One side effect of Arizona’s peak wildfire season is the degrading air quality throughout the state.
With smoke, ash, and dust from the fires traveling long distances, even Arizona residents living far away from a blaze may be at risk.
JoAnna Strother of the American Lung Association says those with lung problems should wear masks to protect from wildfire smoke and dust, but the cloth face coverings worn during the pandemic are not effective.
“The particles from the wildfires are very, very, small, and those types of coverings do not protect you, and can not filter out those very small particles,” said Strother.
Strother says the best protection is a filtered mask, like an N95, that is well-fitted to your face.
She recommends masks for those with preexisting lung conditions, the elderly, children, pregnant women and outside workers.
