Wildfire Smoke & Air Quality Monitoring

Wildfire smoke monitoring is the continuous measurement of the pollutants wildfires release: particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM10), carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds. Networked sensors deliver real-time data to agencies, emergency responders, and communities, so they can track smoke movement and protect public health during a fire.

Aethair PRO measures particulate matter at three size fractions (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) with its built-in sensor, and takes gas sensor cartridges for volatile organic compounds and for carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion. A wind sensor or a black-carbon analyzer can be added through Thiamis: wind for how smoke is moving through the region, black carbon to confirm that burning is driving a reading.

Yes. Real-time data shows which neighborhoods are seeing the highest exposure, when concentrations cross health thresholds, and how visibility is changing. Aethair PRO readings are mapped live in Environet and can be shared with first responders, agencies, and the public.

Even with windows closed, smoke gets into buildings through ventilation systems and the building envelope. A building with high-efficiency filtration and recirculation shows a much smaller indoor rise than outdoors; one with a leaky envelope or poor filtration shows indoor PM2.5 approaching the outdoor level. Pairing outdoor smoke monitoring with indoor air quality monitoring lets operators check their filtration and protect occupants during a smoke event.

Aethair PRO is a turnkey monitor with built-in 4G LTE and the optional Solar Panel Bracket, so it can go into the field with no local network and no grid power. It ships calibrated: mount it, power it on, and its readings appear in Environet.

Smoke data is commonly evaluated against the EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM2.5: 9 µg/m³ as an annual mean and 35 µg/m³ over 24 hours. For decisions during a smoke event the AQI's PM2.5 categories are the usual guide (EPA, 2024): Good up to 9.0 µg/m³, Moderate 9.1–35.4, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 35.5–55.4, Unhealthy 55.5–125.4, Very Unhealthy 125.5–225.4, and Hazardous above that. The categories are set on 24-hour averages; AirNow's NowCast puts recent hourly readings on the same scale, hour by hour. Aethair Reports can apply these values when it generates a report.

Wildfire smoke is overwhelmingly made up of fine particles in the PM2.5 range, which penetrate deep into the lungs and are responsible for most of the health impact. Tracking PM2.5 in real time is the most direct way to gauge how hazardous the air is and when to change activities or seek cleaner air.

Black carbon is a specific product of combustion, so it acts as a tracer that helps confirm that smoke, rather than dust or other particles, is driving a reading. It is a useful complement to PM2.5 when you need to attribute a pollution episode to burning rather than another source.

A continuously logging monitor can flag rising particulate concentrations within moments of a plume reaching it, which is why placement in the community and a sensible alert threshold matter. That speed is what lets schools and agencies move people indoors or cancel outdoor activity before heavy exposure occurs.

A fast built-in particulate monitor measuring PM2.5, PM10, and particle count with real-time alerting, placed where people gather, plus a CO cartridge near fire lines and a Thiamis-connected weather station for wind. Add a black-carbon tracer where source attribution matters. Use the configurator to build a configuration for your community or agency.