Question from Susan-az
My brother has a log home in AZ in an area surrounded by the massive Wallow wildfire, which is still burning. The area is still under evacuation orders. Do you have any helpful information as far as cleaning his home after the smoke damage? Also, are there dangerous chemicals to be concerned about with regard to the products which the firefighters have to use? My brother and his wife both have health issues. Thanks so much, Debra, for all your helpful advice over the years!
Debra’s Answer
There are basically four types of chemicals used in fighting wildland fires: fire retardants, foams, elastomers, and fire suppressant gels. None of them are particularly toxic to humans or the environment. The MSDS sheets for these chemicals can be found at USDA Forest Service: Wildland Fire Chemical Systems.
As for cleaning the house of smoke, with a wildfire such as this, you will probably need to hire a professional smoke remediation service.
Here are some links to websites with tips about removing smoke:
