Wildfire or Grass Fire Smoke Got Inside? How to Freshen the House

Quick answer: While smoke is in the air, keep windows shut and the HVAC fan on so the filter catches what gets in. Once it clears, air out, change the filter, wipe hard surfaces top to bottom and wash fabrics. If the smell hangs on, a whole-home treatment can help.

Where does the smoke come from?

Drifting smoke in Central Texas usually comes from one of three places, and none of them has to be in your neighborhood. Dry summers bring grass fires along highways and in open fields. In the cooler months, land managers run prescribed burns in parks, preserves and ranchland to clear brush. And a south wind can carry smoke from much farther away for a day or two.

A few hours of drifting smoke can leave a house smelling like a campfire, especially in the Hill Country, along greenbelts or near open land. The steps differ depending on whether the smoke is still outside or already in the curtains, so they're split that way below.

What should you do while the smoke is in the air?

Keep as much smoke outside as you can, and let your HVAC filter catch what gets in.

Keep it outside as much as you can

• Close windows and doors, including the garage door if the garage connects to the house.
• Check the air quality. Our Austin Air Quality Index page shows current conditions, so you know when it's clear to open up again.
• Close the fireplace damper if you have one.
• Turn off bath and kitchen exhaust fans for now. Every cubic foot they push out gets replaced through the gaps, smoke included.
• Close a fresh-air intake if your HVAC system has one and you know how, or ask your HVAC company how it's set up.

Let your HVAC filter do the work

Most home AC systems recirculate indoor air through the filter, which is exactly what you want during a smoke event.

• Set the fan to "on" or "circulate" so air keeps passing through the filter even when the AC isn't cooling. Our guide to HVAC fan settings explains the options.
• Use a good pleated filter, as high a rating as your system is built to handle.
• Check the filter afterward. After a heavy smoke day, it may already look gray.

A portable HEPA air filter in a bedroom can help too, especially at night.

Where does the smoke smell end up?

The smell ends up wherever the smoke's oily residue settled. Smoke is a mix of fine particles and that residue, and once the air clears, these places hold it:

• Fabrics: curtains, bedding, couches, rugs and clothes in open closets
• Hard surfaces: window sills, blinds, ceiling fans and the tops of cabinets
• The HVAC system: the filter, the coil and the inside of the ducts
• The attic: smoke slips in through soffit and roof vents. In most Central Texas homes, the air handler and ducts are up there too, and leaky ducts can keep pulling that smell into the house long after the sky clears.
• The garage and porch: patio cushions, outdoor rugs and anything stored in the garage

How do you clean up after the smoke clears?

Wait until the outdoor air is clear, then work from the air to the ceiling to the floor, in this order:

1. Air the house out. On a clear, mild day, open windows on opposite sides of the house and run fans for a few hours.
2. Change the HVAC filter. Start the cleanup with a fresh one, so the system isn't blowing old residue around.
3. Wipe hard surfaces top to bottom. Ceiling fans, light fixtures, blinds, window sills and cabinet tops first, then counters, tables and floors. Use a damp microfiber cloth so you pick the residue up instead of pushing it around.
4. Wash fabrics. Curtains, bedding, throw pillows, washable cushion covers and any clothes that were out.
5. Vacuum carpet, rugs and upholstery with a HEPA vacuum.
6. Clean window screens and tracks, where a lot of outdoor residue collects.
7. Wipe down the garage entry and anything you bring in from the patio.
8. Change the filter again after a week or two.

If ash or soot is visible inside, or the fire came close enough to damage the house, call your insurance company first. A fire damage restoration company should handle that level of cleanup.

When does a whole-home treatment make sense?

It makes sense when the smell hangs on after a good cleaning, or a long smoke event left it in the ductwork, closets and corners you can't reach. After one or two smoke days, cleaning alone often takes care of it.

Pure Maintenance Austin's whole-home dry fog treatment sends a fog along the same routes the smoke took. The patented VaPURE system floats a hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid solution onto blinds, fan blades and closet shelves and through the HVAC ductwork without getting things wet. It temporarily reduces airborne particulates as it settles, and on treated hard, non-porous surfaces it helps control the growth of odor-causing microorganisms. Then a surface protectant goes on. It's done in one day.

For a heavy, lingering smoke smell, our Odor Treatment adds an ozone shock treatment while the home sits empty for up to 48 hours.

If your ducts pull in attic air, have them sealed first so the attic can't send the smell back down. Our sister company, Gold Eagle Services, can check your ductwork and filter setup. For smoke from inside the home, like a past owner who smoked, see our guide to lingering smoke odors.

Common questions

How long does a smoke smell usually last?

After a short event with the windows closed, many homes smell normal within a few days of airing out and cleaning. If it lasts more than a week or two, the smell is usually in the fabrics, the ductwork or the attic.

Should I run the AC during a smoke event?

In most homes, yes. The AC recirculates indoor air through the filter. Set the fan to "on" or "circulate" so the filter keeps working, and close any fresh-air intake if you have one.

What if someone in my family is bothered by the smoke?

Keep them in the room with the best filtered air, and talk with your doctor about what's right for your family.

Get a free phone consultation

Book a free phone consultation. A Comfort Advisor will call you, learn what's going on in your home and send a written quote based on square footage. Pure Maintenance Austin, brought to you by Gold Eagle Services, serves all of Central Texas, including College Station, Round Rock, Georgetown, San Marcos, Bastrop and Marble Falls.

Call 512-904-4646 or email IAQ@goldeagleservices.com. We're open Monday through Saturday, 7am to 7pm.