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Florida air quality can drop fast from wildfire smoke and from prescribed burns used to manage land and reduce future fire risk. In this blog, we will show you how to check live smoke in your area today, what to do outside when the air is hazy, and how to keep indoor air cleaner.
Check the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map in the morning and again if the wind changes. You’ll see AQI, PM2.5, smoke plumes, and current fire activity in Florida.
If air quality is poor, limit hard outdoor activity. This is important for children, older adults, and anyone with asthma or heart or lung issues. Heat plus smoke adds extra stress in Florida.
Indoors, keep windows and doors closed. Run A/C or HVAC on recirculate and use the highest MERV filter your system can handle.
Use MERV 13 if the system can still move air normally. A HEPA purifier or DIY box fan filter can help in the main room you use.
Use the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map. Search by your city or ZIP code. You will see:
Air Quality Index (AQI)
Fine particle pollution (PM2.5)
Visible smoke plumes
Active fire locations
Florida residents can also check wildfire status, fire danger rating, and county burn bans from the Florida Forest Service. Those updates help explain where smoke may drift through the afternoon.
Because sea breezes and fronts move fast in Florida, you should check more than once. Smoke that looks minor in the morning can reach unhealthy levels for sensitive groups later in the day.
Florida uses prescribed fire to reduce fuel, protect homes, and manage habitat. These burns are planned and permitted, but they still create local smoke for a limited period downwind.
Wildfires and brush fires can add to that. Hot, dry periods and lightning can send smoke across multiple counties and push PM2.5 higher than normal. When that happens, agencies warn residents to stay indoors more, slow down outdoor work, and monitor air quality.
Florida also faces extreme heat. Guidance often mentions both heat and smoke together. If you feel chest tightness, trouble breathing, dizziness, or heavy fatigue, go indoors to cool air and rest. Seek care if symptoms do not improve.
These steps follow current EPA wildfire smoke guidance and work in air-conditioned homes.
1. Keep outside air out
Close windows and doors. Set central A/C or HVAC to recirculate so you are not constantly drawing smoky outdoor air inside. Close any fresh air intake if possible, during smoke.
2. Run the fan to filter air
Set the thermostat fan to “On” instead of “Auto.” That keeps air moving through the filter. EPA recommends running the fan during smoke and checking the filter often.
3. Use a higher MERV filter
On normal days many homes use a basic filter. During smoke, EPA advises upgrading to a high efficiency filter such as MERV 13 if your system can keep normal airflow and comfort. Keep spare filters because smoke can load them faster than usual.
4. Create a cleaner room
Pick one room such as a bedroom or main living area. Keep that door closed and run a portable True HEPA purifier there. If you do not have a HEPA unit, EPA allows a DIY option using a newer box fan and a high efficiency filter taped to the intake side. Watch it while it runs.
5. Limit extra indoor pollution
Avoid burning candles, frying, vacuuming aggressively, or running bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans for long periods. Those steps can either add particles or pull smoky air in from outside.
Try to schedule yard work, workouts, or errands for the cleaner parts of the day. If the air looks smoky and you still have to be outside for a while, use an N95 or P100 that fits snugly against your face. Cloth masks and loose paper masks won’t block the fine particles in smoke.
Pay attention to how you feel. Coughing that doesn’t calm down, tightness in your chest, trouble catching your breath, feeling lightheaded, or feeling wiped out are signs to stop, get inside to cooler air, and rest. Get medical help if that doesn’t get better.
When you’re driving, keep the windows up and set the A/C to recirculate so you’re not pulling in smoky air from outside.
Do not wait for your normal 90-day change if smoke is in the area. Pull the HVAC filter and look at it. Replace early if the media looks dark or matted, if the house smells smoky, or if airflow from the vents feels weak. EPA notes that filters may need more frequent replacement during heavy smoke.
Do the same for portable HEPA units or DIY box fan filters. If the intake side is visibly coated, change it.
Filterbuy provides pleated HVAC and A/C filters in high performance MERV ratings such as MERV 11 and MERV 13, with options that include activated carbon for odor. Filters are made in the USA, available in standard and custom sizes for a tight fit, and ship fast with free U.S. delivery. Auto Delivery makes sure you always have a clean filter ready before the next smoke or burn event.
Use the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map. Type in your city or ZIP code. It will show local air quality, smoke plumes, and nearby fire activity.
Florida does a lot of prescribed burning to clear dry brush. That smoke can drift into nearby neighborhoods even when there is no emergency fire.
Start paying attention when AQI gets above 100. At that point, the air can bother children, older adults, and people with asthma or heart or lung problems.
Stay inside more. Keep windows and doors closed. Run A/C on recirculate so you are not pulling outdoor air in. Take breaks in cooled indoor air if you start coughing or feel tight in the chest.
Yes. Smoke plus high heat puts extra stress on your lungs and heart. If you feel lightheaded, short of breath, or wiped out, get inside, cool down, and rest.
Keep the house closed up. Run the A/C or HVAC on recirculate. Use the best filter your system can handle. A room HEPA purifier or a DIY box fan filter can help in the room you use the most.
Use the highest MERV rating your system can handle without killing airflow. If your system can handle MERV 13 and still blow normally, use it during smoke days.
Yes. If the filter looks dark or clogged, or the airflow from your vents feels weak, change it. Do not just wait for your normal 90 day schedule.
Use an N95 or P100 that seals well to your face. Cloth masks and loose surgical masks do not catch the fine particles in smoke.
Drive with the windows up. Set the A/C to recirculate so you are not pulling smoky air into the cabin.
