I never thought I’d be wearing a mask again

Yet here I am today… wearing a mask…

I recently had a Dr’s appointment, it was so refreshing, NO MASKS required, and nobody was wearing them.

Then it hit. The stupid wildfire smoke. I have healthy strong lungs so I stepped outside to take my dog out.
NOPE, nope, nope and NOPE. It was awful. It was hazy and thick like pea soup, but the smell of smoke mixed with plastic was undeniable.
I immediately went inside.

I have painters masks, and I seriously had to wear it to check the mail. That is how bad it is. I worry about my doggo too.
I noticed a lot less birds outside.

We’ve had numerous discussions on masks and why TPTB would want us to wear them… maybe they realized the thought of airborne viruses wasn’t enough, they are going to smoke us out this summer…

If you think it helps, but a regular painter's mask wont help very much.

a reply to: JAGStorm

On a serious note, I'd have to admit I'm deeply suspicious that the fires out of Canada were indeed Government sponsored to hightlight and worsen the air quality to underline the Global Warming narrative.

a reply to: JAGStorm

We are really getting covered in this smoke here in the northern suburbs of Detroit.
Yesterday was terrible with misty light rain all day and a smoky haze just hanging over the entire area that smelled like garbage burning.

I found this website that tracks the air quality

fire.airnow.gov...#

Last night and this morning, north of me in Port Huron it was at 376 AQI

They are saying today is bad too but it seems ok to me out there, bright sunny day today.

I wonder they started the fire to get you to wear a mask?

a reply to: JAGStorm
Did you put your mask on? Well what about the poor dog, I bet you hadn't got a mask for him?

I often work in smokey, dusty, polluted environments. A surgical mask is ineffectual but a wet bandana works very well.

a reply to: JAGStorm
Yes, I live close to Lake Michigan in eastern Wisconsin. I went to see the doc because my right lung was aching like Hell at 2:30am monday morning. I was told I have a viral infection in my lungs. So the NP put me on a steroid pack. I hate steroids. But yes, it smells like wood and chemicals burning.

originally posted by: olaru12
I often work in smokey, dusty, polluted environments. A surgical mask is ineffectual but a wet bandana works very well.

I'm not using a surgical mask but a painters mask and I'm 100% it's helping because I can go outside with it and not smell smoke, so it's doing something for sure.

Even so, i'm limiting my time outdoors right now.

originally posted by: crayzeed
a reply to: JAGStorm
Did you put your mask on? Well what about the poor dog, I bet you hadn't got a mask for him?

I did put my mask on, I don't have one for my dog but have limited her exposure best I can.
She only goes out to use the restroom.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I'd like to know how. Paint molecules are much larger then the smoke particles in the air.

It was so smoky here yesterday that I could only see about one quarter-mile mile down the road. Like you say, it smelled like plastic or like my GF said, like an electrical fire. It was like one of my neighbors was burning trash with plastic all day long. So I burned some trash including an old mattress, doubt anyone noticed the smell.

originally posted by: boredhere74
a reply to: JAGStorm

I'd like to know how. Paint molecules are much larger then the smoke particles in the air.

Former painter the N95 masks work well for paint fumes and smoke both,

My daughter is south of Chicago and she can smell it there and through out Indiana and Ohio

www.nytimes.com...

Respirator masks can protect adults from wildfire smoke, air pollution, and the dust and fumes of some home-renovation projects. After 50 hours of research and testing, we’re confident that the comfortable, durable, widely available 3M 8511 and 3M 8210 disposable N95 respirators are the ones to get.

If you want a reusable respirator—which you can fit with filters that protect the wearer against paint fumes and other volatile gases in addition to dust and smoke—the 3M 6502QL/49489 Rugged Comfort Quick Latch Half Facepiece Reusable Respirator is the most comfortable model we’ve found.

In an N95 shortage during the pandemic, our research into KN95 masks showed that those masks would also be effective at filtering out wildfire smoke, although the typically tighter seals on an N95 may offer you slightly more protection.

a reply to: putnam6

Former painter the N95 masks work well for paint fumes and smoke both,

Former Painter here as well....N95s work great if they fit. People don't adjust them to keep out toxins but to breathe easier. But one size fits all masks usually don't and leak.
In a real toxic environment; even a small rubber respirator with one canister works better.

I always thought it ironic how some mask wearers would lift the mask to take a vape hit or smoke a cigarette when on the job.

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

Yeah, here in the middle of the mitten, I was surprised yesterday when I could not even see to the end of our road, it was so "hazy"

Even more surprised being out in the garden weeding, that I didn't have any issues breathing, since I have some lung issues.

All I could smell was woodburning though.

a reply to: RazorV66

Oddly, we noticed no odd smells at all.....
Just fog/smoke and less fog/smoke...then darker and more fog/smoke.
Never saw air in Michigan this bad before.

I live in Mid-Michigan and I too thought it smelled of plastics or chemicals. I wonder how many are poisoned now somehow?
And the kicker here is mosquito control came through stinking up the neighborhood even more.

I worked in the plastics industry for well over 15 years, I know the smell of plastics melting or burning.

a reply to: JAGStorm

abc7chicago.com...

ew

Chicago's air quality remains in the very unhealthy category, with people encouraged to limit their time outside, even healthy people with no respiratory problems. AirNOw.gov lists Chicago air quality at 208 as of 11 a.m.. Wednesday.

Air Quality Alerts are in effect for the Chicago area and the Rockford area for until midnight Wednesday. Alerts are also in effect in Wisconsin and Indiana.

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: putnam6

Former painter the N95 masks work well for paint fumes and smoke both,

Former Painter here as well....N95s work great if they fit. People don't adjust them to keep out toxins but to breathe easier. But one size fits all masks usually don't and leak.
In a real toxic environment; even a small rubber respirator with one canister works better.

I always thought it ironic how some mask wearers would lift the mask to take a vape hit or smoke a cigarette when on the job.

It's definitely about the fit, if we were working somewhere confined and not ventilated, Id shave my scruffy beard off to get a better seal. Early morning paint fumes always gave me the worse headaches, especially in those days I'd usually be a tad hung over too.

I heard a report on the local news and this expert said that the normal fire smell gets broken down in the sunlight and you're left with chemicals like formaldehyde and others that give it that plastic smell.

They were also talking about how many of these fires are in areas with no access by road and therefore harder to put out. That made me wonder, "How could so many fires happen in these wilderness areas without people to start them?" Why doesn't the wilderness of Canada burn like this every drought year? Why is it just Canada and not all through the great plains into the U.S.?