One Less Breath of Smoky Air: Filters Provide Wildfire Protection for Libby’s At-Risk Residents

Breathing in wildfire smoke can have significant health consequences, exacerbating respiratory conditions and leading to cancer, respiratory disease, and even premature death, research shows. For elderly Libby residents and those who have respiratory issues, wildfire smoke is already a problem. But it’s a problem scientists forecast will become even more severe as climate change increases the frequency and size of fires in the Mountain West. With wildfire smoke worsening, the president of Kootenai Climate Group, a local Lincoln County nonprofit dedicated to climate education, reached out to LOR with a solution: purchase and install air purifiers for at-risk Libby residents. LOR’s funding will help Kootenai Climate Group acquire 20 commercial air purifier units and 160 box fan kits with air filters. The group will work with the Libby Senior Citizens Center and the Center for Asbestos Related Disease to distribute the filter kits for free, keeping residents safer and healthier during fire seasons.