SPOKANE, Wash. — Thousands will be able to sleep in their own beds tonight. In a press conference Sunday, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels announces evacuations have been downgraded in some areas. For the latest update on evacuation levels check here.
And while many return home, fire officials are urging people watch for hazards and not rush the cleanup process.
The ash left behind in homes poses a significant health risk, according to the Spokane Regional Health District and the Red Cross. It can contain toxic chemicals.
“You still have to think about smoke, ash, damaged utilities, and other hazards before settling back in,” said Dr. Frank Velázquez of the Spokane Regional Health District.
The Health District recommends people wear masks, cover their skin and wear eye protection when returning to their properties. As people begin to clean up the ash and debris, they recommend the “wet cleaning method”, which means wetting it down to prevent it from becoming airborne. They emphasize — do not sweep or vacuum the ash, as these methods can release toxic particles into the air.
The Red Cross is distributing free protective kits before families return home.
“Those kits will have Tyvek suits, N95 masks, eye protection, eye drops, booties to put on your feet so you don’t bring the toxic ash back into your car,” said Denise Everhart of the Red Cross.
The Health District says any food left in refrigerators and freezers is most likely unsafe to eat and should be discarded.
The Stevens County Fire District One fire chief recommends changing smoke detector batteries and replace air conditioning filters as part of the recovery process.
Avista has confirmed that all major gas lines have been restored, and the company is now conducting home-by-home relights.
Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels expressed relief that the weekends weather wasn’t as bad as they had anticipated. “I can’t express how grateful I was to see not a lot of wind yesterday. I never want to relive last Saturday ever again in my life,” Nowels said.
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