--- title: "Wildfire Smoke & Air Quality Monitoring | Aethair" description: "Real-time wildfire smoke monitoring networks: PM2.5, CO, and VOC sensors with smoke alerts and exposure analysis for emergency response and public health." url: https://aethair.io/solutions/wildfires/ --- Aethair solutions # Wildfire Smoke & Air Quality Monitoring Real-Time Monitoring for Emergency Response and Community Protection A wildfire smoke network that protects public health while the smoke is in the air. [Aethair PRO](https://aethair.io/products/pro/) measures PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 continuously and adds carbon monoxide and VOCs through a gas sensor cartridge. Every station reports to one live map in [Environet](https://aethair.io/platform/environet/), so agencies, municipalities, and emergency responders can see how concentrations change across the region and which communities are most exposed. A wind sensor on [Thiamis](https://aethair.io/products/thiamis/) puts live wind beside the smoke readings. Alerts flag smoke hazards as they develop, [Noesis](https://aethair.io/platform/noesis/) analyzes exposure, and the same data shows how buildings, HVAC, and filtration are holding up against the smoke outside. 5 parameters per station 1 device per station 4 standards with limits [Schedule a Consultation](https://calendly.com/d/ctdd-mkr-v9v/aethair-demo-website) [Build a Configuration](https://aethair.io/build/?params=pm1,pm2_5,pm10,co,voc\&solution=wildfires) ![Two firefighters reviewing Aethair PRO readings on a rugged laptop, with the Environet map of monitoring stations beside them.](https://aethair.io/images/products/pro/aethair-pro-wildfire.webp) Aethair PRO stations on the Environet map Documents - [Wildfire Monitoring PDF](https://aethair.io/pdfs/AethairPRO-Wildfires.pdf) - [Environmental Monitoring PDF](https://aethair.io/pdfs/Aethair_Environmental.pdf) ![Aerial view of a wildfire burning through a pine forest, with a fire truck on a track at the edge of the smoke.](https://aethair.io/images/solutions/wildfires/wildfire-aerial.webp) Why it matters ## Real-Time Smoke Monitoring to Protect People and Places Wildfires release pollutants that create serious health, safety, and environmental problems, often far from the fire itself. Continuous monitoring lets agencies, municipalities, and operators: - **Detect smoke hazards:** particulate concentrations tracked the moment a plume arrives. - **Track smoke across a region:** a network of stations shows how PM rises and falls at each location as smoke moves through. - **Assess visibility:** the particle levels that reduce visibility and threaten road, rail, and air safety. - **Protect public health:** the high-risk pollution events that affect the public, identified as they happen. - **Support emergency response:** early warnings and data that guide responders. - **Building performance:** how well HVAC and filtration hold outdoor smoke out. What to measure ## Airborne Wildfire Hazards and the Limits That Apply Wildfires release a mix of pollutants that threaten outdoor and indoor environments alike. Every limit below is the published value from the standard that sets it. - **PM1 (submicron particles):** the smallest fraction typically reported, reaching deepest into the lungs; a meaningful share of smoke mass sits here. - **PM2.5 (fine particles):** [smoke particles that penetrate deep into the lungs](https://aethair.io/resources/pm25-monitoring-health-regulatory-guide/), causing irritation and long-term health risks. - **PM10 (coarse particles):** larger dust and ash that irritate the upper airways and reduce visibility. - **Carbon monoxide (CO):** produced by incomplete combustion; it causes headaches, dizziness, and impaired judgment and is an acute risk near the fire line. - **Volatile organic compounds (VOCs):** compounds released in smoke that add to toxic exposure. The primary measurement is **PM2.5**, the fine fraction that dominates smoke and drives its health effects, backed by **PM10** for the coarser particles and a fuller size picture. **Particle count** adds sensitivity to the smallest particles and to the onset of an incoming plume. **Black carbon** is useful as a combustion tracer that helps distinguish wood-smoke from other particle sources. Near active fire lines, **carbon monoxide (CO)** is an important companion, since incomplete combustion produces it in quantity and it poses an acute risk to responders. **Wind speed and direction**, together with **temperature and humidity**, put the readings in context and help anticipate where smoke will travel next. PM1 Particulate Matter Fine particulate matter ≤1 µm aerodynamic diameter, the finest fraction, which reaches the deep alveolar regions of the lung. [PM1: sensors, units, and every standard](https://aethair.io/parameters/pm1/) PM2.5 Particulate Matter [**9 µg/m³** *Annual* · EPA NAAQS](https://aethair.io/standards/epa_naaqs/ "2024 primary") [**5 µg/m³** *Annual* · WHO 2021](https://aethair.io/standards/who_aqg_2021/) [**35 µg/m³** *24-hour* · EPA NAAQS](https://aethair.io/standards/epa_naaqs/) [**15 µg/m³** *24-hour* · WHO 2021](https://aethair.io/standards/who_aqg_2021/) [**9 µg/m³** *24-hour, top of Good (AQI 50)* · EPA AQI](https://aethair.io/standards/epa_aqi/) [**35.4 µg/m³** *24-hour, top of Moderate (AQI 100)* · EPA AQI](https://aethair.io/standards/epa_aqi/) [**55.4 µg/m³** *24-hour, top of Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (AQI 150)* · EPA AQI](https://aethair.io/standards/epa_aqi/) [**125.4 µg/m³** *24-hour, top of Unhealthy (AQI 200)* · EPA AQI](https://aethair.io/standards/epa_aqi/) [**225.4 µg/m³** *24-hour, top of Very Unhealthy (AQI 300)* · EPA AQI](https://aethair.io/standards/epa_aqi/ "Hazardous above; AQI 500 is 325.4 µg/m³") [**55.5 µg/m³** *Current AQI 151 (NowCast)* · Cal/OSHA 5141.1](https://aethair.io/standards/cal_osha_5141_1/ "hazard communication, training, controls, and respirators for voluntary use") [**500.4 µg/m³** *Current AQI above 500* · Cal/OSHA 5141.1](https://aethair.io/standards/cal_osha_5141_1/ "respirator use required; per the regulation's Appendix A table") During wildfire smoke episodes, PM2.5 is the pollutant that matters most for public health, and levels can climb from clean to hazardous within an hour as a plume arrives. Fast, continuous PM2.5 monitoring gives schools, outdoor-work programs, and agencies the real-time exposure data to trigger alerts, mask mandates, and activity changes while the smoke is present rather than after it clears. - **EPA NAAQS** 9 µg/m³: 2024 primary - **EPA AQI** 225.4 µg/m³: Hazardous above; AQI 500 is 325.4 µg/m³ - **Cal/OSHA 5141.1** 55.5 µg/m³: hazard communication, training, controls, and respirators for voluntary use - **Cal/OSHA 5141.1** 500.4 µg/m³: respirator use required; per the regulation's Appendix A table [PM2.5: sensors, units, and every standard](https://aethair.io/parameters/pm2_5/) PM10 Particulate Matter [**15 µg/m³** *Annual* · WHO 2021](https://aethair.io/standards/who_aqg_2021/) [**150 µg/m³** *24-hour* · EPA NAAQS](https://aethair.io/standards/epa_naaqs/) [**45 µg/m³** *24-hour* · WHO 2021](https://aethair.io/standards/who_aqg_2021/) Wildfire smoke carries both fine and coarse particles, and PM10 captures the broader dust-and-ash burden alongside PM2.5 during a smoke event. Continuous PM10 monitoring rounds out the community-exposure picture near active fires and during ashfall, where the coarser fraction adds to the respiratory load on residents and outdoor workers. [PM10: sensors, units, and every standard](https://aethair.io/parameters/pm10/) Carbon Monoxide (CO) Gases & VOCs [**4 mg/m³** *24-hour* · WHO 2021](https://aethair.io/standards/who_aqg_2021/) [**9 ppm** *8-hour* · EPA NAAQS](https://aethair.io/standards/epa_naaqs/) [**35 ppm** *1-hour* · EPA NAAQS](https://aethair.io/standards/epa_naaqs/) Close to an active fire line, carbon monoxide from combustion rises alongside smoke particulate and poses an acute hazard to firefighters and nearby residents. Monitoring CO in wildfire and prescribed-burn settings adds the combustion-gas dimension to smoke exposure assessment, flagging the areas where the air is dangerous beyond its visible particulate load. [Carbon Monoxide (CO): sensors, units, and every standard](https://aethair.io/parameters/co/) VOC (Total) Gases & VOCs Total volatile organic compounds: a broadband, PID-based indicator of solvent and fuel vapors. [VOC (Total): sensors, units, and every standard](https://aethair.io/parameters/voc/) Black Carbon Often added · Particulate Matter Black carbon is the sooty, light-absorbing core of combustion smoke, and it is a sensitive tracer that distinguishes wildfire and biomass smoke from other particulate sources. Monitoring black carbon during smoke episodes sharpens the picture of combustion exposure alongside PM2.5. It helps agencies and researchers attribute pollution to fire and gauge its intensity. [Black Carbon: sensors, units, and every standard](https://aethair.io/parameters/black_carbon/) Ozone (O₃) Often added · Gases & VOCs [**0.07 ppm** *8-hour* · EPA NAAQS](https://aethair.io/standards/epa_naaqs/) [**100 µg/m³** *8-hour daily maximum* · WHO 2021](https://aethair.io/standards/who_aqg_2021/ "99th percentile (3–4 exceedance days a year)") [**60 µg/m³** *8-hour peak-season* · WHO 2021](https://aethair.io/standards/who_aqg_2021/ "mean of the daily maximum 8-hour values over the six consecutive months with the highest ozone") Ozone: a secondary photochemical pollutant and respiratory irritant, and an occupational hazard near generators. - **WHO 2021** 100 µg/m³: 99th percentile (3–4 exceedance days a year) - **WHO 2021** 60 µg/m³: mean of the daily maximum 8-hour values over the six consecutive months with the highest ozone [Ozone (O₃): sensors, units, and every standard](https://aethair.io/parameters/o3/) Wind Speed Often added · Meteorology Horizontal wind speed. [Wind Speed: sensors, units, and every standard](https://aethair.io/parameters/wind_speed/) Wind Direction Often added · Meteorology Horizontal wind direction (0–360°). [Wind Direction: sensors, units, and every standard](https://aethair.io/parameters/wind_direction/) The setup ## How a Smoke Monitoring Network Works Stations go where people are (schools, depots, town centers) and near the fire line where responders work. Aethair PRO measures the particulate fractions with its built-in sensor and carries CO and VOCs in its gas sockets, so one monitor is the station (the configuration below shows which cartridge goes where). The CO and VOC reading comes from one metal-oxide cartridge that shows where smoke gases rise across the network. It is not a personal CO alarm, so responders at the fire line keep their own. The second tab adds a Thiamis-connected black-carbon analyzer where you need to tell smoke from other particle sources. Each Aethair PRO reports over its own 4G LTE and can run on solar power with the Solar Panel Bracket, so a station needs no local network and no grid power. Devices ship calibrated: mount, power on, and the readings appear in Environet. From there the data is yours, live and historical, as JSON or CSV through the [Environet API](https://docs.environet.io/). [Build the recommended configuration](https://aethair.io/build/?params=pm1,pm2_5,pm10,co,voc\&solution=wildfires) [Configure it with black carbon](https://aethair.io/build/?params=pm1,pm2_5,pm10,co,voc,black_carbon\&solution=wildfires) Which monitor ## Aethair PRO for the Smoke, Thiamis for Wind and Specialist Instruments [Aethair PRO](https://aethair.io/products/pro/) is the rugged, easy-to-deploy station: built-in particulate sensing (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10), gas sensor cartridges including VOCs at ppb resolution, 4G LTE, and the optional Solar Panel Bracket. [Thiamis](https://aethair.io/products/thiamis/) connects third-party sensors (a wind sensor, a black-carbon analyzer, a reference dust monitor), so existing gear reports into the same account. [Aethair IAQ](https://aethair.io/products/iaq/) covers the indoor side, in the buildings where people shelter from the smoke. [![Aethair PRO strapped to a wooden utility pole under its solar panel.](https://aethair.io/images/products/pro/aethair-pro-mounted-solar.webp)](https://aethair.io/products/pro/) ### [Aethair PRO](https://aethair.io/products/pro/) [Industrial monitor for indoor and outdoor sites. Built-in sensors cover the essentials, and hot-swappable gas sensor cartridges and a differential-pressure option add more.](https://aethair.io/products/pro/) [3 built-in parameters (PM2.5, PM10 …), plus 19 swappable cartridges (H₂S, SO₂, NO₂, CO, O₃, CH₄ and more) in 2 gas sockets, 1 MultiSense socket, and 1 expansion socket](https://aethair.io/products/pro/) [See Aethair PRO](https://aethair.io/products/pro/) [![Aethair IAQ mounted on a white office wall.](https://aethair.io/images/solutions/iaq/aethair-iaq-white-wall.webp)](https://aethair.io/products/iaq/) ### [Aethair IAQ](https://aethair.io/products/iaq/) [Compact plug-in monitor with every sensor built in, nothing to add. Ideal for straightforward indoor air quality monitoring.](https://aethair.io/products/iaq/) [4 built-in parameters: PM2.5, PM10, tVOC and more](https://aethair.io/products/iaq/) [See Aethair IAQ](https://aethair.io/products/iaq/) [![Thiamis in a weatherproof enclosure on a pole, below a compact weather station.](https://aethair.io/images/products/thiamis/thiamis-weather-sensor-connectivity.webp)](https://aethair.io/products/thiamis/) ### [Thiamis](https://aethair.io/products/thiamis/) [A gateway that connects the third-party instruments you choose to the Aethair Platform.](https://aethair.io/products/thiamis/) [RS-232, RS-485, SDI-12, and USB · 224 device models from 35 integrations](https://aethair.io/products/thiamis/) [See Thiamis](https://aethair.io/products/thiamis/) ![Smoke rising from a wildfire on a forested hillside under a blue sky.](https://aethair.io/images/solutions/wildfires/wildfire-hillside-smoke.webp) Response ## From Smoke Monitoring to Emergency Response Monitoring earns its keep when it changes what people do. [Environet](https://aethair.io/platform/environet/) puts every deployed station on a live map, tracks smoke concentration trends across locations, and drives faster response, planning, and community protection. - **Community networks:** sensor arrays across a region show real-time smoke concentrations and how exposure shifts between neighborhoods. - **Workplace safety:** how outdoor smoke is reaching indoor air and the filtration meant to stop it. - **Emergency response:** real-time data shared with agencies and first responders. - **Transportation safety:** visibility and pollution risks for roads, airports, and rail. - **Public health insight:** long-term exposure data behind health and policy decisions. What you get ## Live Map, Alerts, and the Record That Follows the Event The readings that guided decisions during the event become its documentation afterwards: [Aethair Reports](https://aethair.io/platform/reports/) for the file, [Noesis](https://aethair.io/platform/noesis/) for the questions, and [dashboards](https://aethair.io/platform/dashboards/) for the public. ![Environet on a desktop monitor showing a live dashboard, with pages of an Aethair monitoring report in front of it.](https://aethair.io/images/solutions/outdoor-monitoring/report-environet.webp) ### One live map Every station on one map in Environet, with the readings at each location, trend views, and alerts by email, SMS, or webhook at the action levels you set. ![Hands holding the first page of an Aethair monitoring report, with a station map and its devices, over pages of charts, wind roses, and data tables.](https://aethair.io/images/solutions/outdoor-monitoring/report-pages.webp) ### Reports in seconds Aethair Reports turns the record into post-event documentation: exposure summaries, exceedance logs, and data tables with the trends and exceedances already called out. ![Environet with Noesis AI shown on a phone, a tablet, and a laptop.](https://aethair.io/images/products/environet/noesis-tile-4x3.webp) ### Noesis reads the event Noesis, the AI analyst in Environet, answers plain-language questions over live or historical data: which stations saw the highest exposure, when, and where limits were exceeded. Proof ## The June 2023 Quebec Smoke Event, on Record When smoke from the Quebec fires swept the US Northeast in June 2023, AQI values reached the Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, and Hazardous categories and Philadelphia briefly recorded its worst air quality readings in more than two decades. Aethair's own monitors recorded the event at a station in New York, and Environet kept the record: [the data from the event](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7072282296778665984) and [a video of its impact across New York and Philadelphia](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7072588143299817473). Smoke that used to stay regional now crosses the continent within days, which is why a smoke network is worth building before the season rather than during it. [Schedule a call to learn more](https://calendly.com/d/ctdd-mkr-v9v/aethair-demo-website) Related solutions ## Where Smoke Monitoring Connects A smoke network rarely stands alone. Each of these is the same platform, often the same stations, with the panel and reports built for it. [![Aethair PRO clamped to a fence post at the edge of a city park.](https://aethair.io/images/solutions/outdoor-monitoring/aethair-pro-park-fence.webp)](https://aethair.io/solutions/outdoor-monitoring/) ### [Outdoor and ambient monitoring](https://aethair.io/solutions/outdoor-monitoring/) [The year-round network the smoke season runs on: criteria pollutants against NAAQS and WHO values.](https://aethair.io/solutions/outdoor-monitoring/) [![Aethair IAQ mounted on a blue wall in an open-plan office.](https://aethair.io/images/solutions/iaq/aethair-iaq-office-blue-wall.webp)](https://aethair.io/solutions/iaq-monitoring/) ### [Indoor air quality](https://aethair.io/solutions/iaq-monitoring/) [What the smoke does once it is inside: indoor PM against the outdoor reading, floor by floor.](https://aethair.io/solutions/iaq-monitoring/) [![Aerial view of a construction site beside a highway, with "Good" air quality markers at the perimeter.](https://aethair.io/images/solutions/outdoor-monitoring/solution-perimeter.webp)](https://aethair.io/solutions/perimeter-monitoring/) ### [Perimeter and fenceline](https://aethair.io/solutions/perimeter-monitoring/) [Site boundaries whose monitoring layer doubles as the smoke network when a plume arrives.](https://aethair.io/solutions/perimeter-monitoring/) [![Satellite view of a city with air quality markers spread across its neighborhoods.](https://aethair.io/images/solutions/outdoor-monitoring/solution-city-wide.webp)](https://aethair.io/solutions/city-wide/) ### [City-wide networks](https://aethair.io/solutions/city-wide/) [Dense networks across neighborhoods, corridors, and schools, managed as one system.](https://aethair.io/solutions/city-wide/) [All solutions by industry](https://aethair.io/solutions/) Article Library ## Reading for Wildfire Smoke Programs Guides to wildfire smoke, the indices and standards it is judged against, and the response built on the data. ### [Wildfire Smoke Air Quality Monitoring: Detection & Response](https://aethair.io/resources/wildfire-smoke-air-quality-monitoring/) Wildfire smoke monitoring for EHS and public health teams: real-time PM2.5, the AQI 151 respirator trigger, and how to alert workers before smoke arrives. ### [PM2.5 Exposure Limits & Monitoring: OSHA and NAAQS Standards](https://aethair.io/resources/pm25-monitoring-health-regulatory-guide/) What are the OSHA and NAAQS exposure limits for PM2.5? Fine particulate thresholds explained, plus how continuous monitoring keeps workplaces compliant. ### [How to Choose an Air Quality Monitor: PRO, IAQ, or Thiamis](https://aethair.io/resources/choosing-aethair-monitoring-device/) Compare Aethair PRO, IAQ, and Thiamis to match the right device to your site, from commercial interiors to industrial and fenceline monitoring. ### [What Is Environmental Intelligence? Definition & Use Cases](https://aethair.io/resources/what-is-environmental-intelligence/) Environmental intelligence turns real-world environmental data into decisions you can act on and defend. Learn how platforms combine monitoring and AI. [All articles](https://aethair.io/resources/) Questions ## Wildfire Air Quality Monitoring FAQ What is wildfire smoke 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. What pollutants does a wildfire monitoring system measure? [Aethair PRO](https://aethair.io/products/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](https://aethair.io/products/thiamis/): wind for how smoke is moving through the region, black carbon to confirm that burning is driving a reading. Can wildfire smoke monitoring data support emergency response? 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](https://aethair.io/platform/environet/) and can be shared with first responders, agencies, and the public. How do wildfire smoke events affect indoor air quality? 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](https://aethair.io/solutions/iaq-monitoring/) lets operators check their filtration and protect occupants during a smoke event. How quickly can Aethair PRO be deployed for wildfire monitoring? 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. What standards does wildfire air quality monitoring reference? Smoke data is commonly evaluated against the EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) and the [National Ambient Air Quality Standards](https://aethair.io/standards/epa_naaqs/) 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](https://aethair.io/platform/reports/) can apply these values when it generates a report. Why is PM2.5 the key wildfire smoke measurement? 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. What does black carbon add over PM2.5? 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. How fast can smoke monitoring alert us? 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. What is the best setup for wildfire smoke monitoring? 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.