By Mel Crichton EBS COLUMNIST
Apologies to Jerome Kern, but I needed a smoky title, and it’s wildfire season. With wildfire comes smoke, even when the fire is hundreds of miles away. That’s a fact of life too often seen here in Big Sky.
For decades, Big Sky has been extremely lucky; the nearest recent wildfire has been over 25 miles away. But our risk for wildfire is very high, as we are surrounded by thousands of acres of forest that have not burned in over 100 years. Most healthy forests experience modest burns every 20 to 40 years. We are overdue.
With El Niño and dry forest fuels both stacking up against us, we’re upping the ante on wildfire preparation this year. If you’re reading this EBS issue soon after it’s printed, you still have time to sign up for the free Wildfire Film Fest on Monday, June 29 at The Waypoint. Just go to The Waypoint website to secure your tickets. Videos and clips from Hollywood movies will cover wildfire risks, and how you and your home can survive. You’ll also have a chance to share a brew with local wildfire experts after the presentation.
One thing that won’t be covered is smoke from wildfires. There just isn’t enough time to cover every topic, so Ta-da! You’re getting the smoke part now.
Wildfire smoke can travel hundreds of miles downwind and often settles in Big Sky. The latest forecast is that our local fire risk will peak in July, but Idaho and Utah will be at high risk a month sooner, raising our likelihood of smoky skies. To stay in the know, you can monitor wildfires using the WatchDuty app. If you’re wondering how healthy our air is, check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index, or AQI, map at Airnow.gov or Purple Air. Drill in on our area, and you’ll see a number of air monitors near us. If they show green, we’re good. If they are some other color, certain people may experience respiratory issues. People more at risk are young children, older adults and people with chronic illnesses or are pregnant.
If the AQI is too high for you, protect yourself by limiting outdoor activity and staying indoors with windows and doors closed. If you have central heating, run the fan in recirculation mode, and if you can, upgrade the air filters to the highest MERV rating you can get. MERV 13 is ideal, as the filter can actually remove smoke particles.
If you don’t have central heat, you can create a “clean room” in your home with a HEPA air filter unit. You can either purchase one for about $150 or “do-it-yourself” using a 20-inch box fan and a 20-inch MERV 13 air filter. I bought my materials at Walmart online for less than $50, and assembly instructions are on the EPA website. Just search for “DIY Air Cleaner.”
If you need one in a hurry, the Big Sky Rotary Club stocked five one-room size filter units at the new sheriff’s office across from the Conoco station. Just text your name and “FILTER” to 317-691-7736, and we’ll arrange for you to borrow one. Additionally, Big Sky Rotary Club will fabricate a number of DIY units to borrow.
Since smoke events could last for some time, be sure you have ample food and medications for an extended stay indoors. Dig out that old N95 mask from the pandemic days if you need to go out. While isolating indoors, avoid frying or broiling food, smoking, burning candles, or using a fireplace.
Pets are just as sensitive to smoke as humans. Signs of smoke stress include reddish eyes, coughing, open-mouth breathing, reduced appetite and thirst, and disorientation. Pet birds are very sensitive to smoke. If your pet’s symptoms are severe, call the vet.
If you are near the fire itself, be sure you are signed up for county emergency notifications to your phone and have your go-kit ready to go. This information, and a lot more, is available in the Big Sky Wildfire Action Guide, which is available online or at numerous locations around town.
And if you hanker for even more wildfire thrills, there will be a FREE showing of “The Lost Bus”, a Hollywood film about the Paradise fires in California starring Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrara. Reserve a seat for the July 13 showing at the Waypoint website. Let’s hope the only wildfires we see are on-screen this summer.
Mel Crichton acts as neighborhood ambassador coordinator for Fire Adapted Big Sky. He may be reached at kj9c@comcast.net.
