Bright orange skies, the sun blazing through an omnipresent gray haze, the overwhelming smell of campfire. Unfortunately, this visual seems to be an increasingly frequent scene in California, as smoke is blown across the state by yearly wildfires. Every fall, there’s a new tragedy, and the smoke has become a part of our lives this time of the year. Starting with the Camp Fire in 2018, workplaces and schools began to close down, and everything seemed to grind to a halt. Five years later, the smoke is dismissed, perhaps another minor inconvenience that cancels a sports event or two. Should we shut our schools down in an effort to avoid the smoke or not?

There is a plethora of arguments to shut down schools. For example, wildfire smoke can cause a range of health problems, from headaches and fatigue to breathing problems and long-term lung health issues. These complications are even more problematic for those with conditions like asthma, as their symptoms are exacerbated by smoke inhalation. Furthermore, schools in California are not designed to keep students and faculty safe from low air quality during wildfire season. Schools in California typically have outdoor campuses, which require students to be outside during passing periods and at lunch. So the obvious solution is to shut down schools, right? 

If we close schools, kids stay at home, where they are safe from the smoke outside. As a recent article from ABC News said, “Anyone who smells smoke is advised to stay inside with windows and doors closed and to set air conditioning units… to re-circulate.” We assume that homes are safer than schools because kids won’t have to venture outside. However, many indoor spaces don’t have access to an air conditioning unit or the air purifiers that schools have, so the air inside might be just as unhealthy to inhale as the air outside. Additionally, schools offer supervision that can ensure children stay inside, whereas parents may be unable to watch their children on such short notice. 

 Schools also offer more than simply clean air. Many children rely on school for breakfast and lunch, and they may not be getting dinner at home. Staying at home also leads to precarious drops in learning outcomes, as kids can fall behind even with online learning supporting them. With wildfires being a regular occurrence, staying at home wouldn’t be a sustainable option. At some point, we have to weigh the risks of smoke against the risks of staying at home, which can include food and education insecurity.After years of hazy fall skies, we have begun to tolerate the smoke. Schools may be essential to keep open, but many other activities aren’t quite as important. Air quality levels are still “unhealthy for the healthiest humans,” as Joseph Dycus with The Mercury News says. Canceling sports and exercise plans is still advisable. Poor air quality may now be a regular part of our lives, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take precautions.