3 Ways I Prep My Home for Wildfire Season

Watch the video here, or follow along in real time on social media:

Cover photo by Kaitlin Green. Click on bolded statements for links to research.

Video script:

My house was built in 1904— the exact same year American Girl Samantha was living with her Grandmary. That’s 120 years ago! Since then, my house become a little crooked and we have some big old air gaps as a result. 

Normally, I don’t mind, but with wildfire season approaching, this is the first thing I take care of. I seal these up with a foam strip (basically the only time I’m pro-foam) to block smoke from coming in. 

Because some of the smoke will still find its way through the tinier cracks, I do a little air purifier maintenance— I have one in my bedroom, and one in my living room. Both have HEPA filters and the big one also adsorbs VOCs which wildfires release plenty of. 

Then, I monitor the situation. I don’t actually stare at my indoor air quality monitor all day, but I do check it regularly, along with the outdoor air quality on my phone. 

And that’s it! I know it still feels early, but fires are already off to an early start in Canada, and we’re predicted to have a higher than average fire season this summer, so it feels good to be prepared.