Why wildfire survivors in LA may still face serious health risks.

When Kate Gammon and her family fled their Santa Monica, California home during the recent wildfires, she wasn’t sure what they would find when they returned.

Although there was no evacuation order, Gammon, who has asthma, told CBC that the air quality was rapidly deteriorating and the fire was volatile, so they evacuated on January 8 when the fire was six kilometers away. Four days later, she returned to find the house safe from the fire, but was shocked to see everything in her yard reduced to ashes.

“It’s just raining on us at night,” she said. “They are like big, white, dense ashes.”

Researchers now say that because of the large size of these wildfires and the types of buildings that are burning, people returning home after the first fire is over may still be exposed to health problems from airborne compounds in the ash and smoke.

Firefighters across the state are still working to put out the two largest wildfires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, which have killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 12,000 buildings, including homes, schools and banks. On Thursday, the Los Angeles County Health Officer Cleaning or removal of any fire debris is prohibited until a hazardous materials inspection is completed.

Ashes and debris from residential and structural fires may contain asbestos. Heavy metals and other hazardous substancesThe health expert said people can be exposed to the toxic substances by inhaling ash or fire dust particles or coming into contact with the skin or through contaminated drinking water.

Gammon had an early career as an environmental journalist. reported on Health hazards caused not only by brush, but also by ash from thousands of burned buildings. That’s why she says she avoids touching the ashes and wears a mask outside.

Scientists earlier this week They published their findings How wildfires burning wild and urban areas affect indoor air. They studied the 2021 Marshall Fire In Boulder, Colo., nearly 1,000 buildings burned in eight hours, the most in a city like L.A.

Headache after fire, itching of eyes

Colin Reid, a professor at the University of Colorado, studied the health problems of people who returned to unburnt homes after a fire. She and her colleagues surveyed residents living near burned buildings.

Over five weeks, he also measured the levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a house that had survived the fire, but was significantly affected by the smoke.

They found that higher-than-normal VOC levels persisted indoors for about a month before returning to normal indoor levels.

“People who reported that their home smelled different after the fire were more likely to experience headaches, dry cough, itching, watery eyes, an unusual taste in their mouth and sneezing six months after the fire,” said Reid, a local epidemiologist.

Reid and her team surveyed people six months (642 respondents) and one year (413 respondents) after the fire. Results include:

• 65 percent of the respondents said that there was ash in their house after the fire.

• The majority of respondents were not confident about the air quality in their homes and neighborhoods six months after the fire. Most gained confidence within a year.

Tips for cleaning up after wildfires

Canadian scientist Delphine Farmer at Colorado State University studies indoor air as an organ. Experiment At the US National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, MD, she and her team analyzed the composition of the elements in a converted indoor laboratory after introducing wildfire smoke.

The farmer found that The smoke itself is buried into the painted objects.It then slowly begins to return to the air, which means that residents are exposed to indoor pollution for a long time after the fire.

See | Indoor air science after wildfire;

The scientists are studying how different air cleaners work and how surface cleaning affects air quality in order to provide guidance to those who need to clean up after a fire.

Based on her findings, Farmer’s cleaning tips include:

• Opening the windows as soon as the smoke pollution is cleared. The sooner you clear the smoke, the better.
• Wash old draperies such as bed sheets, clothing and curtains that have caught smoke.
• Vacuum floors. Wear an N95 mask when doing this because it can cause soot or smoke debris.
• Wash floors with soap and water, and if there is a lot of smoke in your area, extinguish everything you can reasonably, including walls. Wash ceiling fans and other surfaces that are not cleaned often. Change the water when it gets dirty.
• Clean out the ‘hidden places’ of your home such as the attic, basement, closet and garage.
• If your HVAC system is acting up, consider having it professionally cleaned. Change the filters on your home’s HVAC system or air cleaners and run the fans continuously.
• Clean and wash furniture as soon as possible. If it still smells like smoke, consider a deep cleaning or replace it.