BEST PRACTICES GUIDE FOR IMPROVING INDOOR AIR QUALITY IN COMMERCIAL/PUBLIC BUILDINGS DURING WILDLAND FIRE SMOKE EVENTS

Building from our field studies in Missoula, MT and Hoopa, CA (including building inspections) and our work with the ASHRAE (formerly the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) Committee developing ASHRAE Guideline 44-2024: Protecting Building Occupants from Smoke During Wildfire and Prescribed Burn Events for commercial buildings, including schools, to reduce smoke exposure to occupants, we have developed a plain language document to help communities identify strategies for reducing smoke exposure indoors during wildland fire smoke events.

Impact/Purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide a concise and complete source of information on the steps that can be taken to reduce the impacts of wildfire smoke indoors in commercial or public buildings.  This publication is for (1) individuals and groups with decision-making abilities for public, commercial, and multi-unit residential buildings including building owners and managers, school administrators, and facility managers; (2) federal, state, local, and Tribal environmental and public health organizations that provide information to communities to reduce exposure to wildland fire smoke in public or commercial spaces.

Citation

Holder, A., B. Hassett-Sipple, S. Coefield, O. Ryder, AND H. Hafner. BEST PRACTICES GUIDE FOR IMPROVING INDOOR AIR QUALITY IN COMMERCIAL/PUBLIC BUILDINGS DURING WILDLAND FIRE SMOKE EVENTS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-25/115, 2025.

• BEST PRACTICES GUIDE FOR IMPROVING INDOOR AIR QUALITY IN COMMERCIAL_PUBLIC BUILDINGS DURING WILDLAND FIRE SMOKE EVENTS.PDF (PDF)  (NA  pp, 8.3 MB, about PDF)