Wednesday, September 16, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
SMOKE: Take care
of yourself and
stay informed
Continued from page 1
the fresh-air intake closed,
said the CDC. People who
would normally let nature
cool off their houses should
keep windows and doors shut
according to Gleim. A do-it-
yourself box fan filter can
be helpful, though she warns
<you don9t want to put it in
your window because then
you9re bringing smoky air in
from outside= (instructions in
sidebar). Air quality tends to
be worst in the evening.
<The primary pollutant of
concern in any kind of wild-
fire smoke is very tiny par-
ticles that scientists call PM
2.5,= which is particulate mat-
ter smaller than 2.5 microme-
ters 4 that9s 30 times smaller
than the width of a hair off
your head,= said Gleim. <It9s
very, very tiny and so when
we inhale it it goes deep
down into our lungs= and can
cause inflammation, short-
ness of breath and coughing,
as well as exacerbate heart
and lung conditions.
<We9ve been trying to
stress to people that cloth and
paper masks that people have
been wearing to prevent the
spread of COVID-19 do not
protect you from the harmful
particles in wildfire smoke.
Those particles are just too
small and go right through
that mask.=
Though heavy-duty
N95 masks can be effective
against ambient smoke inha-
lation, they come with their
own challenges and may be
in short supply due to use by
frontline workers during the
pandemic. Unlike their cloth
counterparts, N95s can be
problematic for people who
already have breathing issues.
Since they are designed to
create a seal around the face,
they should not be used by
children or over facial hair.
Also, N95s with a plastic
vent will not contain the
wearer9s germs from others,
according the Food and Drug
Administration.
<When we9re breathing air
in our homes and our busi-
nesses that has high levels
of these smoke particulates,
I think the most important
thing for your health is&
eating well, drinking lots of
water and upping your sup-
plements,= said Jinny Reed, a
retired assistant fire manage-
ment officer with the Sisters
Ranger District.
<Every individual has
access to real-time data= on
the internet, Reed said. She
recommends people regularly
check smoke outlooks and
forecasts so they <can make
informed decisions about
what they9re going to do
today, tomorrow, and some-
times in the future.= (Links to
resources are available at the
end of the story below.)
Currently <there is no
clean air between Canada and
Mexico in the Pacific states,=
said Reed. <If you have a
health condition, maybe&
you need to go visit family
far away and wait it out.=
A dramatic shift in the
winds last week led to
unusual easterly winds that
blew wildfire smoke in the
west away from Sisters but
was part of the same wind-
storm that fueled the fires,
according to Reed.
<It9s hard to pinpoint
where smoke is coming from
because we have a bunch of
31
those big fires burning up
and down the western side
of the state,= said Gleim,
who is based in Bend. The
Lionshead fire around Mt.
Jefferson and the enormous
fires on the other side of the
Cascades are likely the big-
gest contributors to the poor
air quality in Sisters, Gleim
said.
<Those fires in the
uplands, they9re going to con-
tinue to burn and emit emis-
sions until it rains or snows,=
said Reed. <A season-ending
event where it actually rains
a quarter-inch or a half-inch
doesn9t typically occur until
[mid-to-late] October.=
<Your best line of defense
is your personal health,=
Reed said. <Do what you can
to take care of yourself and
stay informed.=
THE ARENDS & SCOTT REALTY GROUP
Discover the Diff erence
Seeking DIY relief from smoky conditions
Indoor air cleaners filter
smoke particles out of the air.
You can do this by attach-
ing a furnace filter on a box
fan so that the fan surface is
completely covered by the
filter. One example would be
a 20-inch by 20-inch box fan
with a 20-inch by 20-inch
furnace filter attached to
it. You can attach the filter
firmly to the fan using tape,
a bungee cord, or another
method. Make sure to attach
the filter so that the arrow on
the filter points in the direc-
tion of the air generated by
the fan.
Here are important tips
for proper filtration and
safety:
1. For good filtration, you
need a furnace filter that is
HEPA or rated MERV-13 or
higher. These filters remove
more particles from the air
than lower-rated ones. Filters
with lower ratings offer
inadequate protection from
smoke.
2. Filters three to five
inches thick will last lon-
ger than thinner ones. They
have more surface area and
will trap more particles with
time. Change the filter as the
manufacturer recommends
or when visibly dirty.
3. A filter can put strain
on the fan motor and could
cause the motor to overheat
or catch fire. Therefore, it is
very important to turn the fan
off if you leave the house. To
limit possible hazards, you
should:
" Turn off and unplug the
fan and contact the retailer or
manufacturer if you notice
a burning smell or unusual
noises. Do not continue
using the fan with or without
the filter.
" Make sure to change
filters as the manufacture
recommends or when visibly
dirty to limit strain on the fan
motor.
" Do not balance the fan
on the edge of the counter, or
anywhere that it could fall.
" Prevent children and
pets from chewing on or
pulling the fan cable.
" Always unplug the fan
from the socket when not in
use.
" Ensure that you have
functioning fire and smoke
alarms installed in your
home. The National Fire
Protection Association pro-
vides recommendations
on where to place fire and
smoke alarms (https://www.
nfpa.org/smokealarms).
The Confederated Tribes
of the Colville Reservation
Air Quality Program
attached two filters to the fan
in a triangular manner, which
reduces the load on the fan
motor. You might consider
this setup as well.
$529,900
Links:
Triangular box fan filtra-
tion system video instruc-
tions: https://www.cct-enr.
com/box-fan-filter.
OregonAir mobile app
(free air quality index track-
ing): available at your
mobile app store.
Oregon Smoke blog
(coordination between local,
state, tribal and federal
organizations about wild-
fire smoke affecting Oregon
communities): oregonsmoke.
blogspot.com
Interagency Wildland
Fire Air Quality Response
Program (detailed maps,
charts and forecasts for
the US): https://sites.
google.com/firenet.gov/
wfaqrp-external/home.
Phil Arends
Chris Scott
Principal Broker
Broker
541-420-9997
541-588-6614
phil.arends@cascadesir.com
chris.scott@cascadesir.com
Licensed in the State of Oregon
Licensed in the State of Oregon
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SUDOKU
SOLUTION
for puzzle on page 27
Commercial Building
& Business
Comments? Email
editor@nuggetnews.com
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809 SW Canyon Dr., Redmond
Second-level offi ce and bathroom
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Khiva Beckwith - Broker
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541-420-2165
Call Ralph at 541-390-5187 or
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www.khivasellscentraloregon.com