Know your plan for wildfire season

While Oregon’s summers are known for beautiful sunshine and mild weather, rising temperatures and drier seasons mean they now come with the anticipation of wildfires. With several fires already burning across the state, it’s important for businesses and individuals to be prepared. 

As with any emergency, having a plan in place before there is a need could help prevent injuries, illness, and potentially save lives. 

Know the risks

Before we dive into how to create and manage a plan for your business and employees, let’s discuss why having one is crucial. 

It’s no secret that being near an active wildfire poses immediate risks of injuries, fatalities, and property loss, but many don’t realize the harm caused by smoke. Smoke travels much further than the fire itself and contains chemicals and particles that, when breathed in, can cause severe health issues, including: 

• Reduced lung function 
• Fatigue 
• Eye irritation 
• Worsening asthma and other existing heart and lung conditions  
• Coughing 
• Sore throat 
• Wheezing  
• Difficulty breathing 

Keep in mind certain workers may be more susceptible to the impacts of smoke due to their age, health history, and how much they work outside.

“Smoke is complex. It could be made up of trees and other organic matter and may contain biotoxins like poison ivy or poison oak,” says SAIF Industrial Hygienist Kim Henry. “But it can also contain fumes and vapors from burned items such as car tires, metal equipment, and other human-made materials. Smoke can travel hundreds to thousands of miles and impact communities far away.”

Watch our online training on how to protect workers from heat illness and wildfire smoke. 

Know which fires are burning

Employers should have current information on active wildfires, even the ones that aren’t in their immediate area or community. Monitoring weather forecasts, fire conditions, and air quality reports can help you make more informed decisions.

Several resources are available online for free—please make sure you’re using a trustworthy and reputable source. Here are a few we recommend: 

• Oregon Wildfire Response & Recovery | Managed by the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, this website offers a dashboard and map with active fires, areas under current evacuation orders, explanations of each evacuation level, and much more. 
• Inciweb | An interagency all-risk incident information management system. 
• Using Visibility to Estimate Health Effects | Run by the Department of Environmental Quality, this resource explains how using the 5-3-1 visibility index can help you decide which precautions to take when technology may not be available. 
• Northwest Coordination Center | The NWCC provides interagency resource coordination and support. 
• AQI calculator | A tool to find the air quality in your area, including various levels of concern, maps, and other data. 

Keep in mind, though, that AQI is only one piece of the puzzle.  

“AQI sensors are in fixed locations, so they only provide accurate information in a certain proximity to that sensor. Winds, temperature, and terrain play a big role in how smoke travels,” Henry says. 

Looking for mobile? Watch Duty is an app that can be downloaded on any smartphone that focuses on disseminating public safety information in real-time from verified sources. The AirNow mobile app automatically displays the current AQI (air quality index) for your local area or any area you wish to check, and allows you to store multiple areas for quick reference. 

Know your plan 

You know why it’s important to plan ahead, and how you can be aware of forecasts and conditions that may impact your business. Now, let’s discuss your plan.

“Building your plan is essential, but practicing your plan through table-top exercises or drills is important, too,” Henry says.

Before wildfire smoke hits your area or community 

It’s crucial to provide annual wildfire smoke training to all employees and include wildfire smoke events in your emergency plans. Prepare production schedules and work assignments with potential business interruptions and identify the risk of smoke exposure for each type of employee. 

During a wildfire or smoke event 

Communicate frequently with employees and make it easy for them to communicate with you. Conduct an exposure assessment at the start of each shift to determine air quality. Offer the appropriate filtering facepiece respirators based on the AQI. Find out more about respirators in our online training. 
 
For those working inside: shut down outside air intakes and allow air-conditioned buildings to operate on recirculated air. Change filters on HVAC units and keep windows and doors closed. 

For outside workers, relocate or re-assign work activities away from the smoke zone. Stop work when air quality and/or visibility present health and safety hazards. 

After a wildfire or smoke event 

Talk about what you learned: what went well and what could have gone better?  

Cleaning up after wildfire smoke impacts requires a thoughtful response. Make sure whoever conducts cleaning has the correct equipment and guidance. 

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) says “ash and debris from burned houses, sheds, and other structures can be hazardous, particularly when particles are inhaled. Ash and partially burned debris may contain asbestos, mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium and a variety of other dangerous chemicals.”

Learn what steps you should take and how you and your workers can stay safe in the DEQ article, “How to safely clean up ash and debris from burning buildings.”

You can find more details at Prepare your business for wildfire season.