By Nancy Gaarder
Omaha World-Herald (Nebraska)
Copyright 2006 The Omaha World-Herald Company
Panhandle-area residents should take care when cleaning the thin layer of ash left by wildfires in northwest Nebraska, health officials said Tuesday.
The ash should be removed without stirring it up, they said. Microscopic particles can lodge deep within a person’s lungs, setting the stage for later health problems.
Among the suggestions from the Nebraska Health and Human Services System and the Panhandle Public Health Department:
Wash toys, and don’t allow children to play in ash.
Clean ash off pets.
Wear gloves, long-sleeve shirts and long pants when working with ash.
Sweep ash up gently and then damp mop. Do not remove ash with a leaf blower, shop vacuum or household vacuum cleaner.
Use as little water as possible to reduce runoff.
Ash may be disposed of in the trash.
“If you breathe ash, it can irritate the nose and throat and may cause coughing,” said Dr. Joann Schaefer, chief medical officer for the Nebraska Health and Human Services System.
“Exposure to ash in the air could trigger asthma attacks in people with asthma,” she said. “Fire ash can be irritating to the skin as well.”
Ash from burned structures probably contains more toxins than ash from grass and trees, officials said.
Even in remote areas, ash can contain additional contaminants if the fire burned telephone poles, barbed wire, tires, cars or other man-made materials.
The very young, the elderly and people with heart and respiratory problems should avoid smoke from the fires.
More information is available through the Panhandle District Health Department at 308-487-3600.