If you can smell smoke or you are within 300 feet of a field that is being burned, go inside and close windows and doors. Run the air conditioning or ventilation system (if possible, set the system on "re-circulate").
If you must be near a burning field, wear a mask (respirator) that has the word "NIOSH" and either "N95" or "P100" printed on it. These are sold at many hardware and home repair stores and pharmacies.
If you have been in or near smoke and are having a hard time breathing, or have very bad coughing, or chest pain, call your doctor or 911. During the day, smoke from burns generally rises up in the air. On winter nights, as the air cools, the smoke comes down closer to the ground, making the air quality worse. Reduce outdoor activity between 5:00 pm to 7:00 am during the winter.

For asthma and other respiratory diseases, follow your doctor's directions about taking medicines and discuss an asthma management plan with a health care provider. Talk with your local officials and Local Health Department about your health concerns around agricultural burning. Find out about local air conditions from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow.

In 2009, EHIB monitored five agricultural burns in Imperial County, located in the southeast corner of California and has one of the highest rates of asthma and air pollution. This study resulted in fact sheets for farmers, students, and the community to reduce exposure to smoke from agricultural burning, and a published article (see links below). Air monitoring was expanded in Imperial County through a 4-year National Institutes of Health-funded community air monitoring project.