Cleaning in case of fire - LAist

Reza Ronaghi lost his home in the Los Angeles wildfires last week.

"Not a single house remains in our two-block area," he said.

Ronaghi is a pulmonologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. Therefore, you are aware of the health risks associated with inhaling wildfire smoke. But even he, a medical professional, was surprised at how many potential health risks lurked in the trash, ash and smoke left behind after the fires.

"This is not a simple fire," he said. The ashes contain materials from "thousands of homes and all the materials used to build the home, the interior, the appliances, the roof, the list goes on."

But what worried him most was how little health and safety officials were offering residents who returned to the neighborhood to see what was left of their homes.

He and several neighbors were allowed to return to their Pacific Palisades neighborhood days after the fire; the ground was still smoking. He wore an N95 mask, but quickly realized that he should have protected himself better: with gloves, goggles, a respirator mask like those used when working with chemicals, and long clothing that he took off immediately after leaving could put the area in his pocket. .

After just 20 or 30 minutes, his eyes were watery and his nose was irritated, he said. She later discovered that her skin was irritated where she was accidentally exposed.

Previous scientific research shows that trash left behind after a fire can be contaminated with toxic compounds and gases ranging from heavy metals to burned plastic and asbestos. Exposure to ash and even air can have short-term health effects, from Ronaghi's watery eyes to breathing problems and more.

But it's not just the immediate health issues that worry Ronaghi. He worries that people's current exposure could have future health effects.

Exposure to toxic materials left behind after a house fire "can actually be much more dangerous than what smoke alone can do to the lungs," he said.

So when people return home, he wants to be careful because "we're talking about long-term consequences."

What matters are the materials that were burned.

Smoke and ash from wildfires can be hazardous to health, even if a fire primarily burns trees and plants. But fires that burn man-made materials are often filled with a more toxic mixture. After the Camp Fire in California in 2018, researchers discovered unusually high levels of lead downwind of the fire , which they said came from homes going up in smoke. Researchers from Los Angeles have found initial evidence that the ash also contains high concentrations of metals . Lead exposure can cause short-term problems such as headaches or dizziness. High exposures are associated with problems ranging from cognitive impairment to reproductive and cardiovascular problems.

It's not just about metals. Appliances, refrigerants, polyester curtains, cleaning products: All man-made parts of a home can produce a variety of harmful compounds and gases such as benzene and formaldehyde, as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs.

A chimney stands on the back wall of a home that was reduced to rubble in the Palisades fire in Malibu, California. Experts warn that smoke, ash and debris left behind after fires can pose short- and long-term health risks.

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But research into the long-term effects of wildfire smoke has only just begun.

Surveys conducted after the 2023 Lahaina wildfires found that residents exposed to smoke and ash had greater heart, kidney and mental health problems. In an EPA study, mice were exposed to military fire smoke, which contains many of the materials found in burning homes and cars. Mice exposed to smoke showed signs of inflammation and lung damage.

In the most damaged and contaminated areas, authorities often send cleanup teams to remove the most dangerous debris and ash . However, Ronaghi stressed that anyone visiting the area before this process is complete should take precautions.

He recommends that anyone visiting the burn sites wear masks or N95 respirators when possible, as well as goggles to protect their eyes (in an emergency, ski or swimming goggles would also work, he says). Gloves; and long clothing that they can remove before returning to their location. Pack these clothes in transit and wash them immediately when you get home, other experts recommend, to avoid danger in your living space.

Even those whose homes are still standing, even those far from the front lines of the fire, may have to contend with ash and smoke. Research conducted after the 2021 Marshall Fire in Boulder, Colorado, found that "smoke was able to enter homes through the cracks under doors and windows and travel through the fire's wind," said Joost de Gouw, an atmospheric chemist at the University of Colorado boulder. and author of one of the studies. Residents have been reporting health problems for weeks, ranging from headaches to breathing problems.

Dangerous gases associated with wildfire smoke, such as benzene and naphthalene, could be detected in homes downwind of the Marshall Fire long after the fires were extinguished. According to another study, these gases may have been absorbed by textiles, mattresses, and perhaps even the wooden structures and drywall of homes.

These gases take time to dissipate, de Gouw said, and during that time residents could still be exposed.

Firefighters extinguish the flames of the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, California. Smoke and ash from the fires have spread across the city and residents are now worried about how to safely clear them out.

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After the fire, "all the gases absorbed by the building materials were slowly released into the air where you could smell them," he said. "This process took about five weeks until everything was airy again."

how to clean

Even for those furthest from the burned neighborhoods, the cleanup could be dangerous and take weeks.

Because ash and smoke residue can contain dangerous components, experts who spoke to NPR recommend taking care when cleaning your home if it's affected by wildfire smoke.

"People returning to these homes should wear N95 masks to protect themselves," said Colleen Reid, a health geographer at the University of Colorado Boulder who worked on one of the Marshall smoking studies. "We found that when we cleaned it, the ash was resuspended and released into the air where people could breathe it in."

Reid also recommends wearing gloves, long-sleeved clothing and pants when cleaning.

He said scientists are still working to develop rigorously tested best practice recommendations for wildfire cleanup efforts. However, a 2023 study shows that cleaning a home's hard surfaces through dusting, mopping, and mopping can effectively reduce gas levels associated with smoke.

Reid suggests "using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter and really cleaning all surfaces, such as wiping them down, to try to eliminate sources of off-gassing chemicals."

More porous surfaces such as sofas and other textiles can continue to be a source of sustained stress. Reid suggests replacing them if possible.

de Gouw and other researchers found that air filters running continuously on activated carbon reduced gas concentrations in the first weeks after the fire. But when the air filters were turned off, the levels rose again, so it was "important to keep them running for these few weeks," he said.

Research from Portland State University found that PAH levels can be reduced after a fire by simply cleaning and washing all washable textiles . Long-term exposure to PAHs is associated with an increased risk of cancer .

The message, de Gouw said, is to clean everything carefully and thoroughly, as smoke can affect almost every part of a home, even in homes that are far from the line of fire. Any attempt to reduce the dose of potentially dangerous smoke and ash could help protect people, he said.

Ronaghi is still struggling with the aftermath of the fires. At the moment, his family is dealing with the loss of their home and considering how and where they can rebuild their lives.

But as we move forward, he wants to make sure others understand the ongoing risks.

"Most of the time we hear about fires and say, OK, you know, we'll be fine. We're a little bit away from that," he said.

But it's entirely possible for Los Angeles residents to be exposed to unhealthy toxins right now: "And you won't know that for a long, long time," he said. "That's why it's super important" to protect yourself.

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