In addition to the devastating effects of the fires, air quality has become greatly compromised in surrounding areas, and these effects can travel for hundreds of miles on prevailing winds.

Wildfire events have become more frequent and intense in the past few years. Some have linked this to climate change and other factors that aren’t easily solved.

Bad outdoor air will always find its way indoors, as no building can be completely sealed. Wildfire smoke contains many elements that degrade air quality and can negatively impact a person’s health. A major factor in wildfire smoke is particles. These can be microscopic, but when concentrated enough, you can see the visible smoke.

Of most concern are PM 2.5 or smaller particles. PM stands for Particulate Matter, and 2.5 is measured as 2.5 microns or less. A micron is 1/25,000 of an inch. By comparison, a human hair is 50 to 70 microns. Because they are so small and light, these particles can easily travel hundreds of miles from their point of origin. In summer 2023, wildfires in northern Canada produced murky skies and burning smells in New York City and other cities along the East Coast.

There are also other concerning contaminants produced by fires: TVOC (Total Volatile Organic Compounds), gaseous compounds like formaldehyde, methane, carbon monoxide, acetone, nitrogen oxide, and others. These can range from irritating to toxic. Properties on fire will emit these and many other compounds into the air – not only inside the building, but everything else, including furnishings, plastics, etc. – all of which deteriorate air quality.

Lastly, fires produce ash. This ash can become easily airborne by prevailing winds and affect air quality by increasing particulate and TVOC levels. These can impact air quality in surrounding areas for up to two years.

So how can we restore and remediate our offices and homes, and better protect our indoor air quality?

If your property has suffered fire damage, all the contaminants mentioned above will be present at unhealthy levels.

First, water will be used to put out the fire. That means there will be water and moisture everywhere, which can now begin to grow mold. Mold can grow in as little as 24 hours, so fast action is needed. Drying these areas as soon as possible is important to prevent this growth.

Also, any materials that got wet – flooring, drywall, etc. – should be replaced. Drywall, for example, may seem dry, but it can retain moisture and grow mold on the backside of the wall, becoming a significant mold problem over time.

In these cases, always consult a professional remediation contractor, who should use an industrial hygiene professional to devise the remediation plan and conduct testing to ensure there are no microbial or indoor air quality concerns post-remediation.

The materials you choose to rebuild can affect your indoor air. Where possible, use low VOC-emitting materials, as these will lower TVOC levels. Your HVAC systems are the lungs of your home or office. Be sure to have these systems checked and cleaned post-remediation, and be sure the filters are changed before, during, and after the process.

Smoke odors can be difficult to remove, as odorous smoke particles can seep into and embed in building materials and furnishings. Painting walls, replacing flooring, deep cleaning furnishings, and using HEPA vacuuming can help to remove these odors. Also, bi-polar ionization air purification technology – which is used in many smoking casinos to control smoke odor – can be highly effective when integrated into the HVAC system both during and after remediation to reduce smoke odor. BPI is also highly effective at stopping microbial growth.

If your property is in an air quality alert area but not damaged, there are things you can do to help protect the indoor air from these events.

USEPA has stated the three critical factors to improving indoor air quality are source control, ventilation, and air cleaning.

Starting with source control, knowing the outdoor air quality is important so you can know when to act. Airnow.gov can tell you the outdoor air quality index in cities across the US and will alert you to unhealthy levels, so check this often.

When outdoor air quality is bad, there are two important things you can do to help minimize the impact on your indoor air.

One is to keep the outdoor air out. In a commercial building, this means closing the outside air dampers that allow the building to mix outdoor air into the air supplied into the space. This may be done by means of an adjustment to the building automation system or by manually closing them. Often these are operated by actuators that may not work, so verify if they operate. Also, these dampers, depending on age, may not seal well and contaminated air will still get in, so that should be checked.

Ventilation and air cleaning must also be considered. Ventilation is critical to the performance of any air cleaning system. Check to see that your ventilation systems are in balance, the building is slightly positively pressured to keep outdoor air out, and air delivery is balanced to all spaces. For air cleaning, be sure filters are sealed well to their frames so contaminated air does not bypass the filter.

While on the topic of ventilation, dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) bi-polar ionization technology, when added to an HVAC system, helps reduce certain airborne contaminants, providing an additional layer of indoor air quality protection when used alongside high-efficiency filtration and proper ventilation. DBD BPI devices emit ions that seek, attach to, and help neutralize smoke at its sources.

Change the filters frequently and, if possible, upgrade filters to a higher MERV rating – MERV 13 or higher is recommended. An active air cleaning system like bi-polar air ionization will help, as air ions, like in nature, will reduce particles and break down VOC gases, all of which are produced by wildfire smoke.

Knowledge is power. A good quality air monitor can measure indoor contaminants like PM 2.5 and TVOC and tell you when your indoor air needs attention. Many superior monitors also track outside air and can alert you to adverse outside conditions, allowing you to take proactive actions.

Wildfires can produce devastating effects on the ecosystem and on our homes and businesses. These effects can be felt hundreds of miles from the source and degrade the indoor air we breathe.

By using the proactive and reactive strategies mentioned, people can protect their indoor air and minimize the impact of these situations, which are occurring more frequently.

Wildfire smoke can destroy the health of a building. Knowing how to restore and remediate is key to bringing smoke-exposed buildings back to safety.