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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2009
Public Health Contact:
Michele Mickiewicz, Public Information Officer, 805-681-5446.
805-451-3497 (cell)
Air Pollution Control District Contact:
Tom Murphy, Division Manager,
805-961-8857, 805-403-1096 (cell)
Air Quality Watch for Santa Barbara Canceled
Residents Near Burned Sites Cautioned about
Potential for
Poor Air Quality as Cleanup Continues
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The Santa Barbara County Public Health
Department and the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control
District today canceled the Air Quality Watch for Southern Santa
Barbara County. Air quality has improved overall, and given weather
conditions the improvement is expected to continue. The agencies
continue to caution homeowners and contractors to be careful when
cleaning up burned building materials, and stress that residents in
or near burned areas need to be especially careful to close windows
and keep indoor air clean as cleanup activities continue. In
addition, the ash that has been deposited may be re-suspended by
vehicle traffic and wind for some time, and could produce localized
areas of unhealthy particle concentrations. People with heart and
lung conditions, including asthma, need to pay attention to symptoms
that could be related to breathing particles, and contact health
care providers if symptoms continue. The agencies will continue to
monitor conditions and will issue new air quality advisories if the
situation changes.
Ash Cleanup
Residents are advised to be cautious when cleaning up ash to avoid
stirring up particles and especially to avoid using leaf blowers
(and to ask landscaping services to avoid use of leaf blowers).
Anyone with heart or lung problems should not do post-fire cleanup.
Possibly the best way to clean up ash is to use a
high-quality shop/industrial vacuum outfitted with a high-efficiency
particulate filter and a disposable collection filter bag.
Ash can be bagged and put into trash cans, so it will not be stirred
up again into the air. Special attachments can be used to clean ash
from gutters, so that it will not blow back over outdoor spaces.
Attachments and disposable bags are available from most hardware
stores. In addition, gentle sweeping of indoor and outdoor hard
surfaces followed by wet mopping may be effective. A damp cloth or
wet mop may be all that is needed on lightly dusted areas. When
cleaning up it may be useful to spray areas lightly with water;
however, it is best to divert the water to lawn or garden areas so
that ash-filled water does not flow into streets, runoff systems and
the creeks. Do not allow children to play in ash-filled areas, avoid
skin contact with ash, wash pets, remove ash from outside toys and
play equipment, and take cars to the car wash.
Asbestos from Burned Material
When houses burn, asbestos fibers from building materials may become
airborne, creating a potentially hazardous situation. Houses built
or re-built more than 20 years ago have a higher likelihood of
containing asbestos fibers. Cleanup and demolition activities can
make conditions worse if not done properly. Handling materials that
contain asbestos can be hazardous to your health. Additional
asbestos-related tips are available on
this page.
See this page for more
information. For recorded advisory updates,
call 805-961-8802
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