Health and Property Damage Assessment Guidelines for Homeowners Affected by Wildfire

When hillsides are burning, your immediate goal is to save your family and important possessions. As you leave and glance back in your rearview mirror, you wonder – will my house be standing afterwards, will it ever be safe to live in again, will it have char, ash, and smoke in it? To help answer some of these questions, complete a “Health and a Property Damage Assessment:”

Press Release: Restoration Guru Shares Expertise At National Flood School Training Programme

1. Land and Building Safety Issues:

a. After the wildfire, first determine whether it is safe to enter your property, and do so only in “daylight hours,” and look for:

1. Are there fallen trees and hanging large branches?

2. Are there loose or fallen electrical power lines?

3. Does the structure look safe?

4. Have tiles and shingles from the roof fallen onto the ground?

5. Is smoke still noticeable on the property coming from burnt trees, stumps, or smoke is coming from the ground?

6. Has window glass shattered?

7. Is the entrance to the house including overhangs and decks burnt?

b. When there is the possibility of any of the above:

1. Consult with the city or county and have them determine if downed power lines are “alive (hot) or not”.

2. Have the gas company check exposed gas lines to the house. They will inspect and test gas lines and connections for leaks.

3. Have the service company who services propane tanks check all parts of the tank, its valves, and connections, and complete repairs.

4. When part of the house burnt, be careful when entering, consider hiring a qualified contractor or structural engineer to determine if the home

requires stabilization.

2. Your Safety, the Safety of Family and Workers Having Contact with Wildfire Combustion Particles is Important:

a. Do you have sufficient N-95 respirators and work gloves to protect yourself and family from airborne smoke, and exposure to piles of char and ash?

1. Health departments and other agencies request you and others to wear an N-95 respirator, protective eyeglasses, and work gloves.

2. Avoid using leaf blowers, since they can easily blow char and ash into the air, creating more breathing problems and can contribute to skin and eye irritation.

2. Was Electric Power to the Community or to Your Home Off for a Period of Time?

a. If you do not know, inspect the inside of the freezer and refrigerator for signs of stale food and spillage.

1. The presence of stale smelling frozen food or signs of leaking food on the bottom of the freezer or refrigerator are indications the power was off,

food thawed and refrigerated food spoiled.

2. The food may be unsafe to consume anytime you determine the power was off for a period of time, where there is a rancid or spoiled food smell and there are signs of a freezer or refrigerator having a residue on the bottom of the appliance.

3. Take photos of the interior wrapped frozen food, refrigerated food, and dispose them. If you can, identify each item and estimate the approximate

cost of replacement. If you have insurance, the insurer may provide

reimbursement for spoiled food.

3. Is My Water Safe to Use?

a. Water lines from city and well water, including storage tank water can be contaminated with chemicals and heavy metals after a wildfire and may be unsafe to drink, cook with, and bathe in.

1. Contact your local health department or agency that governs the city, well, and tank water, and ask them if your water is safe.

4. Listening to Local News and Attending Community Events:

a. The best sources of information about your community are the radio, newspapers, and TV.

1. Another good source of information is attending town hall meetings, which are usually held at schools and community centers.

2. Often, government agencies, city officials, health and safety professionals, along with the American Red Cross are present to provide information and answer questions.

5. Need Help?

a. Often, state emergency response teams have information trailers, including FEMA, city officials, and the American Red Cross staged in shopping centers. If you do not know where they are being staged, contact a police officer or fireman, who often have that information.

b. Depending on the available assistance in your community, food banks, Kiwanis, and other non-profit organizations may be present at the same staging area to assist with food, clothing, temporary shelter, and comfort.

c. Generally, communities that are more rural have additional concerns. Some ranches and farms having acreage in non-wildfire damaged properties may offer to temporarily house domesticated animals and livestock in holding pens. Local veterinarians and outreach persons for example, may care for other animals, such as dogs, cats, birds, and snakes.

6. Insurance Assistance:

a. Whether your property is heat damaged or impacted by smoke, char and ash, or vandals entered your home, call your insurance agent, or file a claim directly through their 800 phone number.

b. As mentioned above about staging areas, your insurance company may have set up a motorhome or truck at the same or nearby staging area.

1. You may not have your insurance information with you, but a claim’s specialist can find it with the property owner’s name and address.

2. If you know the type and extent of property damage, provide that

information. If you need temporary housing assistance, let them know. 3. If you need medical assistance, because you or a family member cannot take care of themselves, let the desk or phone adjuster know.

c. Many homeowner insurance policies provide coverage for fire that damages the property and structure, as well as wildfire smoke that impacts the home and contents.

1. When necessary, consult with your insurance agent about coverage, limitations, and exclusions.

7. A Homeowner’s Concern when Hiring Contractors and Handymen:

a. In some states contracts must include a 3-Day Right of Cancellation, where you have 3-Days to decide whether you want to continue with the signed agreement or not before the contractor starts work. Check with your local attorney for legal advice on whether a 3-Day Right of Cancellation is required in your state or province.

b. Even though your insurance company may have recommended a cleanup contractor, you are hiring them by signing their contract.

c. Make sure there are agreed prices for all the services the contractor provides, including establishing the start date of work and the estimated completion date. d. Make sure you control all funds to be paid to your contractor. In other words, many insurers pay the contractor directly, and you, as the homeowner, have no idea what the contractor did or was supposed to do for the work they got paid for. Was the work completed as outlined? Was the work done as stated in the contract you signed and was their work to your satisfaction—or not?

8. Contractor Licensing:

a. Some states have regulations that all contractors and handymen you hire for fire clean up must be state licensed.

b. In a designated wildfire disaster, many states do not allow contractors to solicit work during a specific period of time, such as 10-days to two weeks after occupants are allowed to return back to their community.

c. Even though an insurance company may recommend using one of their repair or restoration contractors, in states that require contractors to have a valid state contractor’s license, a cleanup or restoration contractor cannot be excused from not having a valid state contractor’s license.

d. In wildfire disaster management, it is not unusual for contractors to come from out of state. In states requiring contractors to have a valid state contractor’s license, out of state contractors must have a license in the state they are working in.

e. Not all contractor’s licenses are the same. Most states’ contractor license numbers do not specify if it is for plumbing, electrical, framing, drywall, or general contracting. Therefore, through the internet, check the state contractor’s license number to confirm they are qualified, licensed, and competent to do the work you are hiring them to complete.

f. Besides signing a valid contractor’s contract, the services to be provided should be line-item detailed, with corresponding prices listed for each service, including, if required, a deposit to start work.

9. Homeowner Health Issues involving Wildfire Debris Removal:

a. Determine as well as you can, the condition of your home. Is there damage from direct heat, is there scorching to the outside, or smoke impaction affecting the interior and contents?

b. Determine if you are capable of completing house repairs yourself, such as removing smoke odor, and signs of char and ash, or do you need assistance? c. Some individuals can experience skin and respiratory issues when char, ash, and smoke are in a building.

1. A skin reaction may be from touching char and ash which may contain toxic chemicals; a respiratory reaction can occur when breathing small particles, or from chemical fumes and vapors in char, and smoke film.

2. A qualified indoor environmental professional (IEP) or industrial hygienist (IH)--through sampling and analysis--may be capable of determining if there are compounds or agents around or in your home that can affect your health.

10. Contractors Completing Wildfire Debris Removal:

a. Wildfire debris removal and disposal does not normally require permits to be issued by a city, county, or local jurisdiction, as long as there are no regulated hazardous materials such as asbestos and lead, or heavy metals, such as mercury, arsenic, antimony, and zinc present.

b. The process of removing wildfire debris of burnt trees and brush will cause irritant and potentially hazardous substances to contaminate the air. Workers are expected to wear N-95 or better rated respirators in reducing lung exposure from respirable particles and toxic substances.

c. Further, a health hazard evaluation (HHE) should be completed. The burnt land and buildings on your property or neighboring burnt properties can contain hazardous materials, such as asbestos, lead, silica, arsenic, zinc, cadmium, other heavy metals, and hydrocarbons. Workers cleaning up your property may require additional training and certification in hazardous materials management (HAZMAT). In these situations, contractors may be required to work with or contracted under State or federal EPA.

11. Contractors Completing Heat Damaged Building Salvaging and Stabilization:

a. Wildfires cause some buildings to burn completely, while others are partially burnt. In buildings considered salvageable, building stabilization is often required before removing damaged components. Building stabilization is also a jobsite safety and health requirement.

b. Contractors completing building stabilization are expected to be or must be “state licensed general contractors”. The difficulty in making a blanket statement about “must” is because different states and jurisdictions may have regulations that do not require a contractor to be licensed.

c. States requiring a contractor to have a contractor’s license may also require the contractor to file for a demolition permit and/or a temporary structural repair permit (project permit). In these situations, engineering plans may need to be filed, or a structural/civil engineer may need to oversee the building stabilization phase.

d. Once building stabilization is complete, the structural/civil engineer should remain on site or available for consulting during the removal of heat damaged structural components.

12. Contractors Completing Exterior Building Repairs:

a. Wildfires can impact some buildings with temperatures from 130F to 550F. The amount and degree of heat damaging the building depends on the type of building materials and finishes, temperature and humidity, wind as thermal pressures forced against the building, and the length of time heat temperatures were present.

b. Exterior heat damage can be noticeable or not, and finishes and materials under a surface can be affected by greater heat impaction than the surface.

1. The scorching or blistering of paint, for example, may only be a surface problem that can be corrected by sanding, scraping, sand blasting, ice

blasting, or water blasting. Note: a blasting media is better used on stone, concrete, and brick. Blasting can be harmful to wood and other soft

materials.

2. Heat discoloration (e.g., redness, yellowing) affecting stucco, vinyl siding, and vinyl windows, generally requires these materials to be replaced.

3. Heat cracking of single or double-pane windows requires the window assembly to be inspected by professionals, determining if the entire

window requires repair or replacement.

4. The bottom side of decks, soffits, and eaves can experience greater heat impaction than the surface of a deck, soffit, or eave. In addition, heated air passes through openings of a deck, soffit, and eave, where sealants,

sheathing, metal lath, building and roofing paper, to rigid, batt, and

blown-in insulation can be damaged.

c. Exterior building damage inspection may be straight forward, estimating repair costs and ordering replacement materials to begin work. That said, in using the above examples, as new materials are installed, hidden damage to smoke

impaction can be identified, which requires the contractor to create a change order to correct hidden damage.

13. Contractors Completing Exterior Washing and Cleanup:

a. Wildfires produce tons of aerosolized debris in the form of embers, char, ash, smoke, and unburnt particles. Increased wind produced by the wildfire forces tons of these particles onto nearby properties, where some of the finer size particles enter buildings, and larger size particles land on the exterior.

b. The term “washing and cleanup” should be reversed, because “cleanup” is required before “washing.” The cleanup of exterior burnt debris, including char and ash is required, since wind can affect the building once again.

c. Cleanup should be further discussed: The general cleanup of the exterior is required to make the property safe. However, final exterior cleanup may need to wait for days, weeks, or longer until a rain settles loose char and ash on the property, neighboring properties, and hillsides. It is not unusual for an exterior building cleaning process to be repeated because of high winds that bring with it other wildfire particulates from neighboring burnt buildings, land, and hillsides.

d. Once heavy debris and visible particulate is removed, washing is required to remove smoke film, smoke staining compounds, and heavy metals.

e. Washing is best completed using deionized warm water and degreasers (e.g., Dawn Ultra or Dawn Professional in 5 gallon size, or Simple Green or Ecos Pro 50 gallon containers). Generally, washing starts with a wetting process that is wet fogged onto surfaces to loosen and suspend baked or caked-on debris and smoke film. Using soft bristle brushes and deionized warm water further loosens caked-on debris and smoke film. Low pressure washing (e.g., less than 50 psi at the surface), should begin at the roof, then decks, windows, and doors, and then, sidewalks and driveway. When rinsing using deionized water in a spray pattern continues to show the presence of dirt (dark grey, brown, or black) color, the cleaning process should be repeated.

f. The same cleaning process applies when washing lawn furniture and other exterior items.

14. Contractors Completing Interior Cleaning and Smoke Odor Neutralization:

a. The combustion byproducts in wildfires usually contain smoke, char, ash, fine unburnt plant particles, clay, and silica--all that can enter the living space. There can be a combination of other compounds brought into a home from neighboring burnt buildings such as asbestos, and heavy metals such as lead, mercury, zinc, and arsenic.

b. The presence of smoke odor indoors is a result of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). Often, smoke odor dissipates over time, such as in several days to a week.

c. Occupants may experience headaches, nausea, and other health symptoms because of the presence of PAHs and SVOCs. When this occurs, they should seek

medical advice and remain out of the home until smoke odors dissipate or symptoms are eliminated.

d. Some cleaning technicians can be susceptible to the presence of smoke odor, and can experience the same symptoms. Recognizing that cleaning technicians are often in multiple homes, they may not know what house caused them to experience health concerns. It may also be a result of cleaning multiple homes, where their heath symptoms are an accumulative effect.

e. Cleaning a house often involves a dry vacuum cleaning with a wet-wiping process of noticeable (visible), char, ash, and other organic matter. The particulate matter may impact a building in various places. It could just be around windows and doors and/or may be more extensive on flat surfaces in certain rooms. Particulate may be on many areas, where unsealed doors and windows blew open, impacting a large area or the entire house; it may have entered the house through the attic, through the ventilation system, through supply and exhaust ducting, and can enter the house through fireplaces, kitchen, and bathroom vents. A final thought: walking through a house from outdoors, brings with it char, ash, and organic matter.

f. The visible dry vacuum cleaning with wet wiping process may be sufficient to satisfy the homeowner and meet the terms and conditions of the contract. However, a more detailed cleaning and deodorization process may be required in wildfire impact situations, such as when the house at or near a hot zone; is impacted by wildfire driven winds; is in a low-lying area that locks smoke in valleys, where the inversion layer of smoke remains inside the house for days; or faces a hillside, where gusts of heated wind fill the house.

g. In more difficult particulate and smoke odor cleanup situations, it is not uncommon for contents to need to be professionally cleaned, and the interior smoke washed cleaned, starting at the ceiling and walls, and then cabinets, and flooring.

h. It is not unusual to have attic insulation impacted by smoke, char, and ash to be replaced, the attic cleaned, and the ventilation system cleaned and deodorized. i. In situations where a house is close to the hot zone, or when lingering smoke odor remains noticeable by the homeowner, deodorization requires a combination of detergent cleaning and deodorization methods.

j. In a few instances, packing out the contents of the house may be necessary, which allows a professional detailed cleaning and deodorization of furniture, clothing, and other contents. Musical instruments, electronics, and works of art should be evaluated by professionals in their respective field.

15. The Benefits and Drawback of Environmental Professionals:

a. The cleanup and remediation of wildfires is best completed by contractors and restorers trained and certified in fire damage restoration.

b. In some wildfire situations, where potential regulated materials could be present and smoke odor is causing occupants and/or the restorer’s workers to experience health effects, the presence of char, ash, and organic matter must be quantified. These are the situations where a qualified and competent independent indoor

environmental professional (IEP), an industrial hygienist (IH), or an occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) professional should be consulted. c. The IEP, IH, and the OEHS professional investigator are experienced and understand that smoke composition is dependent upon several variables, including fuel type, the moisture contents of the fuel, fire temperature, and weather-related influences. Smoke from a wildfire can travel great distances depending on weather conditions. Combustion during a wildfire produces smoke, which is a mixture of carbon dioxide, water vapor, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, hydrocarbons, other organic chemicals, nitrogen oxides, and trace minerals. The components of wildfire residue (e.g., particulate matter) can deposit on surfaces. From a public health perspective, airborne particulate matter is the primary pollutant of concern over a short period of time, from days to weeks.

d. The IEP, IH, and the OEHS professional investigators are expected to complete an “Occupant Interview” with the homeowner to understand potential health risks occupants may be experiencing. When assessing human health posed by wildfire residue, the role of the investigator is to identify potential exposure pathways and evaluate the level of exposure to a sensitive receptor (individual). This

information can assist medical professionals, as well as the restorer in cleaning and deodorizing a home.

e. Currently, there are not many IEP and IH professionals who understand the study of wildfire science and its relationship to how it impacts occupants, buildings, and the indoor environment.

f. Because some IEP and IH professionals have a limited understanding of wildfire science and impaction on buildings, the process for establishing a sampling strategy, requesting specific laboratory analysis methods, and interpreting quantifiable sample data, is poorly understood.

g. Some IEP and IH professionals are required to write the scope of work of the restorer. Part of their knowledge in developing a scope of work is expected to be developed from the occupant interview, visual inspection, and laboratory data, where together, this information formulates the scope of work. If the IEP or IH has not completed a thorough interview, inspection, and lab data interpretation, the restorer has limited knowledge to successfully complete their work.

About the Author:

Patrick Moffett is a licensed general contractor, a master restorer in fire damage restoration with IICRC, a fire loss specialist with RIA, a registered industrial hygienist with AIHA, and teaches fire damage restoration courses to insurance adjusters and contractors. Mr. Moffett was a consultant in drafting the 2018 AIHA “Wildfire Assessment for the OEHS Professional.” He currently participates in writing the IICRC “Standard for Professional Wildfire Restoration.” Mr. Moffett can be contacted at [email protected] or his office at (714) 928-4008.

Source References:

AIHA “Wildfire Disaster Recovery Center”

https://www.aiha.org/public-resources/consumer-resources/disaster-response-resource-center/wil dfire-disaster-recovery-center

AIHA “Wildfire Assessment for the OEHS Professional”

https://aihaelibrary.conferencespot.org/esah18-796-1.4543861?qr=1 

AIHAAlberta Canada Local Section “Assessing the Potential Health Risks of Wildfire Residues in the Indoor Environment”

https://aiha-ab.com/assessing-the-potential-health-risks-of-wildfire-residues-in-the-indoor-enviro nment/

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality “Cleanup Guidance for Residents Affected by Wildfire” https://azdeq.gov/wildfire/cleanup 

Baxter, Dan “White Paper – Inorganic Wildfire Chemistry Methods”

http://eaabaxter.com/docs/UsingpHconductivity-cation-research%20paper2-2019-4.pdf 

CalRecycle “Wildfire Debris Cleanup and Recovery”

https://calrecycle.ca.gov/Disaster/Wildfires/ 

California Department of Toxic Substance Control “Disaster-Related Hazardous Waste Removal” City of Boulder “Wildfire Home Assessment”

https://bouldercolorado.gov/services/wildfire-home-assessment 

California Department of Toxic Substance Control “DTSC Emergency Guidance on Wildfires #1 Fact Sheet” https://dtsc.ca.gov/emergency-guidance-on-wildfires-1/ 

California Department of Toxic Substance Control “DTSC Emergency Guidance on Wildfires #2 Fact Sheet” https://dtsc.ca.gov/emergency-guidance-on-wildfires-2-2/ 

California DIR “Protecting Outdoor Workers Exposed to Smoke from Wildfires” https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/wildfire/Worker-Protection-from-Wildfire-Smoke.html and https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/doshreg/Protection-from-Wildfire-Smoke/Wildfire-smoke-emergenc y-standard.html

CDC/NIOSH “Health Hazard Evaluation Program: Evaluation of Fire Debris Cleanup Employee’s Exposure to Silica, Asbestos, Metals, and Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons” https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2018-0094-3355.pdf 

Delia, Alice; Baxter, Dan “The ABCs of Wildfire Residue Contamination Testing: Postfire Assessment of the Indoor Environment”

https://synergist.aiha.org/201711-wildfire-residue-contamination-testing 

EPA “Health Effects Attributed to Wildfire Smoke”

https://www.epa.gov/wildfire-smoke-course/health-effects-attributed-wildfire-smoke

EPA “Study Shows Some Household Materials Burned in Wildfires Can Be More Toxic Than Others”

https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/study-shows-some-household-materials-burned-wildfires-ca n-be-more-toxic-others

EPA “The Science Behind Wildfire Smoke’s Toxicity”

https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/science-behind-wildfire-smokes-toxicity 

Government of Canada “Wildfire Smoke and Your Health”

https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/air-quality-health-index/wildfire -smoke/wildfire-smoke-health.html

National Volunteer Fire Council “Wildland Fire Assessment Program”

https://www.nvfc.org/programs/wildland-fire-assessment-program/ 