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Mar 07, 2025

Safety Guidelines: Wildfires and Wildfire Smoke | Wildfires | CDC

It's important for everyone to reduce their exposure to smoke. Wildfire smoke irritates your eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. It can make it hard to breathe and make you cough or wheeze. Children and

It's important for everyone to reduce their exposure to smoke. Wildfire smoke irritates your eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. It can make it hard to breathe and make you cough or wheeze. Children and people with lung diseases such as asthma or COPD, heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or who are pregnant need to be especially careful about breathing wildfire smoke.

Children ages 2 years and older can wear respirators and masks. However, NIOSH Approved respirators do not come in suitable sizes for very young children.

NIOSH Approved respirators and imported respirators may be available in smaller sizes that fit children. However, manufacturers typically design them to be used by adults in workplaces. They may not have been designed or tested for use by children.

You may be asked by public authorities to evacuate or you may decide to evacuate. Know how to evacuate safely and how to develop a family disaster plan, including:

Large fires can cause long-term power outages. Read about what to do if your power goes out, including: