Health Watch: Fairbanks leaders focus on community health with clean air room

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU/KTVF) - As wildfires began pushing smoke into the Fairbanks North Star Borough this summer, the need for clean air has pushed some residents and visitors to the Noel Wien Public Library, where they can find relief.

“Our worst day was Tuesday,” said Nancy Durham, the emergency manager for the borough.

The air quality for Fairbanks residents leaned into the “very unhealthy” rating on the air quality index, a way of measuring air pollution within a specific area.

“These are your individuals who are older, who might have or regular people who have lung issues, and children,” Durham explained. “So the very young, the very old, and those in between that have longer or pulmonary issues.”

That’s been the level of smoke pollution the borough has seen through most of the season.

In response to the pollution, the borough created a clean air room where folks can escape the poor air.

“Currently, we only have the two [air purifying] machines, so we set it up at the Noel Wien Library and it’s open during normal business hours,” she said.

Those machines have been placed in the auditorium at the library, and each recirculates air to filter “all those particles out to put clean air back into the room so people can breathe easier,” she said.

Durham said the need for the room, which has been used by 15 people so far, stems from its use in reducing or alleviating symptoms from breathing in the smoke — symptoms such as irritation to the lungs, eyes, throat and sinuses. Durham said it’s also about “life safety, just like any other disaster you have.”

For those who are more susceptible to the irritation — including people with asthma — the wildfire smoke could be deadly, Durham said.

While some residents may not be able to make it to the library to use the room, she said the borough has put messaging out on how to build an air purifier at home.

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