Hot days and smoky skies are showing up more often in Beaverton. If you have wondered how to keep your home comfortable and your air safe, you are not alone. With a few smart steps, you can protect your household during extreme heat and wildfire smoke. This guide gives you practical, local tips you can use today and a plan for upgrades over time. Let’s dive in.
What Beaverton has faced recently
The 2021 heat dome brought unprecedented temperatures to the Portland metro and reshaped emergency planning across the region. You can see a summary of what happened in regional analyses of the event’s impacts and lessons learned for future heat waves (2021 heat wave overview).
Wildfire smoke has also become a recurring summer and fall concern. The main health risk comes from fine particulate matter known as PM2.5, which can irritate lungs and increase cardiovascular risks, especially for people with asthma or other conditions (wildfire smoke health basics).
Read the air and heat risk
AQI basics you can act on
The Air Quality Index (AQI) helps you decide when to limit outdoor time and close windows. Categories are: 0–50 Good, 51–100 Moderate, 101–150 Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, 151–200 Unhealthy, 201–300 Very Unhealthy, 301+ Hazardous. These ranges are widely used to guide community actions (AQI explained). To check conditions, use trusted sources that show hourly AQI and what the colors mean (how to check AQI and what it means).
When to mask and when to stay inside
On smoky days, staying in cleaner indoor air is the best protection. If you must be outdoors when AQI is high, a well‑fitting N95 or P100 can reduce particle exposure, but masks are an add‑on, not a replacement for clean indoor air (EPA indoor air and wildfire guidance).
What to do right now
If wildfire smoke moves in
- Close windows and doors. Set HVAC or mini‑split to recirculate and shut any fresh‑air intake if your system allows.
- Reduce indoor particle sources. Avoid frying, candles, and vacuuming without a HEPA vacuum.
- Create a “clean room.” Use a portable HEPA purifier sized to the room and run it on high, or set up an EPA‑recommended DIY box‑fan filter. The EPA’s clean‑room guide has step‑by‑step instructions (create a clean room).
If a heat wave is underway
- Spend time in air‑conditioned spaces. If you do not have AC, use public spaces like libraries and designated cooling centers.
- Hydrate and avoid strenuous activity in the hottest hours.
- Use fans to cool people, not rooms. Fans help when you are present, but they do not lower a room’s temperature and are not effective when indoor temperatures exceed about 95°F.
- For local safety updates and cooling tips, check Washington County’s hot‑weather page (county hot‑weather guidance).
When it is hot and smoky
- Choose cool, filtered indoor locations. Some cooling centers provide air‑conditioned, filtered air.
- Before opening windows at night, check the AQI. If air quality is poor, keep them closed and rely on recirculating filtration.
- Washington County posts current cooling locations and hours during active events (where to stay cool). You can also call 2‑1‑1 for referrals.
Filtration and cooling that work
HVAC settings and filters
- Set your system to recirculate. Ensure filters fit tightly.
- If your equipment can handle it, upgrade to MERV‑13 or higher filters during smoke season. Check with your contractor or manufacturer about compatibility, and replace filters more often during smoky periods (EPA wildfire indoor‑air guidance).
Portable HEPA and DIY options
- Place a HEPA purifier in the room you use most and run it continuously on smoky days.
- If you cannot get a purifier, the EPA’s clean‑room guide includes safe DIY box‑fan filter setups using MERV‑13 filters (clean‑room and DIY details).
In your car during smoke
- Close outside vents and run your AC on recirculate to reduce smoke infiltration while driving (vehicle smoke tips).
Keep cool without central AC
- Daytime: Close blinds on sun‑facing windows, avoid heat‑producing appliances, and use ceiling fans while rooms are occupied.
- Nighttime: When outdoor air is cooler and AQI is good, open windows to flush heat. Window fans can help pull cool air in.
- Create a designated cool room in a shaded interior space or basement. Building‑science teams provide practical guidance on setup and shading strategies (cool room resource).
Plan ahead with smart upgrades
- Cooling systems: Consider an air‑source heat pump or central AC if you plan to stay in your home long‑term. Schedule pre‑season HVAC service to check refrigerant, condensate lines, and blower performance.
- Filtration readiness: Confirm whether your HVAC can use MERV‑13 filters. Keep spare filters on hand and plan HEPA purifiers for bedrooms and a main living clean room.
- Envelope and shading: Improve attic and wall insulation, seal air leaks, and add exterior shading or solar screens to reduce heat gain and smoke infiltration.
- Power and alerts: Have charged battery banks for phones and essential devices. If you rely on powered medical equipment, plan where you will go during an outage. Sign up for your utility’s outage alerts and know how to reach local cooling centers if needed.
Beaverton resources you should know
- Washington County hot‑weather guidance: safety tips, hydration reminders, and event updates (county heat page).
- Cooling locations and hours during events: libraries, community centers, and emergency cooling shelters when activated (where to stay cool). The Beaverton Main Library is often used as a public cooling space during advisories. You can also call 2‑1‑1 for real‑time referrals.
Quick household checklist
- One room‑sized HEPA purifier per key space, or materials for a DIY box‑fan filter, plus spare filters (EPA clean‑room guide).
- A supply of NIOSH‑approved N95 or P100 masks for times you must be outdoors in smoke (wildfire smoke and masks).
- Drinking water, medications, and a charged phone with a power bank for at least 72 hours. Have a plan if anyone relies on powered medical devices.
- A simple family plan: who checks AQI, who checks on neighbors, where you will go if conditions worsen, and what documents or meds you will bring.
Buyers and sellers: show heat and smoke readiness
- Buyers: Ask about HVAC maintenance, filter type and access, whether the system accepts MERV‑13, the age and type of cooling equipment, and insulation levels. Check how comfortable the home stays overnight in multi‑day heat.
- Sellers: Document HVAC service, filter upgrades, insulation improvements, shade structures, and any heat pump or AC installations. Consider a short “resilience notes” page with how to set systems to recirculate, where spare filters are stored, and a link to the county cooling‑center map.
Taking a few steps now will make your Beaverton home safer and more comfortable when the forecast turns. If you want help prioritizing home features that matter to buyers and your own comfort, connect with the local team at Peak Realty.
FAQs
What AQI is safe to open windows in Beaverton?
- Open windows when AQI is in the Good or Moderate range; if PM2.5 is elevated, keep windows closed and rely on recirculating HVAC and a HEPA purifier (AQI basics).
Do N95 masks help in wildfire smoke?
- A well‑fitting N95 or P100 can reduce particle exposure while outdoors, but the best protection is spending time in filtered indoor air during smoky periods (EPA wildfire indoor‑air guidance).
Which filter should I use in my HVAC for smoke?
- If your system can handle it, use MERV‑13 or higher and replace filters more often during smoke events; confirm compatibility with your contractor or manufacturer (EPA filtration guidance).
How do I set up a clean room at home?
- Choose a bedroom or living space, close doors and windows, and run a HEPA purifier or an EPA‑recommended DIY box‑fan filter on high to reduce indoor PM2.5 (create a clean room).
Where can I find cooling centers in Washington County?
- During heat events, the county posts active cooling locations and hours, and you can call 2‑1‑1 for referrals (stay‑cool updates).
How should I run my car during smoky conditions?
- Close outside vents and set the AC to recirculate to limit smoke infiltration while you drive (vehicle smoke tips).
