How clean air clubs are protecting Americans from wildfire smoke

Mutual aid groups, initially formed to distribute PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic, are now providing air purifiers and masks to communities affected by wildfire smoke. These groups, operating outside of traditional bureaucracy, offer rapid deployment of clean air resources and masks to vulnerable populations. Organizers see this work as a crucial response to government failures in addressing both the ongoing pandemic and the escalating threat of climate change.

• Mutual aid groups like Clean Air Clubs and Mask Blocs, which began distributing PPE during COVID-19, are now addressing the public health crisis caused by wildfire smoke.
• These groups lend air purifiers and distribute masks, particularly N95 masks which are more effective against wildfire smoke particles than cloth or surgical masks.
• The initiatives are a response to perceived failures in public health departments and government responses to climate change and worsening air quality from wildfires.
• Organizers emphasize the speed and efficiency of mutual aid groups in mobilizing resources compared to bureaucratic systems.
• The work provides critical support for individuals with respiratory conditions and those vulnerable to long COVID, especially in underserved communities.
• These efforts are seen as a way to offer hope and agency in the face of overwhelming global issues like pandemics and climate change.