Abstract
Objective: To know the prevention and care practices related to respiratory diseases during the period of forest fires from the perspective of parents/caregivers of children aged 29 days and 12 years in a basic health unit in the Legal Amazon. Methods: This is a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research using the interview technique with a semi-structured script in a municipality in the North of Brazil. Results: The sample of this research consisted of 20 women, including 19 mothers and 1 grandmother. Participants reported difficulties in identifying serious symptoms in children related to respiratory diseases. During the period of forest fires, they mentioned coughing and difficulty breathing as symptoms related to the child's exposure to smoke. Self-medication is applied as a strategy to face barriers to accessing primary care, such as difficulties in scheduling appointments and long waits for care, under these conditions, they resort to the emergency service, contributing to overcrowding and hospitalization. Conclusion: There is a need for a reorganization in health care networks with a view to the family/child binomial as a vulnerable group in seasonal fires and the implementation of health education strategies by nurses.