For the third fall in a row Northern California has been hit hard with wildfires. There always seems to be a point of time where there is a standstill in knowing what to do, fire is still burning so smoke keeps you and the kiddos indoors, travel is not highly plausible in the area, evacuation centers are overwhelmed with donations and assistance, and so you wait. I always feel compelled in wanting to help in some way, but feel like I come up short with solutions. Until it dawned on me while coming across a few post on social, mother’s sharing their concerns about their little ones being exposed to smoke inhalation, and new studies showing the harmful effects of such exposure , especially to younger children and the elderly . 

As a wife of a husband who is a Fire Capt. in the area, I have personally worried about the issue of smoke inhalation for years, that all fire personnel in particular deal with in relation to the very nature of their work. Now that concern has grown to include our son who like other children in the area has gone through three big fires locally. While I can’t magically snap my fingers, making these fires and their devastation disappear, I feel I can help and share some information that I have researched over the years in how to support, and even help our bodies detox from smoke exposure.

The tips are sensible and practical, like it is best to stay indoors with circulated filtered air. However life semi continues on requiring us to go outdoors, even if that means just letting our son get outside and get some wiggles out. The tips I am sharing are effective ways we can support our bodies during a stressful time, and most items can be found readily and might even be in your cupboards already.

I also want to share my heartfelt gratitude for ALL FIRST RESPONDERS for keeping our communities safe. May everyone return home safely!