"Protecting Yourself from Hazardous Air Quality: Tips and Recommendations"

As wildfire smoke descends, officials have issued Code Maroon warning in many parts of the northeastern United States. In addition to wearing a mask, staying indoors, and upgrading your home’s HVAC filters, you can try a portable air purifier to reduce hazardous pollutants inside your home. The best purifiers have a HEPA filter and a large fan that can push air through a fine mesh to trap particles. Look at the air purifier’s clean-air delivery rate, or CADR, to choose the correct size for your space. You can also make your own air purifier with four 20-by-20-by-2-inch MERV-13 air filters, a 20-inch box fan, good scissors, duct tape, pen, measuring tape, and strings.