Californians Prepare for Fire Cleanups
Once the wildfires in California are extinguished, residential and facility owners will need cleanup help. The California Department of Health Services and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health offer a set of tips for those cleaning up wildfire ash. Technicians should wear gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, and long pants to avoid skin contact. If ash gets on your skin, wash it off with warm water and soap as soon as possible. Wear a disposable mask with a rating of N-95 or higher to avoid breathing in ash and other airborne particles. Avoid cleaning methods that will release ash into the air, like using a leaf blower, and use a broom or mop to remove the ash and disinfect the area with bleach. Only use HEPA-filter vacuums to remove ash because other vacuums cannot filter out small particles and will instead blow them into the air. Use as little water as possible when cleaning, as ash and soot becomes slippery when wet. Wear boots with good soles and walk carefully. Finally, collect the ash in a plastic trash bag before disposing of it in a trash can.