Smoke from the Canadian wildfires could penetrate buildings and cause indoor air quality problems which could pose health risks.

Shichao Liu, assistant professor of architectural engineering and fire protection engineering at WPI, said wildfires create particles which can travel long distances, and while you can visibly see the smoke in some places outdoors, it may be able to get indoors since most buildings aren't sealed shut.

Liu recommends people run their air filters and HVAC systems rather than opening windows, but said for people who may not have those systems, there are other things you can do.

"There is an easier cheaper way, to build a box air filter,” he said. “You can buy an air filter and a box fan and attach them together and run the fan. Let air go through the air filters to filter out the particles. This can be beneficial to reduce indoor exposure for people who don't have HVAC or air purifiers."

Liu also recommends wearing an N95 mask while outdoors if you suffer from any health conditions.