Introduction
The City of Alameda has prepared this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) sheet in response to inquiries from residents and property owners regarding ash and burned debris resulting from the recent building fire at the Fleet Industrial Supply Center.
This document has been prepared following a field visit to neighborhoods located downwind of the fire conducted by a technical consultant working for the City and a preliminary review of available literature regarding release of asbestos during building fires. City staff has met with representatives of Alameda County Health Agency's Department of Environmental Health and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
The Air District's report of the fire is available through a link on this page. Alameda County Health does not prepare a report for standard building fires such as this. The cause of the fire is under investigation and has not been determined at this time.
In addition to the information provided in this document, fact sheets about asbestos (prepared by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control) and lead (prepared by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) are available through links on this page.
Background
On March 29, 2009, a vacant, former hospital burned to the ground. The building was located at the former Navy Fleet Industrial Supply Center Oakland, Alameda Facility/Alameda Annex (commonly called FISC) and was empty at the time of the fire. As is typical with building fires, some ash and burned debris, including burning embers called firebrands, was carried aloft by the hot air rising from the burning building. Some of this material was carried by the winds away from the burning building and settled back to the ground at some downwind areas in Alameda.
Questions and Answers
1. What does the ash contain that fell on my property during the fire?
Ash and burned debris contain minerals and other incombustible matter that was in building materials at the fire site. It may also contain partially burned components of the building structure. A large portion of this material typically is wood ash and partially burned wood. Some of the building materials used in the former hospital contained asbestos and lead-based paint. Accordingly, the ash and burned debris that settles downwind of the fire may contain lead and/or asbestos, neither of which burn. The building was empty when it burned, so the potential release of stored hazardous substances is not an issue. This is consistent with results from an air sample collected by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District during the fire.
2. I breathed in smoke from the fire. How will this affect my health?
Although breathing smoke of any kind should be avoided, serious health effects from breathing smoke from this fire are not expected. Common-sense avoidance measures, such as not staying outdoors and breathing the smoke, protect most people from short-term irritation to the eyes and throat.
Everyone breathes low levels of asbestos and lead daily, because both asbestos and lead are common in urban areas. Short-term exposure to elevated levels downwind of the fire is unlikely to impact public health. Because building fires are so common, researchers have investigated whether breathable-sized (respirable) asbestos fibers are released from burning buildings. This research concludes that respirable fibers are not released, except in very low amounts that are not a public health concern. Although the research does not address lead specifically, lead is expected to behave similarly to asbestos.
Neither asbestos nor lead produces significant health effects from skin contact. Most people come in contact with these substances frequently, because they are part of many buildings and other things in use today. For asbestos, it is unhealthy to breathe air contaminated with high levels of it for many years. Normally, this occurs only in industrial or mining settings. Research shows that airborne levels from building fires do not approach these high levels. Similarly, it is unhealthy to breathe air contaminated with high levels of lead. It is also unhealthy to eat or drink food contaminated with high levels of lead. Skin contact is not of major importance for either asbestos or lead, especially in the context of infrequently cleaning up ash in your yard.
3. Are children at greater risk from exposure?
Children are more sensitive to some environmental contaminants than are adults. However, the responses to these FAQs are applicable to both children and adults.
4. What is the best way to clean up the ash safely?
Drape a moistened paper towel over the piece of ash. Gently pick up the paper towel with the piece of ash contained in it. Dispose of the ash wrapped in the paper towel in your refuse container for collection with the rest of your trash.
If you would like to take extra precautions while disposing of ash, there are simple things you can do. The easiest measures are to wear gloves and a dust mask. Disposable latex and nitrile gloves are available at hardware stores, as are dust masks, such as those used for sanding and other shop activities. Two-strap dust masks with a nose clip provide greater protection. A mask rated N95 or P100 blocks particles from ash better than simpler dust or surgical masks. Disposable gloves and masks can be discarded in your trash container with the paper towel and ash.
A recent field visit to the downwind areas found very few pieces of ash or burned debris. A few pieces of ash or burned debris fell on some downwind properties. Ash or burned debris can be disposed of in the manner described above. In the unlikely event lots of ash and debris landed on your property or if you are concerned about picking up the ash yourself, please call Alameda Public Works at 510-747-7900. Someone from Pubic Works will pick up the pieces of ash for you.
5. If I plant a garden, will my vegetables become contaminated with asbestos or lead?
For most residences, at most only a few pieces of ash or burned debris may be found. Most of these are unlikely to have landed in the vegetable garden. No downwind locations are believed to have received enough ash or burned debris to significantly change the amount of asbestos or lead already in the soil. Gardeners who notice ash or burned debris in their garden should pick up it up using a moistened paper towel as described above. Even if some pieces of this material are missed and they become incorporated into the soil, health effects are not expected. Plants do not absorb asbestos at all, and they absorb lead only to a very slight degree. As always, wash your produce before eating it, especially root vegetables.
6. I have dogs and cats that were outside with the smoke from the fire. Also some of the ash or burned debris may have fallen into their food and water bowls. How will this affect their health?
As with people, pets might experience irritation of the eyes and throat, but they will have no long-term health effects. Even if unnoticed ash fell into pets' food or water bowls, neither asbestos nor lead can make a pet sick from consuming the amounts that might have landed as a result of the fire. Asbestos toxicity comes from breathing it, and health effects from eating lead would need long-term consumption.
7.If I hose down my property, should I be concerned that toxic chemicals are being washed down the storm drain?
The amount of ash and burned debris likely to have fallen on your property would be insignificant if hosed into storm drains, which ultimately drain to San Francisco Bay. Both lead and asbestos are naturally occurring in soils of the San Francisco Bay Area, so they already are present in Bay sediments. Nevertheless, the best practice is to pick up any pieces of ash or burned debris using the moistened paper towel method described above.
8. I have fish in my fish pond and I'm sure that ash fell on the pond. Should I be concerned about my fish?
Few, if any pieces of ash likely landed on your property. Even if a couple of pieces landed in your fish pond, neither asbestos nor lead are soluble in water, so the water itself did not become contaminated from the amount of ash or burned debris that originated from the fire. Pieces of ash or burned debris from the fire that may have landed in the fish pond likely would float on the water surface. In any case, the fish's health would be unaffected. If you see ash or burned material in your fish pond, use a net to scoop it out. Empty the net onto a moistened paper towel and dispose of it with your household trash, as described above.
Because neither asbestos nor lead dissolves in water, neither can migrate downward through soil to contaminate groundwater.
9. I have collected ash and have it in a plastic bag. Will the City come and pick it up? If not, what should I do with it?
There is no need for the City to pick up your bag with ash in it. Simply dispose of the bag with your household refuse. If you are concerned about disposing of the ash with the rest of your trash, please call Alameda Public Works at 510-747-7900. Someone from Pubic Works will come to your home to take your bag of ash.
10. Is there any health risk from any asbestos fibers or lead that might remain on my property even after I have cleaned up the ash?
The amount of ash and burned debris from the fire on your property, especially after you have cleaned it up using the moistened paper towel method described above, is small in comparison to levels commonly found in an urban environment.
11. Will the chemicals in the soot and ash ruin the paint job on my new car?
No.
12. Should I throw away any of my personal items that were inadvertently left outside during the fire?
Simple washing or wiping with a moistened paper towel will remove any ash that may have fallen on your personal items.
For more information, or if you have questions regarding this issue, you are encouraged to contact Alameda Fire Marshal Michael Fisher at 510-337-2122.
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