The Dangers of Smoke in Your Home:
Why the Flames aren’t the only Threat of a Wildfire

When it comes to wildfire events like the recent disasters in Los Angeles, Oklahoma, Texas, and the Carolinas, the danger doesn’t go away once the flames are put out. While the focus during these events is directed at the fires, the accompanying smoke produces long-lasting danger in the structures that were spared. A recent article from The Cool Down by Samantha Hindman explains why.

“Even after the flames are extinguished, toxic chemicals from smoke and ash remain trapped inside buildings,” Hindman explains.

She compares homes and buildings, including structures that were otherwise undamaged by fire, to sponges that absorb toxic chemicals from the smoke and release them slowly over time. The smoke affects both indoor air and indoor surfaces, contaminating them with heavy metals and toxic gasses that can cause respiratory issues, skin irritation, and increased cancer risk. The chemical retardants that firefighters use can also infiltrate buildings and cause similar issues.

If wildfire smoke has affected your home, remediation is a must, and can range from testing and cleaning, to substantial removal of insulation, drywall and more, necessitating significant reconstruction.

We’ll see wildfire zones grow to areas that have traditionally been thought of as “safe,” which will produce further smoke damage. With disasters like wildfires becoming more common, it pays to be prepared. With Passive House, you can boost fire resilience and keep the smoke out, ensuring a safer, healthier environment when disaster strikes.

Typical inefficient leaky buildings increase thermal discomfort and utility bills while allowing more smoke inside. As Passive House builder Mark Attard attested after the Marshall Fire in Colorado, the tighter your house is, the more likely it will survive without significant smoke damage. It’s a strong argument for Passive House, which is typically 5-15 times more airtight than conventional code construction.* (Insurance companies, are you listening?)

Keep burning embers and toxic air out with the smoke-tight airtightness that Passive House provides. You can boost the resilience of your home and neighborhood by building to the Passive House standard, and the first step to completing that goal is our Certified Passive House Designer training. We have a new cohort of like-minded designers and consultants kicking off on April 9th. You can join them by registering now.

* Conventional construction airtightness can easily range between 3.0 and 10.0 ACH50, while the Passive House standard is 0.60 ACH50.