Although it’s been almost a month since the deadly L.A. County wildfires broke out, many Angelenos are still left with questions.
Do I need to clean my home? Is the soil in my yard safe? What about my water quality?
Realizing the difficulty residents are having getting answers, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health set up a wildfire town hall webinar last week and invited people to send in their trickiest questions. Here are the top four areas that were addressed.
House cleaning
Dr. Nichole Quick, chief medical advisor for the health department, said residents returning home are confused about how to safeguard their health while cleaning up. As LAist has reported, ash and other particles can contain hazardous materials, like lead, asbestos and arsenic.
First step: Quick said you should assess the level of contamination in your home. You can do that by wiping a paper towel or white cloth on a wall or a windowsill. What you find will determine next steps.
- No signs of contamination: Zero ash or soot on horizontal surfaces, no particles in the air and no smoke odor means you don’t need to take remediation actions.
- Some signs: Light ash or soot on surfaces, some particles in the air or a noticeable smoke odor means you can do a thorough cleaning yourself. (Learn how to do that in our guide.)
- Significant signs: A lot of ash or soot on surfaces, plenty of particles in the air or strong smoke odors means professional cleaning or remediation may be needed. Your insurance company may have companies they work with or recommend.
Proper certification: Quick said you should make sure any cleaning company is properly licensed, certified and…
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