Wildfire smoke inside buildings
July 12, 2019
Most of the buildings on the Fairbanks campus are kept comfortable by "conditioning"
the air. Large fans bring in air from outside, push it through large filters, cause
it to be heated or cooled, then circulate the air throughout the building. While these
filters remove dust particles, they cannot remove smoke.
If the fans were shut down to keep wildfire smoke out, indoor temperatures would rise
drastically to make buildings stuffy and hot. UAF laboratory buildings have fume hoods
that must exhaust air, and campus labs contain sensitive equipment that must be kept
in cooled spaces. Running those exhaust fans without running air supply fans would
result in more smoke intake through doors, windows and building cracks, while also
risking damage to sensitive equipment due to high temperatures.
Keeping fans running makes buildings as comfortable as currently possible. Employees
with sensitivity to smoke should work with their health care provider and supervisors
if accommodations are needed. The hospital has HEPA filters and designated areas to
help those experiencing reactions.
Click here for a link to the borough's near-real-time air quality page. You can find additional information
regarding the fires in the state here.