New Mexico Officials Encourage Use of 5-3-1 Visibility Method this Wildfire Season

May is both Asthma Awareness Month and Wildfire Awareness Month and a good time to encourage New Mexicans to use the 5-3-1 visibility method on smoky days to help protect their health.

According to the New Mexico Department of Health’s Asthma Control Program, asthma is one of the most common conditions affecting New Mexican adults and children. In New Mexico, about 10% of adults have asthma - about 162,000 people.

“New Mexicans can take simple steps to protect their health on days when the outdoor air quality is diminished due to smoke from wildland fires,” said Dr. Chelsea Langer, bureau chief of the Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau. “Those steps include using the 5-3-1 visibility method, minimizing time outside and establishing a clean indoor environment.”

People with asthma can prevent attacks by avoiding triggers such as outdoor air pollution, following an asthma management plan and working with a healthcare provider to establish a medical regimen.

“Using visibility is an easy way to gauge air quality,” advised Deyonne Sandoval, section head of Asthma Control and Health Communications. “For people with asthma we recommend minimizing outdoor activity when visibility is less than five miles and staying indoors when visibility is less than three miles.”

New Mexico’s landscapes and geological features such as open spaces with nearby mountains make 5-3-1 visibility method ideal to use in most areas.

Visit https://nmtracking.doh.nm.gov/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.htmlt to learn how to use the 5-3-1 method and get more health tips.

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