Eaton fire recovery information

Smoke remediation

Debris cleanup

Air quality

Housing

Industrial hygenist report

File a claim to open the process. Ask for an industrial hygienist report. Specifically ask, and then get in writing, an agreement for a pre and post remediation report. If they won't agree, pay for it yourself. It is the only way to know the extent of the smoke damage. You can request reimbursement from insurance later. Once you have the report, you can create a remediation plan. As you can see from other answers, damage can vary depending on location and wind and the structure itself. The report is the only way to know if there are toxins/VOCs in your home.

Remediation certifications:

Hazardous Clean-Up Info

I just spoke to my cousin on the east coast, he is an expert in hazardous material clean-up (commercial and residential) including ash and all toxins caused by fires like ours. Lots of good info in no particular order:

If the water company says it's OK to drink the water, feel OK using the water. Bottled water is great but don't be afraid to use the water as long as PWP says it's safe in your neighborhood.

The air smelling fine inside or outside the house is absolutely no indication of safety. The air quality app on your phone is no indication of safety. ASSUME THE AIR IS NOT SAFE RIGHT NOW. Wear N95 or KN95 masks inside and out. (he likes the respirator kind but admits it's not always practical) Assume that there is ash in your house even if it didn't burn, even if you can't see it.

As for what to do... First, hard surfaces can be cleaned. Porous items maybe not. Anything that has density -- think mattresses, pillows, upholstered furniture, etc. -- no. I put it to him, what would you do? Without hesitation he said he would get rid of those things immediately. He doesn't say this lightly. These toxins will be buried in that soft material forever. And the only place they go is into your body. Clothing, light drapes, things that are porous but not dense, can be cleaned. A good round or two in the laundry should be sufficient but there are many cleaners who do bulk laundry and are experienced in smoke restoration. But if your clothing or anything else continues to smell after cleaning, get rid of it.

Inside the house he told me "don't even think about going back there to live until there has been a full professional cleaning with people who specialize in this." As he said, it is well-known across the country that landlords will almost always say they can do the cleaning themselves. They cannot. This has to be a certified company with experience in this. Also a good company knows how to navigate the insurance maze and help you get this done.

After cleaning has been done, he always recommends a good air purifier anyway and we do have them but professional cleaning which will do all surfaces plus ducts and such are most important.

Listen to your body. My friend went to her house for less than 10 minutes the other day and there were no fires on that block. The smell was overwhelming and her clothing still smelled of burned plastic for days. An hour after she left the house and went an hour away to clean air she had a pounding headache and nausea that lasted 36 hours. It is easy to think it's OK because you don't smell anything. As my cousin keeps reminding me, talk to anyone who was involved in 9/11 clean-up more than 20 years ago and the catastrophic health problems that didn't present for years. The government said the air was safe because they didn't want panic and because they couldn't know what the future holds. You are the best advocate for yourself, your families and friends, and your pets. We have a cockatoo and we are freaked out about bringing him back there, birds are super sensitive to poor air quality.