PM2.5) that can travel hundreds of miles. On smoky days, check your area's AQI, limit time and exertion outdoors, and keep the air you breathe indoors as clean as possible. This page lists practical steps and the areas where PM2.5 is the main pollutant at an unhealthy level right now, from preliminary EPA AirNow data as of Oct 28, 2026, 3:00 AM EDT.
Areas with high fine-particle readings now
Reporting areas where PM2.5 is the main pollutant and the current AQI is 101 or higher. The data do not say whether the particles come from smoke or another source.
| Area | PM2.5 AQI | As of (local) |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis, IN | 148Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | 3:00 AM EDT |
| Lake Elsinore, CA | 141Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | 12:00 AM PDT |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR | 105Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | 2:00 AM CDT |
For fire locations, smoke plumes and low-cost sensor readings, use the official AirNow Fire and Smoke Map.
Before smoke arrives
- Have a portable air cleaner with a true HEPA filter sized for the room where you spend the most time, often a bedroom.
- If you have central heating or air conditioning, keep spare filters rated MERV 13 or higher, if your system can use them.
- Keep a supply of NIOSH-approved N95 respirators that fit the people in your household.
- If you have asthma, heart or lung disease, ask your doctor for a plan for smoky days and keep medicines on hand.
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When the air is smoky
- Check the AQI often. Smoke levels can change quickly with the wind. Hourly readings are on each area page.
- Limit outdoor activity. Choose light activities and shorter times outdoors; reschedule hard exercise.
- Keep indoor air clean. Close windows and doors, run the air cleaner, and set the HVAC fan to recirculate. Avoid adding indoor pollution from candles, incense, frying, smoking or vacuuming.
- Make a clean room. Pick one room with few windows and doors, close it up, and run a portable HEPA air cleaner in it.
- Wear an N95 outdoors. A well-fitted N95 respirator filters fine particles; cloth and surgical masks offer little protection from smoke. N95s are not made for young children.
- In the car, keep windows closed and set ventilation to recirculate.
- Watch for symptoms such as coughing, trouble breathing, chest pain, a fast heartbeat or unusual tiredness. Call your doctor, or 911 in an emergency.
- Follow local officials on evacuations, school closures and cleaner-air shelters.
Comparing air cleaners? Compare air purifiers on OpenPicks, our sister site, which lists models by room size and filter type.
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Official resources
- AirNow Fire and Smoke Map — fires, smoke plumes and readings from monitors and sensors.
- CDC: Wildfire smoke — health guidance and who is at higher risk.
- EPA Smoke-Ready Toolbox for Wildfires — preparing your home and family.
- EPA: Air cleaners and air filters in the home.
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Preliminary data. AirNow readings and forecasts come from federal, state, local and tribal air quality agencies. They are not fully verified, may change, and must not be used for regulatory or official decisions; official data are in EPA's Air Quality System. For the latest official readings and advisories, check AirNow.gov and your state or local air agency.
This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have symptoms or a health condition, follow your doctor's guidance.