Like most people in the northeast U.S., I woke up this morning to a wall of haze outside my window. Wildfires in eastern Canada are raging, and we’re in for smoky days ahead.

As a health reporter who’s heard stories about smoke inhalation on the West Coast in recent years, I knew not to open my windows or plan a picnic, but I still had some questions about exactly how safe to play it. So I called up Dr. Aida Capo, a pulmonologist in New Jersey, where the air quality index is topping the charts. Here are some tips I learned:

• Don’t just close your windows—lock them. There’s no need to tape them up or anything extreme, but getting a tight seal actually does help. The polluting particles in the smoke are super small, which makes them easier to infiltrate the human body (and your home). Thankfully, devices that circulate and filter the air can be a huge help. “Our air conditioners are well equipped to take care of these problems,” Capo told me.
• Know if you're high risk. Minor symptoms like headaches, sore throats, and fatigue can affect anyone—but children, the elderly, pregnant people, and people with chronic respiratory conditions are most at risk from exposure to smoke. “Use your medicines, and be in touch with your doctor if you have worsening symptoms,” Capo says.
• A surgical mask won’t cut it. Those teeny tiny ozone particles slide right through them. If you have to go outdoors, wearing a well-fitted N95 mask is the most protective option.

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