During an evacuation due to wildfires, ash, soot or smoke residue may have gotten inside of homes and buildings. They can cause physical reactions or symptoms.
Soot, ashes or residue from forest fires are not chemically toxic.
They are similar to ash found in fireplaces, wood stoves or fire pits.
Even though they aren’t chemically toxic, soot, ash and residue are fine dust particles and can cause physical reactions or symptoms. This can happen especially when there’s a large amount on area surfaces or in the air.
Possible symptoms include:
irritation to the nose and throat - this can cause coughing, itchy throat, runny nose
triggering an asthma attacks (breathing problems) in people who already have asthma
irritation to the skin (rashes, redness)
Wiping down surfaces with wet cloths or a mop stirs up less dust than dry cloths, brooms or even vacuums.
It’s recommended to clean ash, soot and smoke residue from surfaces in your home when you get home (countertops, doors, cupboards, and furniture). Sometimes walls may need to be wiped down too.
If there are people in your household who have asthma or breathing conditions, or are medically vulnerable, do the cleaning before they come back into the home.
Wiping down surfaces with wet cloths or a mop stirs up less dust than dry cloths, brooms or even vacuums.
Wait to turn on air circulation or fans, or to open the windows in your home until you’ve been able to wipe surfaces down. This will prevent stirring dust up into the air.
Wash fabrics and clothes that have smoke residue or the smell of smoke.
Some furniture fabrics may need to be steam-cleaned if they are heavily affected.
Check medicines and toiletries (like toothpaste) for signs of damage from ash or smoke residue. If damage is present, discard these items.
If you are doing the cleaning, it is recommended to wear an N95 or KN95 mask and gloves, to avoid breathing ash or soot, and so it doesn’t irritate your skin. Safety glasses can also be a good idea if there is heavy dust.
N95 and KN95 masks have to fit snugly on the face, in contact with smooth skin to work properly.
Masks will seal properly for people with beards or facial hair.
Place both hands completely over the mask and inhale sharply. The mask should pull against your face. If air leaks around your face or eyes, adjust the straps and nose piece until it doesn’t.
Then put your hands over the mask and breathe out sharply. No air should leak out. If air leaks out, readjust the nosepiece and straps and repeat these two checks until you are sure it fits.
N95 or KN95 masks are available from your community’s Public Safety Officer or Emergency Response Team/Committee.
Once you have wiped down surfaces, you can open your windows and use a fan to get the air moving in your house, as long there is no smoke or ongoing poor outdoor air quality in the community.
If there is poor outdoor air quality ongoing, use the recirculated air function on your ventilation system.
When possible, have a professional clean ventilation ducts (if you have them) and air conditioning systems.
Ozone generators do not function as “air cleaners” despite advertising claims.
When you can, replace your furnace filter and/or air conditioner filter.
Check food for signs of going bad, even if it was stored in the fridge and there were no power outages at your home.
There are steps you can follow to cover financial losses from damaged goods, whether you are insured or not.
The Cree Board of Health recommends you wear a mask in certain situations to protect yourself and people around you.
