Hampton, VA Live Wildfire Smoke Map
Get Alerts For Wildfires In Your Area
The moment a wildfire starts near you, you'll get an instant alert and simple tips to reduce your smoke exposure.
What's In The Smoke
30xSmaller than a human hair
Fine enough to reach deep into the lungs. A MERV 13 is built to capture it.
How Far It Travels
It Doesn't Stay Local
Smoke rides the wind far downwind — you can get smoky air with no fire nearby.
What To Do During A Smoke Event
Simple steps to reduce indoor exposure.
- Stay In, Close UpShut windows and doors to keep smoke out.
- Set Fan To "On"Keeps air cycling through your filter, not just when heating or cooling.
- Recirculate AirSwitch off fresh-air intake so you're not pulling smoke in.
- Run A MERV 13Built to capture the fine PM2.5 in smoke.
- Add A PurifierExtra filtration for the room you use most.
- Wear an N95 if OutsideFits snug to block fine particles — a cloth mask won't.
The Best Air Filter For Wildfire Smoke
During smoke events, the EPA recommends upgrading to a MERV 13 filter — or the highest-rated filter your system can handle — to help reduce the fine particles smoke brings indoors. MERV 13 is the level most home HVAC systems can run while still capturing PM2.5, the fine particulate that makes up the bulk of wildfire smoke.
- Captures PM2.5 particles
- Blocks ash, soot, and smoke odor
- Keeps your indoor air safe—even when the outdoor air is dangerous
- Meets the EPA's recommended rating for filtering fine wildfire smoke particles.
Wildfire Smoke FAQs
Facts About Wildfires
Over 70,000 wildfires burn in the U.S. every year.
Wildfire smoke can travel 1,000+ miles, affecting states that aren't even near the blaze.
Exposure to wildfire smoke can worsen asthma, trigger heart issues, and lead to ER visits.
Indoor air can hold more fine particles during wildfire events unless it's properly filtered.
The EPA advises using MERV 13 filters or portable HEPA air cleaners during wildfire smoke events.
Don't Wait Until The Smoke's Inside.
Use the live wildfire smoke tracker and upgrade your air filters today to protect your lungs and your home.
Shop Filters For Smoke Protection
Live Hampton, VA Forest Wildfire & Smoke Map Today: Local Air Quality Tracking & Indoor Protection Solutions
Hampton, VA rarely has a wildfire inside city limits, but smoke from distant fires still reaches the Virginia Peninsula. The live wildfire and smoke map at the top of this page shows active fires and smoke plumes alongside Hampton's current Air Quality Index (AQI). Below, Filterbuy explains how to read it and what to do at home.
TL;DR
Check the live map and follow AirNow and local guidance first. When Hampton's AQI reaches 100, Filterbuy's action line is to switch to a MERV 13 filter, set the thermostat fan to On, run a HEPA air cleaner in each room you use, and close up the house.
Key Takeaways
Most of Hampton's smoke comes from fires elsewhere, from the Great Dismal Swamp to Canada.
South or southwest winds bring swamp smoke, and northerly winds usually bring Canadian smoke.
An AQI of 100 is Filterbuy's signal to start the four steps, and 50 or below is the signal to reopen.
Homes without ductwork rely on portable HEPA air cleaners as their main defense.
Where To Check Live Wildfire And Smoke Conditions In Hampton Today
For a quick read on today's conditions, open the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map centered on Hampton, a free tool from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the USDA Forest Service.
Numbered circles are permanent monitors, and blank circles are low-cost sensors. Turn on NOAA Smoke Plumes in settings to add the NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis.
To look ahead, check the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) daily forecast and health alerts for Hampton Roads. The National Weather Service office in Wakefield, VA posts fire weather outlooks for Hampton, and the City of Hampton sends emergency alerts by email or text.
Why Hampton Gets Smoke From Fires Burning Miles Away
Hampton's smoke usually comes from outside the city. The Filterbuy team traced its documented smoke events to three sources.
Peat Fires In The Great Dismal Swamp
Peat fires in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, south of the harbor, can smolder for months and send smoke into Hampton. The lightning-sparked Lateral West Fire burned there for 111 days in 2011, and a NASA LEARN student study of Lateral West Fire smoke plumes traced one plume to the NASA Langley Research Center monitor in Hampton on August 18 of that year. Readers near the refuge can follow the Chesapeake, VA live wildfire and smoke map.
Spring And Fall Brush Fires Across Virginia
Virginia's wildfires peak in spring and fall, and the Virginia Department of Forestry wildfire overview names escaped debris burning as the leading cause. Fall fire season is underway as of this update.
Long-Range Smoke From Canada And Beyond
On June 8, 2023, Canadian wildfire smoke led Virginia DEQ to issue a Code Red air quality alert for Hampton Roads. Long-range smoke often looks like pale haze rather than a plume, so trust the AQI over the sky. Learn how far wildfire smoke can travel and how long wildfire smoke stays in the air.
Read The Wind To Know Which Smoke Is Coming
Wind direction tells you which smoke is coming. The Great Dismal Swamp sits south-southwest of Hampton, so swamp smoke arrives on south or southwest winds, while Canadian smoke usually rides north or northwest winds. Check the NWS Wakefield wind forecast against the map's smoke layer.
What Each AQI Level Means For Your Hampton Home
Filterbuy's action line is an AQI of 100, the top of the Moderate range. At that point, switch to MERV 13, set the fan to On, run a HEPA air cleaner in each occupied room, and close up the house. Readings of 101 to 150 are Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, which the CDC guide to how wildfire smoke affects your body says include children, pregnant people, and people with heart or lung conditions. Above 150, the air is Unhealthy for everyone.
Confirm the MERV 13 fit in your HVAC manual, just as you confirm the size.
The Four Steps To Take When Hampton's AQI Reaches 100
Check AirNow and Virginia DEQ alerts first, and follow any official instruction to stay indoors or relocate. Then, at an AQI of 100, take these four steps in order.
Switch to a MERV 13 filter. It is the whole-home layer, since the central system moves far more air than any portable unit. Confirm the fit in your HVAC manual, the same way you confirm the size.
Set the thermostat fan to On. Auto filters only while the system heats or cools, and On filters continuously.
Run a HEPA air cleaner in each occupied room, bedrooms first. If you can only buy one, put it in the bedroom.
Close the house up. Shut windows, doors, and the fireplace damper, and skip candles, frying, smoking, and vacuuming without a sealed unit while smoke is in.
Separately, the EPA indoor air filtration fact sheet recommends an HVAC filter rated MERV 13 or higher during smoke events and says portable air cleaners can be used alone or alongside central filtration. MERV 13 and HEPA do different jobs, so use both. Our MERV 13 vs. HEPA guide for wildfire smoke explains why HEPA never goes in a home HVAC system.
Check the filter during the event. Replace it when it looks dirty, dark brown or black, which can be well before the normal interval, and keep spares on hand. Filterbuy's reopening rule: once the nearest monitor holds at 50 or below, open the windows. See our guide to reducing wildfire smoke indoors for more.
No Ductwork? Your Hampton Path With Window Units Or Mini Splits
Without ductwork, portable HEPA air cleaners are your primary defense, not a supplement. Close the house up, run a unit in each room you use, and shut the fresh air vent on any window AC unit. Mini-split mesh filters catch dust rather than fine smoke, so rinse and dry them after the smoke passes.
A DIY box-fan cleaner with a MERV 13 filter is a reasonable stopgap, not a replacement for a certified air cleaner. The EPA fact sheet calls for a box fan made since 2012 with a UL or ETL logo, and the unit should never run unattended.
Sizing A HEPA Purifier With CADR
Choose a purifier with a smoke Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of at least two-thirds of the room's square footage, the EPA's sizing rule. A 12-by-15-foot bedroom covers 180 square feet, so it needs a smoke CADR of 120 or higher.
Skip Ionizers And Ozone Generators
Avoid any air cleaner that produces ozone, a lung irritant. The EPA does not recommend ionizers or other electronic air cleaners for smoke, so choose a mechanical HEPA unit from the California Air Resources Board list of certified air cleaners.
Choosing A MERV 13 Filter For Your Hampton HVAC System
MERV 13 is the filter rating to use for wildfire smoke. It is the highest rating in the pleated line Filterbuy manufactures and captures fine smoke particles, though it does not remove the gases or odor in smoke and is not a True HEPA filter. Filtration reduces smoke in the air rather than removing all of it. Confirm the fit in your HVAC manual, just as you confirm the size.
Filterbuy makes MERV 13 air filters in hundreds of standard sizes plus custom sizes, with fast and free 2-day delivery to most US states. To compare options, see our guide to the best air conditioner filter for wildfire smoke.
What Filterbuy Has Learned Building Filters For Smoke Season
Order the size printed on the frame. Filterbuy labels filters by nominal size and builds them slightly smaller to fit, so a 20x25x1 actually measures 19.5 x 24.5 x 0.75 inches. Order by the printed size.
Follow the arrow. Point the airflow arrow on the frame toward the blower, away from the return grille.
Hampton's smoke history surprised me. The 2011 plume that reached the NASA Langley monitor came from a swamp fire miles across the harbor. Watch the AQI number instead of the sky, and have a MERV 13 that fits your system ready before fire season.
Michelle Wan, Brand Manager and Air Quality Writer, Filterbuy
Supporting Statistics
121 days of swamp smoke.
The 2008 South One Fire in the Great Dismal Swamp burned 4,884 acres for 121 days, the longest-burning fire on record in Virginia. Filterbuy's take: one peat fire can mean months of filter checks.
Source: South One Fire on the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
Up to 10% more respiratory hospitalizations.
A 2021 Southern California study tied each 10 microgram per cubic meter rise in wildfire PM2.5, the fine particles in smoke, to 1.3% to 10% more respiratory hospital admissions, versus 0.67% to 1.3% for other PM2.5. Filterbuy's take: act early on smoke days.
Source: Wildfire Smoke Impacts Respiratory Health More Than Fine Particles From Other Sources
77,850 U.S. wildfires in 2025.
The National Interagency Fire Center counted 77,850 wildfires across 5,131,474 acres in 2025, up from 64,897 fires in 2024. Filterbuy's take: more fires mean more smoke days.
Source: National Interagency Fire Center Wildfire Statistics
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There A Wildfire Near Hampton, VA Right Now?
Wildfires inside Hampton are rare, but Filterbuy's live map above shows any fire reported nearby. Look for flame icons near the Peninsula and Suffolk, then turn on the NOAA smoke layer to track drift.
Why Is The Sky Hazy In Hampton When No Fire Is Nearby?
Usually, smoke has drifted in from elsewhere. Humid air off the Chesapeake Bay can look hazy too, so check the AQI. Smoke raises fine particle readings, and humidity alone does not.
Does A MERV 13 Filter Help With Wildfire Smoke?
Yes. MERV 13 is the rating Filterbuy recommends for smoke, and the EPA recommends MERV 13 or higher during smoke events. Pair it with a portable HEPA air cleaner and confirm the fit in your HVAC manual.
Is It Safe To Go Outside In Hampton Today?
It depends on the nearest monitor. AirNow advises sensitive groups to cut back on strenuous outdoor activity at 101 to 150, and everyone to do so above 150. People with asthma, COPD, or heart conditions should follow their doctor's advice.
Track Hampton's Air Today And Prepare Your Home Before The Next Smoke Day
Check the live Hampton, VA wildfire and smoke map before every smoke day, and let our Air Obsessed team at Filterbuy handle the rest. Pick a MERV 13 that fits your system with our air filter size finder, then set up Filterbuy auto-delivery so spares arrive before fire season.
Glossary
Air Quality Index (AQI): The EPA's 0 to 500 daily air quality scale with six categories.
CADR: Clean Air Delivery Rate, the filtered air a portable unit delivers.
Code Red Alert: A Virginia DEQ alert that air may reach the Unhealthy AQI range of 151 to 200.
True HEPA: A mechanical filter standard for portable air cleaners. It never goes in a home HVAC system.
MERV: Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, a 1 to 16 rating scale for HVAC filters.
PM2.5: Fine particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller, the main concern in smoke.
Subscribe to wildfire smoke alerts for Hampton, VA, to get a heads-up before the next event reaches your area.