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Wildfire smoke can drift into Kentucky even if the fire is in another state or even another country. We’ve already had days when smoke from Canadian wildfires pushed haze and fine particles across the state and sent air quality in places like Louisville and Lexington into the unhealthy range.
In this blog, we will show you how to check current smoke in your area, when to ease up on outdoor activity, and how to keep indoor air cleaner.
Check the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map in the morning and again if the wind shifts so you know what you’re breathing right now.
If AQI is over 100, slow down outdoor activity, especially for kids, older adults, and anyone with asthma, heart, or lung issues.
Keep smoke out at home: close windows and doors, set your system to recirculate, and run the best filter your system can handle (use MERV 13 if airflow still feels normal).
Use the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map. Search by city or ZIP or drag the map to your area. You’ll see color-coded AQI, current PM2.5 levels, where smoke plumes are sitting, and any nearby fires. The map pulls from federal, state, and local monitors and temporary sensors set up for smoke events.
You should check more than once. Wind and frontal changes can move smoke through the Ohio Valley and into eastern Kentucky within hours, and the state has warned residents to limit time outside when smoke settles.
These steps follow current EPA guidance for wildfire smoke indoors.
Keep outdoor air out. Close windows and doors. Set central air to recirculate instead of pulling outside air in.
Run the fan. Set the thermostat fan to “On,” not “Auto,” so air keeps moving through the filter. EPA recommends running the system so the filter is always scrubbing the air.
Use a higher-MERV filter. Day to day, homes often use MERV 8 or MERV 11. During smoke, EPA recommends switching to MERV 13 or higher if your system can still keep normal airflow and comfort. Higher MERV filters catch more fine smoke particles.
Make one cleaner room. Pick a bedroom or main living area, keep the door closed, and run a portable HEPA air cleaner sized for that room. The EPA calls this a “clean room.”
No HEPA? You can make a DIY air cleaner with a 20" box fan (2012 or newer with a UL/ETL safety mark) and a 20" x 20" MERV 13 filter taped to the intake. Thicker filters (like 4") or multi-filter box builds improve performance. EPA has tested this approach.
If AQI is over 100, sensitive groups (kids, older adults, people with asthma or heart/lung disease) should limit hard outdoor activity. As AQI climbs higher (150+), air can be unhealthy for everyone and outdoor time should be reduced.
If you must stay outside in thick smoke, use an N95 or P100 respirator that seals to your face.
When you’re in the car, keep windows up and set the A/C to recirculate so you’re not constantly pulling smoky air from outside. Kentucky health and university guidance both include this step.
During smoke days, don’t just wait for your normal change date. Pull the HVAC filter and look at it. If it’s dark, looks packed, or you feel weak airflow from vents, replace it early. EPA notes filters load faster in wildfire smoke and should be checked more often.
Do the same with your portable HEPA unit or DIY box-fan filter. Swap the filter if the intake side is visibly coated.
Filterbuy makes pleated HVAC and AC filters in MERV 8, MERV 11, and MERV 13. They’re made in the USA, offered in standard and custom sizes (including 1", 2", and 4" thicknesses), and ship fast with free U.S. delivery. Filterbuy also offers odor-control options with activated carbon.
For smoke events in Kentucky, use MERV 13 if your system can still keep normal airflow and comfort. Otherwise, stay with the highest MERV the system can handle and keep the fan running so air passes through the filter continuously.
Use the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map. Search your city or ZIP to see current air quality, smoke plumes, and nearby fires.
Once AQI goes over 100, the air is not healthy for sensitive groups like kids, older adults, and people with asthma or heart/lung issues.
Smoke travels. Kentucky can get smoke from other states and even from Canada. You can have unhealthy air with no local fire.
Keep windows and doors closed. Set your HVAC to recirculate so you’re not pulling in outdoor air. Let the fan run so air keeps passing through the filter.
Use the highest MERV rating your system can handle without hurting airflow. MERV 13 is preferred for smoke if your system can still run normally.
Pick one room. Keep the door closed and the windows shut. Run a portable HEPA air cleaner sized for that room.
You can make a DIY air cleaner with a box fan and a high-MERV filter taped to the intake side. Use a newer fan and change the filter when it gets dirty.
Yes. Use a well-fitting N95 or P100 that seals to your face. Cloth and loose surgical masks aren’t enough for smoke.
If air quality is poor (AQI over 100), move hard practice or conditioning indoors and limit intense outdoor activity.
It happens more often than normal. If the filter looks dark or packed, or airflow from the vents feels weak, replace it.
