Build your own air filter to combat fire smoke from the Ferguson Fire

MARIPOSA, Calif. (KFSN) -- With the Ferguson Fire blanketing the mountains and valleys with smoke, the best advice to residents from Mariposa County Public Health Educator Ginny Day, is, "When they see smoke or smell smoke, to stay indoors."

But the smoke can still seep indoors.

One Mariposa woman told us, "I don't open up at night anymore, but the smoke comes in any way. "

One effective way to deal with the smoke it is to make sure the filter on your air conditioning system is clean, and replace it frequently, and be sure to find the right size.

"I think it's a 20 by 24, do you have a 20 by 24?" Asked one customer in the Ace Hardware store, which according to store manager Monica Evans is seeing a run on air filters.

"It's a huge problem right now, everybody's houses are filled with smoke. Not everybody has an air conditioning unit."

For those who don't have air conditioning, one way to help keep the cleaner is to get an air purifier, but the health department is recommending a simpler, much less expensive way to do it. You take a standard air filter and use a little duct tape and attach it to the back of a box fan.

LINK: How to Build an Inexpensive Room Filter

Health Educator Ginny Day says "Those are effective for a room-size air filtration system."

The home-made systems are being used in county offices, and the filters we saw were turning brown after running for just a couple of hours.