Sadly, raging wildfires are no longer all that remarkable in the west. The last few years have seen an uptick in the amount and intensity of wildfires, and that is expected to continue. In 2017 a study showed that over 4 million homes in the US were at risk for wildfire damage, and in the past ten years wildfires have cost over $5 billion.
Seattle saw a serious increase in smoke directly related to the wildfires last year, so they have decided that it is time to take action for the safety and health of their citizens.
Just announced this week, Seattle plans to install new and improved air-filtration systems within five of their major public sites around the city. These places are major gathering points for the community, so it makes sense Seattle would start here to improve air quality.
The five locations that are seeing a major upgrade to their HVAC filtration systems are the Rainier Beach Community Center, The Chinatown Community Center, Fisher Pavilion, The Armory, and Exhibition Hall at Seattle Center. The goal is to give people in these communities a place to go to breathe clean air when air levels hit their worst this summer due to wildfire smoke, especially for those who cannot afford to upgrade or change their HVAC system.
Even if you’re not someone who is sensitive to smoke or fire, breathing in such a large amount of it can cause major damage. The smoke you see in the air when a fire is burning is made up of tiny particles from what was burning, which is the issue.
These small pieces of wood, grass, or dirt enter your lungs as you breathe in, but don’t leave when you exhale. They can penetrate your body and cause a whole host of issues, including itchy, red eyes, runny noses, a cough, and more serious concerns, like lung disease and heart problems.
Some studies have linked exposure to excessive amounts of particle pollution to premature death, which is something the city is taking very seriously. Those who are very young or very old are more likely to be affected by this type of air pollution, but everyone in the area is at risk.
When Seattle first saw the uptick in smoke two years ago, they hoped that it was just a fluke year. 2018 brought even more smoke to the city and made officials realize that this may not be something they can hope will go away, but a real problem they need to address. Installing new air filtration systems is the start of that plan.
