ORLANDO, Fla. – As crews continue to battle brush fires across Central Florida, some residents have reached out to News 6 for help dealing with the aftermath.
The danger doesn’t end when a fire is contained, as a St. Cloud neighborhood felt on Monday. One of the residents, Chris Kinngard said the smoke and ash were unbearable even after a nearly 200-acre brush fire was under control.
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“Some of the ember and ash was about almost 30 feet tall. It was like just fire coming up. There’s a lot of smoke around a lot of the neighborhood. Basically, the whole Sunbrook neighborhood is covered in smoke,” Kinngard told News 6.
South Coast AQMD, is an agency based in California dedicated to improving air quality across the state, and according to its website, windblown ash can contain air toxins.
The agency also shared the following guidelines for those cleaning up ash from wildfires or brush fires:
- Collect ash into a plastic bag then dispose of it in the regular trash.
- When cleaning up outside, do not use a leaf blower — instead use a broom that is misted lightly with water then gently sweep ash-filled water to ground areas and not toward storm drains.
- When cleaning up inside, use a vacuum with a HEPA filter or sweep gently with a broom that is lightly misted with water.
- Ensure that toys and pets are clean as well.
If your car has ash on it, just a trip to a professional car wash will do the trick, according to the agency’s website. No need for special sponges or soap to clean it off.
As counties across Florida continue to issue burn bans due to high drought and wildfire conditions, it is also advised to not only know how to clean up ash but also how to prepare your home. For those details, click HERE.
