Clean air resources
Free air purifiers and N95 masks available in LA
This post was last updated Friday, January 17, 2025.
This is not your mother’s average brush fire. Seriously. As of January 12, more than 23,000 acres have burned in Los Angeles, taking thousands of buildings with them. A toxic combination of asbestos, lead, plastic, paint, and other carcinogenic materials is permeating our environment—and may last for years, causing serious health complications. Even once the fires are contained, the clean-up will be time-consuming and complex.
Now is the time to get yourself and your community resourced with air purifiers and N95 masks. Keep in mind that these tools alone are not always enough—taping your windows, using P100 masks, reducing time spent outside, and getting outside of the city (if and when possible) is also helpful. If you’re spending a lot of time driving right now, you can also change out your cabin air filter in your car and replace it with a Merv 13 or HEPA filter. For more tips on personal protective equipment (PPE), check out this post from Mask Bloc LA.
Read on for air purifier and mask distribution resources. This list will be updated as resources develop.
[image of downtown Los Angeles shrouded by smoke, taken January 10]
Air purifier resources
Clean Air LA, a mutual aid org distributing PPE & building a free lending library of air purifiers, is accepting donations and delivering air purifiers to those in need. Learn more here.
Air Purifier Distro LA is a group of volunteers/friends/autonomous community organizers who are distributing homemade air purifiers via delivery to the affected zones and pickup in Atwater Village/Ktown. Learn more here.
Airgasmic LA, an air purifier lending library usually reserved for drag shows, is collecting and providing air purifiers to people in Los Angeles. Learn more here. *note: Airgasmic has paused on taking requests as of 1/13
Windmill, a company specializing in clean air products, is offering significant discounts, providing air purifiers to donation centers, and giving out a few free air purifiers to those in need. DM them on Instagram @windmillair for more info.
There are free air purifiers for residents of Bowl Heights, East LA, and Commerce. Learn more here.
Instagram handles of individuals building and/or doing air purifier drops (DM for more info):
@blkertheberry / email: shewit.zerai@gmail.com
Build a Corsi-Rosenthal box:
CR boxes are highly effective as air purifiers, and you can usually put one together for under $100 using supplies from Home Depot. Here are some instructions.
N95 resources
Mask Bloc LA, a mutual aid project to distribute free masks, is giving out masks. Follow them on Instagram for updates on mask distribution, and click here to donate masks or volunteer.
As of January 12, this address had N95s available for pickup:
1735 S Santa Fe Ave
contact number: 213 949 7074
As of January 12, Elysian Valley Riverside Neighborhood Council had free N95 masks available at the following locations until supplies last:
Evolve Soccer
Roam Yoga
Won’s Market
Affordable Animal Hospital Silver Lake
Forager Crafts
Spoke
Frogtown Brewery
Justine’s
Frogtown Tacos
Rick’s Drive in and Out
Klub Gymnastics (available 1/13)
Just What I Kneaded (available 1/13)
Wax Paper (Available 1/13)
On Monday, January 20, you can volunteer to assemble DIY air purifiers with March April Studio, a community art studio. They’ll be giving out free N95 masks as well.
Stay safe out there.