After a wildfire, your home may be affected by smoke, soot, ash, chemicals, structural damage, and water damage. This information is a collection of health and safety items to think about as you return to your home. It covers many general topics and does not apply to every situation.
Do not enter areas that were heavily damaged or destroyed by wildfire until local authorities say it's safe.
Once authorities say the area is safe to enter, be very careful. Know the risks, understand how wildfire smoke can affect your health, and take precautions to protect yourself and others. Wear the right personal protective equipment and go during daylight, if possible.
Know the risks
When returning home after a wildfire, there are many hazards to watch for:
- Slip, trip, and fall hazards from unstable structures, damaged trees, collapsing roofs, open pits, or wet and slippery surfaces.
- Sharp objects such as nails, broken glass, metal, concrete, or wood debris. Cleaning up after a wildfire can put you at risk for tetanus. Make sure you are up to date on all your vaccines, and clean any cuts right away.
- Damaged or leaking household hazardous materials such as kitchen and bathroom cleaning products, paint, batteries, pesticides, and fuel containers. Follow the guidance from your local authorities on how to properly dispose of these items.
- Residue from smoke, soot, ash, and demolition dust, which can irritate eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs. People with asthma or other lung conditions may have more symptoms. Fire retardants (materials used to stop or slow the spread of fire) often contain ammonia, which can sting eyes and skin and cause nausea if swallowed. Learn more about wildfire smoke and your health.
- Carbon monoxide that could be in small or poorly ventilated areas when equipment like pumps, generators, or pressure washers are used. Do not enter very small or confined spaces.
- Propane cylinders for heating or from a barbeque. Contact local authorities on how to manage these items after a fire.
Work within your limits and take breaks when you need to.
If you or your family are injured by fire debris, get help. If it's an emergency, call 911.
For health advice and information, call your doctor or call Health Link at 811 to talk to a registered nurse any time, day or night.
Take precautions
Use the right personal protective equipment, including masks and protective clothing, to protect yourself when you return to your home after a wildfire.
Masks
To protect your breathing, use an N95 mask (also called a respirator) to help filter out and lower the amount of particles from ash, soot, and smoke that you breathe in. An N95 mask that fits properly will work better than a dust mask or surgical mask to block ash particles.
Masks that provide the same or better protection as an N95 include KN95 and P100 respirators. The higher the number, the more particles the mask filters out, which means better protection.
You can buy N95 masks at hardware stores, home improvement centres, pharmacies, or safety or construction supply stores.
If you can't find N95 masks, a dust mask that fits well may give you some protection during cleanup.
If you have asthma or any other lung condition, only spend short periods of time in wildfire-damaged areas.
Learn more about how to lower the health risks from wildfire smoke.
Protective clothing
Depending on the area and the type of work you are doing, you may need to use protective clothing, gloves, boots, eye protection, head protection, and hearing protection. Make sure the clothes and footwear you choose are right for the type of work you'll be doing and where you'll be.
Choose strong clothes and footwear that protects you from "head-to-toe" from cuts, scrapes, punctures, and slips. Wear long-sleeve shirts, long pants or coveralls, leather gloves, and boots with thick soles to stop punctures from sharp objects. Steel-toed boots are recommended.
Eye, ear, and head protection
Wear safety glasses or goggles that give you wrap-around protection. Regular sunglasses don't give you enough protection.
Wear a protective helmet or hard-hat to clean up areas where there's a chance that debris could fall.
Use ear plugs or safety earmuffs when you're using heavy machinery or power tools.
