Protecting your Portland Home From the Heat and Smoke of Summer 2026.

Portland summers are beautiful: Portlanders flock to the sun for a brief few months of reprieve from clouds and rain. Summers in this part of the country, though, also come with some extreme heat and air quality issues. This OJ blog will get into some tips and tricks for protecting your home from the Portland smoke and heat.

Unsafe to Burn Wood

When Portland is under fire and smoke watch, the city often enacts a mandatory ban on wood burning to help Portlanders keep the air clear and the city relatively safe from fire danger.

Recirculate Air if you Use AC

If possible, change the settings of your window unit AC to recirculate indoor air instead of pulling it in from the outside. Please note, not all Air Conditioning units and types can do this so please check the manufacturer notes of your specific model. This can help you and your family stay cool while keeping your indoor air clean.

Filter Your Air

If you have access, it’s a smart idea to set up as much air filtration as possible because even with care smokey air with harmful particulates can enter the home.

Check on Neighbors and Make a Plan

Especially if your neighbors are elderly, have children or are a part of a compromised immunity group, it’s important to regularly communicate with them and have a plan for if you or they are not heard from to ensure your local network is safe during summer heat and smoke season.