I am curently housebound due to dangerous levels of ozone. I live in St,Louis and summer can be brutal with the heat and high humidity as well as smog. I can't imagine adding smoke to the mix.
I hope you are able to get out soon.
I have been in that situation before. I have asthma but live in the Chicago area. I am forced to sit home during o-zone days during summer. I have family in Cali. and whenever we visit it is so difficult for me to breath. They say its because of the polution. But I need to take my inhaler regularly on visits there and even for weeks after while my lungs get used to better air again.
Once I went to Michigan while my asthma was at its worst and I almost didn't go because of it. Within a few hours of the fresh air up there I wasn't wheezing at all and I didn't use my inhaler the entire trip.
So yeah I definitely understand that.