Residents who choose to return to their homes in neighborhoods affected by wildfire can run the risk of exposure to hazardous materials, including lead, battery acid, arsenic and carcinogens found in plastics.
Photograph: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images(Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images)
How Californians can mitigate the threat of toxic materials and mudslides following the wildfires
Original story by Kyle Bagenstose
Experts caution Californians about the hazards they face long after wildfire flames are extinguished.
According to Chris Field, director of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, exposure to hazardous materials poses as threat to residents who return to their homes in affected neighborhoods. For example, material like lead and carcinogens found in plastics could be contained within the ash of damaged structures. Those who choose to return to their homes should take proper precautions by wearing protective gear, advises Field.
Looking into the future, Wrigley Institute faculty affiliate and professor of earth sciences Joshua West warns against an increased risk of mudslides within the first year or two years following the wildfires, given that they have made the land more vulnerable to quick erosion during a rainstorm.
Leveraging tools such as the Debris Flow Hazard Assessment Viewer to assess the level of risk in a given area or placing protective measures like sandbags to divert debris flow can help mitigate the threat of damage from mudslides, says West.