It’s been heartbreaking to watch the news lately with entire portions of the state on fire. New fires are popping up every day, and there’s no rain in sight.

We’ve had some customers call in and ask questions regarding their homes and the smoke and ash from the fires. I wanted to share the answers here, as well.

Question: Will ash get into my home if there’s a fire nearby? If you have a clean filter, it should catch any ash that’s in the air. But if you live near Camp Bullis or any other area that’s had a fire recently, you want to check your air filter. Chances are it’s going to be dirty from the past couple of days.

Question: What will help get rid of the smoky smell in my home? Unfortunately, your standard filter won’t help with any smells. Indoor air quality systems eliminate odors in your home, but standard air filters don’t help with that.

Question: Is there anything else I can do to help my AC if I live near one of the fires? The best thing you can do is spray off the outside condensing unit, the part of the AC that’s outside your home. If your home is close to one of the fires, there’s good chance ash, dirt and dust from the fire is clogging up that condensing unit. So spray it down with water.

Hope that helps answer a few questions you may have. Stay safe out there.