Heat and Wildfire Smoke Alerts: What Seniors Should Know

Extreme heat and wildfire smoke are affecting large parts of the country this month, and both pose particular risks for older adults managing health conditions at home. Here’s what’s currently in effect and what it means for anyone caring for an aging parent or managing their own health independently.

The National Weather Service has issued Extreme Heat Warnings across parts of Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah, with Mojave Desert temperatures forecast to reach 110 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and little relief overnight. Heat advisories are also active in the Southeast: the Mobile, Alabama NWS office issued a heat advisory covering parts of northwest Florida with heat index values expected to reach 108 to 110 degrees, while the greater Orlando and Jacksonville areas have seen heat index readings between 105 and 113 degrees. The NOAA Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a high risk of extreme heat spreading into the Central and Southern Plains, the Mississippi Valley, and the Southeast later in August.

Older adults are considered especially vulnerable to heat because aging affects the body’s ability to regulate its own temperature, and many common medications can interfere with that regulation further. The core guidance from public health officials hasn’t changed: stay in air-conditioned spaces during the hottest parts of the day, drink water consistently rather than waiting until feeling thirsty, and know the warning signs of heat exhaustion — heavy sweating, weakness, and nausea — since heat exhaustion can progress to the more dangerous heat stroke if untreated.

At the same time, wildfire smoke is affecting air quality across the Pacific Northwest. Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality has issued air quality advisories for multiple counties due to smoke from wildfires burning in both Oregon and Washington, expected to persist at least into mid-August, and Washington state has extended air quality alerts across its eastern and central regions, including the Seattle metro area. Montana has issued similar alerts for the western third of the state. Wildfire smoke carries fine particulate matter that can irritate the eyes and airways and trigger wheezing in people with asthma, emphysema, or COPD — conditions that are more common among older adults. If you’re in an affected area, keeping windows and doors closed, running indoor air filtration if available, and limiting time outdoors are the standard precautions.

Looking ahead: August is also National Immunization Awareness Month, and public health officials are already flagging the upcoming fall respiratory illness season, with H3N2 expected to be a dominant flu strain this year. It’s a reasonable time to schedule a flu vaccination, or at least put it on the calendar, before flu season ramps up later in the fall rather than waiting until illness is already circulating in your community.

None of these alerts require panic, but they do call for a bit of extra attention if you or someone you’re caring for is managing a chronic condition at home. Checking a local forecast before planning outdoor errands, and keeping an eye on air quality readings in smoke-affected regions, are simple habits that make a real difference during weeks like this one.