Wildfires & smoke: stress, evacuation & recovery

Ready.gov advises signing up for more than one way to get alerts. The FEMA app can send National Weather Service alerts for up to five places, and air quality alerts matter too.

Ways to stay informed calmly

• Choose one or two official sources, like your county emergency office
• Keep alerts on, and set times to check maps rather than refreshing constantly
• Let one trusted person in your home be the “news checker” on tense days
• Mute rumour-heavy group chats when they make worry spike

Ready.gov suggests learning your evacuation routes, practising them with pets, choosing where you’d go, and keeping a go bag or car kit, with your phone charged and a backup charger.

In a study of the 2016 Fort McMurray evacuation, people named leaving early as something that helped. Having little time to prepare was one of the hardest parts.

Ready.gov advises keeping insurance policies and IDs up to date and storing digital copies in a password-protected place.

Ideas many families use

• Photograph each room for insurance
• Scan or photograph treasured photos and children’s artwork
• Keep a short list of irreplaceable items you’d grab first
• Store copies of key papers with a trusted person far away

If you’ve lived through a fire, the smell of smoke, a wind warning or the sound of sirens can bring feelings back fast. The EPA notes that smoke can trigger memories of other fires.

A quick reset

1. Name it: “This is a reminder. I’m safe right now.”
2. Check one official source to confirm what’s really happening.
3. Breathe out slowly, a little longer than you breathe in, five times.
4. Do one small preparing step, then return to your day.

Smoke is a visible reminder that something is wrong nearby, and it can make the whole day feel tense. Feeling uneasy, sad or on edge on these days is common.

Things that can help

• Bring light and colour indoors: lamps, music, a favourite show
• Keep regular wake, meal and sleep times
• Remind yourself the smoke will pass, even if not today

The EPA suggests making time for things you enjoy, exercising indoors if the air inside is cleaner, and spending time with others in cleaner-air places like libraries or malls.

Air quality can change quickly. The EPA suggests checking the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map, so you can catch a cleaner window to get outside.

The EPA lists signs like

• Changes in appetite, tiredness or headaches
• Nightmares or poor sleep
• Trouble concentrating or making decisions
• Using more alcohol, tobacco or other drugs
• Worry, frustration, anger or sadness

If reactions like these get in the way of daily life for several days, the EPA suggests reaching out to a health care professional.

Ready.gov suggests an N95 mask, or a room you can seal off from outside air with a portable air cleaner. If you’re not told to evacuate but smoke is present, stay indoors or go to a building with cleaner air.

The CDC notes that dust masks, surgical masks, bandanas and wet cloths won’t protect against smoke.

Under sudden stress, it’s hard to think clearly. That’s why a list made on a calm day is so helpful: you just follow it.

If you’re told to go

1. People and pets first. Things can be replaced.
2. Grab your go bag, phone and charger.
3. Follow the routes officials give you.
4. Text one contact to say you’re leaving and where you’re heading.

In the Fort McMurray study, more than a quarter of people who answered (112 of 393) described driving through or near flames. Memories like these can return later as nightmares or sudden fear.

If you’re trapped, Ready.gov advises calling 9-1-1 and giving your location, and turning on lights so rescuers can find you.

Ready.gov suggests practising evacuation with pets. The CDC suggests planning for pets and livestock ahead of time.

If you had to leave an animal behind, guilt and worry can be intense. Your choices were made under real danger. The Losing a pet guide may help if your animal didn’t survive.

Ready.gov says you can find open shelters through local authorities, the FEMA app or the Red Cross Emergency app. Staying with friends or family may be safer and more comfortable.

Small comforts

• A familiar item: a blanket, a photo, a favourite mug
• A simple daily rhythm: meals, a walk, bedtime
• One quiet corner, even if it’s just headphones
• Short breaks from news and maps

Ready.gov suggests texting or using social media to reach family and friends, because phone lines are often busy. Save calls for emergencies.

Not knowing where someone is can be agonising. Agree on one out-of-area contact everyone checks in with.

Looking for news is natural, but constant checking rarely brings new answers. It can leave you more tense and less able to rest.

Try

• Choose set times to check official updates, like morning, noon and evening
• Let a friend check for you and tell you if there’s real news
• Turn off push alerts from unofficial pages
• Write down questions to ask officials, so they’re out of your head

A review of wildfire research lists communal coping, meaning facing the problem together with others, as something that eased uncertainty among evacuees. Social support was also linked with lower depression and post-traumatic stress.

Sit with neighbours at the shelter, join a community update meeting, or call someone who understands. You don’t need to say anything wise. Being together helps.

5-4-3-2-1

1. Name 5 things you can see.
2. Name 4 things you can touch.
3. Name 3 things you can hear.
4. Name 2 things you can smell.
5. Name 1 thing you can taste, or one kind thing to say to yourself.

If your home survived and your neighbour’s didn’t, you might feel relief and guilt at the same time. If it’s gone, the news can hit like a wave, even if you expected it. There is no right way to react.

People sometimes feel silly grieving “just things”. But objects hold stories, people we’ve lost and parts of who we are. Missing them makes sense.

Gentle ideas

• Ask family and friends to share photos they have of you and your home
• Write down the stories behind special items, so the memories stay
• Keep one small thing from the site if it’s safe, like a stone or tile
• Start a new keepsake box when you’re ready

A review of wildfire research found that people with a strong bond to their environment generally fared better, and weak attachment was linked with worse outcomes. Caring about the land is a strength, even when it hurts to see it changed.

Fort McMurray evacuees described social changes, money worries and uncertainty about the future as lasting effects of the fire.

Sudden loss in a disaster can bring shock, anger and questions that have no easy answers. Grief like this deserves time and support.

Things that can help

• Bring a support person who can stay calm with you
• Decide ahead how long you’ll stay, and keep it short
• Expect strong feelings, or numbness. Both are normal.
• Plan something comforting for afterwards, like a meal with a friend

The EPA says children should not be near ash or ash-covered sites, and should only return after areas have been cleaned up. Many parents do the first visit alone so they can prepare themselves before children see it.

Ready.gov warns to stay away from hot ash, charred trees, smouldering debris and live embers. Heat pockets in the ground can cause burns or start new fires.

The EPA advises gloves, long sleeves and pants, socks, sturdy thick-soled shoes, goggles, and a close-fitting N95 or P100 respirator. It says people with heart or lung disease, older adults and pregnant women should not take part in ash cleanup.

Ready.gov suggests photographing damage, making an inventory and contacting your insurance company.

For questions about federal disaster assistance, the FEMA Helpline is 1-800-621-3362, with options in English, Spanish and other languages.

Keep it manageable

• Keep one notebook or phone note for every call: date, name, what was said
• Do paperwork in short blocks, with breaks
• Ask a friend to sit with you for hard calls
• Celebrate small wins, like one form sent

Cleanup can be physically and emotionally exhausting. It’s okay to stop, rest and come back another day. Taking care of sleep, food and water helps you keep going.

The EPA lists signs like

• Acting younger than their age
• Clinging to adults
• Fears
• Irritability
• Not cooperating

These are common, understandable reactions. If they last for weeks or get worse, talk with a paediatrician, school counsellor or therapist.

The EPA suggests

• Answer questions simply and honestly
• Keep children in their normal activities as much as you can
• Limit their exposure to news and social media
• Review your family safety plan together

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) has free wildfire tip sheets for parents, including one on news coverage, in English and Spanish.

Ideas

• Keep bedtime rituals, even in a shelter or hotel
• Let them bring or choose a comfort item
• Give small choices, like what to eat or wear
• Make time for play and drawing, which help kids process feelings

If a child lost a toy, a pet or their room, their grief is real too. Let them talk about it and miss it.

After the Fort McMurray fire, high rates of post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety were found among students in grades 7–12 eighteen months later. Teens may need check-ins long after adults think things are back to normal.

What helps

• Ask open questions while doing something together, like driving or cooking
• Let them help in real ways, like packing or helping neighbours
• Respect their need for friends and some privacy
• Watch for pulling away, sleep changes or more risk-taking

The CDC advises keeping children indoors as much as possible when air quality is poor, keeping them away from ash, and not letting them do cleanup work. Children aged 2 and up can wear well-fitted masks.

The EPA advises cleaning ash off all toys thoroughly before children use them.

A review of wildfire research found that ongoing stressors after the fire raised the risk of lasting post-traumatic stress. Lower income and a sense of little support also added risk.

If paperwork, housing or money worries feel endless, that’s not a personal failing. Ask for practical help. Easing those burdens is part of mental health care too.

The first fire season after a fire can be especially hard. Smoke on the horizon or a red sky can bring your body right back to that day.

Planning ahead helps. The “Fire season & reminders plan” worksheet below can help you decide what you’ll do on hard days.

Studies in hard-hit fire communities found that about 1 in 5 adults reported heavy or problem drinking, even years afterwards. The EPA also lists using more alcohol, tobacco or other drugs as a sign of smoke-related stress.

If you notice this in yourself, be kind and curious, not harsh. Talking with a clinical provider or counsellor can help you find other ways to cope.

Three years after the Fort McMurray fire, some evacuees described personal growth, resilience, helping others and stronger community ties alongside their losses.

A review of wildfire research also found that resilience, self-compassion and social support were linked with better mental health after fires.

Ideas

• Bring meals, or send a grocery card
• Help fill in forms, or make calls together
• Look after children or pets for an afternoon
• Offer a spare room, a laundry machine or a quiet place to rest

Helpful

• “I’m so sorry. That’s a huge loss.”
• “Do you want to talk about it, or would a distraction help today?”
• “I’m bringing dinner Thursday. Any food you don’t like?”
• “I’ll check in again next week.”

Try to avoid

• “At least you got out”
• “Everything happens for a reason”
• Comparing their loss to someone else’s
• Pushing them to “move on”

Researchers studying Fort McMurray urged that help for people affected by fires be offered over a long period of time.

Put a reminder in your calendar for one month, six months and the one-year mark. A message on those days can mean a lot.

Volunteers, firefighters and neighbours who rush in can carry heavy feelings afterwards. Rest, talk with others who understand, and accept help yourself.