I am getting a lot of different opinions from different sources about what to test for. My house is in Altadena and was impacted by the Eaton Fire. One CIH says to test only for soot, char, and ash and then to assume that it is full of all the contaminants present in the fire. Another says to test for soot, char, and ash and then to also test for lead and heavy metals, and asbestos is optional. A lot of my neighbors are doing the exact opposite: testing only for lead and asbestos because we can see the soot and know it is there. These neighbors have so far all reported elevated levels of lead. Only one reported asbestos. I am 700 yds from the nearest burned structure and have a thin layer of visible soot throughout my house, and am confused because I understand the danger of these contaminants, but also my home looks pretty normal. The goal of course is to get whatever information is necessary to determine the kind of remediation that is needed. What is the best course of action to make sure I set myself up for proper remediation, and what is the logic behind that approach?
Christy Denes asked 10 months ago Hi Christy:
Thank you for your questions. The extreme atmospheric and combustion events related to Eaton Urban Wildfire Combustion Complex and Palisades Urban Wildfire Complex events and the extent of damage and magnitude of damage is unknown. However, LA County Public Health, Academia from multiple institutions and/or Local Community Retained Third-Party Qualified Consultants have documented elevated levels of various levels of asbestos and/or metals on the exterior and interior of structures throughout the communities.
Below is a link of the multi- disciplinary studies being performed.
http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/wildfire/post_fire_assessment_plan.htm
Pre-Restoration Surveys and sampling is recommended to determine the contaminates of concern, contamination levels and the extent of damage to the structure / contents , attic, crawlspace, and exterior property. If the damages are unknown then, the scope of restoration is unknown. Pre-Restoration sampling is a tool to inform and manage risk and determine the primary scope of restoration. Sampling for Char, Soot and Ash, Asbestos (TEM), and Heavy Metals is recommended for all structures that were impacted. Additional, concerns should be discussed with Clients based on their unique situations. Based on the current knowledge related to Urban Wildfire Complex events and state of available technologies it would be perilous to presume contaminates, contamination levels and scope of restoration without performing a pre-restoration inspection and development of a scope of restoration specific to the pre-loss damages to ensure public health and safety and mitigating liability for each property owner.
Kindly, Shawn M. Rau, CIEC, CAC, LRC I/A