There key strategies to addressing smoke from wildfires come at an opportune time. The wildfires that started blazing throughout southern California on January 7 were further ignited through high wind speeds, and a lack of water impeding firefighters from stopping them. The total direct damage of these fires is set to be between $130 and $150 billion, which would make it the costliest blaze in U.S. history. And with the state’s first line of defense – forest management and fire prevention – coming under renewed scrutiny, the people are looking for tangible ways to stay safe. Fortunately, ASHRAE began developing new guidelines for protecting building occupants from wildfire smoke years ago. The ASHRAE Guideline 44-2024, Protecting Building Occupants From Smoke During Wildfire and Prescribed Burn Events was released in December, just weeks before the current devastation. The guideline targets a range of facilities with special considerations for highly susceptible populations such as children and the elderly. It also provides detailed recommendations for both new construction and retrofits, covering everything from ventilation systems to air-cleaning technologies to building envelope design.