Concerns about smoke

My beardie Pogo and I live in the Thousand Oaks area where there were recently several enormous brush fires. Just today I got notice that the evacuation orders were lifted and it's ok to return, although it's recommended to wear N95 particulate masks because of all the smoke and ash. The mask is fine for me, but what can I do to protect my beardie? I have to return to work asap, so waiting for the contaminants to dissipate entirely isn't really an option, but I don't want to hurt Pogo so.....I'm in a rather stressful bind right now.

Hi,

Hope everything is okay with your property! Do you have a furnace filter (preferably HEPA-rated) that you could tape over the viv opening? I'd also make sure that no noxious fumes have settled in it before putting Pogo in there. I remember a post a little while ago where someone bombed their house for bugs and poison settled into the viv with sad results.

Using the furnace filters is a good idea. You'd probably need something MERV 11 or higher to work against smoke. Using a room size air filter is a good idea too if you can get your hands on one. I have this one and it works really well (and has a HEPA filter in it). https://www.amazon.com/Coway-AP-1512HH-Mighty-Purifier-True/dp/B00BTKAPUU

Aaradimian":3u8jwzbt said:

Hi,

Hope everything is okay with your property! Do you have a furnace filter (preferably HEPA-rated) that you could tape over the viv opening? I'd also make sure that no noxious fumes have settled in it before putting Pogo in there. I remember a post a little while ago where someone bombed their house for bugs and poison settled into the viv with sad results.

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My building is still standing! No fire damage, although it still smells like smoke outside. I don't own any type of filters, but I will definitely clean out her viv before putting her back in. I'm still worried about both of our health, but it looks like the situation isn't as bad as I'd feared.

CooperDragon":1255yoyx said:

Using the furnace filters is a good idea. You'd probably need something MERV 11 or higher to work against smoke. Using a room size air filter is a good idea too if you can get your hands on one. I have this one and it works really well (and has a HEPA filter in it). https://www.amazon.com/Coway-AP-1512HH-Mighty-Purifier-True/dp/B00BTKAPUU

Click to expand...

Hmm, that filter is a bit pricey for me right now, but if I'm going to be living in SoCal for a while it might be a worthwhile investment. Thanks!

My building is still standing! No fire damage, although it still smells like smoke outside. I don't own any type of filters, but I will definitely clean out her viv before putting her back in. I'm still worried about both of our health, but it looks like the situation isn't as bad as I'd feared.

Click to expand...

That's awesome news! I know there are a lot of people out there who weren't so lucky. A high-quality furnace air filter at Home Depot will set you back about $20, though I'd get one that is the minimum rated for small particulates because with the higher density ones you trade air flow for filtration quality. In a furnace backed with a large fan, this is less of a concern, but in a static air condition, you'd have to be careful that it doesn't act like a lid and completely stall the inflow of filtered air.