3 Tips To Protect You & Your Loved Ones When Dealing With Wildfire Ash

During a wildfire, more homeowners are often more concerned with the danger posed by the flames, and don't really give much thought to what comes after. While wildfire flames are certainly something you want to stay well away from, many California homeowners underestimate the threat the ash left behind can pose to the health and safety of themselves and their loved ones. At Universe Excavation, we understand the kind of threat wildfire ash can pose, and in order to help protect our California clients and their families, our team of debris removal specialists have taken the time to put together this short list that goes over just a few of the most helpful tips we have collected that can help protect you and your family from the dangers posed by wildfire ash.

Avoid Skin Contact

While it's easy to think that the ash left behind a wildfire is fairly harmless, you would be mistaken in believing so. Long after the fire is out, pockets of heat can remain buried in ash, and if you, your family members, or your pets happen to step in them or make contact with them with your skin, it can still result in serious burns. Additionally, while ash from most organic materials like trees and brush aren't harmful to the skin, ash from other materials can cause a great deal of skin irritation, as well as other types of harm. For this reason, it's best to avoid contact altogether when possible, and if not, make sure you're wearing long sleeves, long pants, closed shoes, and gloves.

Protect Yourself From Others Cleaning Around You

Even if you are taking special care not to stir up any ash around your property, others nearby might not be taking those same precautions, and it's important to protect yourself from it. Cars driving on the street can kick up a surprising amount of ash, and street sweepers will do this to an even larger degree. If traffic is heavy outside of your home or any of your neighbors seems to be kicking up an excessive amount of ash while cleaning up, it might be best to move inside and wait it out.

Use A Particulate Respirator Mask When Cleaning Up

If you decide to tackle any kind of cleanup project on your own that involves ash or comes near to it, make sure you're wearing a particulate respirator mask while doing so. Ash can be highly irritating to the nose, throat, and lungs, and depending on the type of ash, inhalation can lead to a number of serious health issues down the road. Make sure your mask has two straps and fits snugly around your nose and chin. Surgical masks, bandannas, and other paper masks are unsuitable for this task, as they aren't designed to filter out fine particles which make up the greatest threat in ash cleanup.