3M donates respirators to Californians battling bad air

California wildfires
Sheriff's deputies search for human remains in a neighborhood destroyed by the Camp fire on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, in Paradise, Calif.
Noah Berger | AP

Updated: 4:41 p.m. | Posted: 4:30 p.m.

Maplewood-based 3M has donated about 400,000 disposable respirators to relief agencies helping California communities hit by wildfires.

In many California communities, the air quality is rated as very unhealthy or hazardous. That's true even in San Francisco and Oakland, as those cities are covered with smoke from inland fires.

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Nikki McCullough, a technical manager in 3M's Personal Safety Division, says 3M is providing what is known as N95 respirators. They block 95 percent of very small airborne particles.

"N95 respirators help reduce exposure to the smoke and ash that's in the air," she said.

Officials in Sacramento have handed out at least 67,000 masks since Sunday. It's not clear if the masks were manufactured by 3M.

3M is a leading provider of N95 respirators, which must be worn snugly be effective. The devices are sold widely in home improvement and other stores.

3M does not disclose sales.