Wildfire smoke settled into the Madison area early Thursday morning.
Experts say healthy people should not be harmed by short-term smoke exposure, but encouraged people to stay inside when at all possible.
It is fine to run an air conditioner, as most HVAC systems cool air from inside the house instead of pulling from the outside. But if your air conditioner has a "fresh intake" setting, make sure that is off and it is set to "recirculate." Or find the outdoor intake damper and close it.
Wildfire smoke gives the rising sun and sky an orange hue on Thursday morning as sandhill cranes are seen at Rennebohm Park on Madison's West Side.
JO JO MUNNS, Special to the State Journal
If you have an HVAC system with a high-efficiency filter installed, run the system’s fan as often as possible by setting the fan to "On" instead of "Auto" to remove particles while the air quality is poor.
If you have a window air conditioner, close the outdoor air damper. If you cannot close the damper, do not use the window air conditioner. Make sure that the seal between the air conditioner and the window is as tight as possible.
Here are some other tips to deal with the smoke, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
Reduce the smoke that enters your home by closing windows and doors.
If you have an evaporative cooler, and can safely access it, completely cover the outside air intakes with 4-inch-thick high-efficiency (MERV 13) furnace filters. Note: the external filters may need to be replaced frequently due to wind or rain damage.Â
Use a portable air cleaner or high-efficiency filter to remove fine particles from the air. Place it where people spend the most time and run it as often as possible on the highest fan speed.
Avoid activities that create more fine particles indoors, including smoking and vaping, using propane, spraying aerosol cans, frying food, burning candles and vacuuming.
Avoid strenuous activity during smoky times to reduce how much smoke you inhale.
Have a supply of N95 respirators and learn how to use them.
