Expert: Air-quality indicators are crucial for protecting people from wildfire smoke

Air-quality indicators should become a primary guide for people living under the threat of forest and land-fire smoke, pulmonologist Tjandra Yoga Aditama said.

Tjandra, chair of the Indonesian Lung Doctors Association’s Honorary Council, said residents need regularly updated information showing pollution levels in their area. Color categories such as red, yellow and green can help people decide whether to leave home, go to work or send children to school.

When the indicator reaches red, he strongly advised people to stay indoors. Schools and workplaces should move activities home if necessary. A yellow reading may still allow people to go out, he said, depending partly on whether a school has adequate facilities to keep classroom air clean.

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The advice is to wear the best mask possible. If you can, an N95 is better.

For people who must go outside in smoke-affected areas, Tjandra recommended wearing the best available mask. Forest-fire fighters should use respirators rather than simple cloth masks, while members of the public should consider N95 masks where possible. “The advice is to wear the best mask possible. If you can, an N95 is better,” he said.

He also urged residents indoors to close openings that could allow outside air to enter. An air purifier can help if a household already has one, but he said not everyone needs to buy one immediately because its usefulness depends on the concentration of smoke and the purifier’s capacity. Tjandra described air-quality monitoring as a World Health Organization recommendation for guiding residents, schools and local governments.

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If it is already red, do not go outside. That is when schools and work can appropriately move home.