Happy Hump Day, Shit Givers.
You’ve seen the sky, smelled the air, or at least scrolled past the headlines about wildfire smoke from Canada that’s been drifting into the US for weeks.
This week is about what you can actually do with that information, and how to protect yourself from the next disaster.
First: communities in Canada are dealing with the fires themselves. If you just do one thing this week, support wildfire preparedness, relief and recovery across Canada with the Canadian Wildfire Fund (go).
Let’s go.
— Willow
Track the smoke
I think everyone is fully aware at this point that wildfire smoke doesn’t respect borders or forecasts — it can show up hundreds of miles from the nearest fire, and turn a clear morning hazy.
Use these tools to get real time information about what’s happening in the air around you, right now:
Get real-time wildfire alerts from trusted local sources with Watch Duty (go).
Check a daily-updated fire risk map with WIFIRE (go).
Track wildfires and air quality near you in real time with the NYT’s live tracker (go).
Check real-time air quality on Purple Air’s map, or buy a sensor to contribute your own data (go).
Stock up on vetted, high-quality masks through Project N95 (go).
Be prepared
Don’t wait until it’s time to evacuate, or for the smoke to seep into your house. Protecting your indoor air and hardening your home against embers are both cheaper and more accessible than you might think.
Learn about home-hardening standards that also lower your insurance costs with Wildfire Prepared Home (go).
Build a custom wildfire safety plan with CAL FIRE’s Ready For Wildfire resources (go).
Protect your indoor air during a smoke event, with the EPA’s Create a Clean Room guide (go).
Support community-level wildfire risk reduction with Fire Adapted Communities (go).
Rebuild in the aftermath
What does it actually mean for a home to be safe to return to? Right now, insurance companies get to answer that question themselves, instead of public health experts.
If you’re in California, tell your legislator to support AB 1642, the Wildfire Environmental Safety and Testing Act. It would require science-based, health-first standards for testing and cleaning up lead and asbestos contamination after a wildfire (go).
Join the fight for fair, transparent insurance in your state with the United Policyholders Forum (go).
Lost property in a disaster? Apply for FEMA help (go).
Protect the wild
None of this happens in a vacuum. Healthy, well-managed wildlands are more resilient to fire in the first place.
📍 Don’t live in any of these places? Find a wildland conservation organization near you (go).
That’s it for this week.
Thank you — as always — for giving a shit.
— Willow
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